Menu Plan for a Month

1. Haystacks (Rice, Chicken Soup Gravy, and Toppings like Cheese, Chow Mein Noodles, Peas, Mandarins, Pineapple, Green Onions, ect)
2. Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans with Alfredo Sauce
3. Chicken Carnita Tacos
4. Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
5. Homemade Pizza with a Pesto Crust
6. Pressure Cooker: Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots with Italian Seasonings
7. Berry Stuffed French Toast
8. Chicken Parmesan
9. Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Pasta
10. Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Fruit
11. Roast Hot dogs (or BBQ)
12. Baked Potato Bar
13. Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
14. Pot Pie
15. Chicken Enchiladas
16. Chicken Stroganoff
17. Breakfast for Dinner
18. Spicy Artichoke Pasta
19. Tacos
20. Pita Pizza
21. BBQ Chicken (Kevin's was in Marinade, Mine was a Teriyaki Burger)
22. Meatball Subs with French Bread (Cook Meatballs in Spaghetti Sauce, put on French Bread and top with Mozzarella Cheese, bake in the oven)
23. Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches
24. Roast and Mashed Potatoes
25. Tuna Sandwiches on Buns
26. Taco Salad 
27. Creamy Broccoli Pasta
28. BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwiches with Tator Tots (Crock Pot Chicken with BBQ Sauce, shredded and put on hamburger buns)
29. Funeral Potatoes
30. Chinese Chicken Salad
31. Crap Happens Meal (And you know it does)

2 Week Menu #2

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this out. We've already eaten what's on the list and I need to sit down and make #3 already.

1. Mother's Day: Chicken Enchiladas Dessert: Cheesecake
2. Quinn's Birthday: BBQ (Hot Dogs and Hamburgers)
3. Last Day of School: Ice Cream Dinner 
4. New Recipe: Malibu Chicken (Chicken, Swiss, Ham, Pineapple)
5. Spicy Artichoke Pasta (carried over from the last menu)
6. Funeral Potatoes
7. Rice, Chicken, Broccoli Meal
8. Berry Stuffed French Toast
9. Chinese Chicken Salad on Corn Tortillas
10. Makaila's Night: Macaroni and Cheese
11. Waffles
12. Pizza from Costco
13. Crap Happens (I did Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots with Italian Seasoning in the Pressure cooker. It's done in 30 minutes.)
14. Crap Happens (I did Chicken Stroganoff in the pressure cooker)

We had a lot of Crap that happened these 2 weeks (in regards to dinner), so I am giving you more of the actual instead of what had been planned. These 2 weeks were packed full of graduations and programs and yard work and special events.

When my kids have their nights, they get to pick a meal, within reason, and then they get to stay up an extra hour with Mom and Dad and have alone time while the other kids go to bed. We do it on their numerical day they were born, and repeat every month on that same day. We change the days if we need to, but this is something that is very important to the kids.

Also, my sister linked me a website that is a reverse menu plan. You check off the items in your house and it gives you a list of recipes you can make. The website is My Fridge Food.

2 Week Menu #1

In the past we've struggled financially. One thing I learned, was to start making a weekly menu. It really helps cut down on the grocery bill because I never have to run to the store to grab 1 thing for dinner, and then end up with 20 things in my cart. I've starting pairing it with payday, which for us is every other week. A day or two before payday I sit down and come up with ideas for dinner. Then I check the cupboards and the fridge and make a list of the items I need. This will actually help me to post it here, because there are times I lose the list (kids! put the list down!) and 2 weeks is a long time to remember. Sometimes those kids even get crafty and cross out the things they don't like so I can't see what I wrote.

I don't like to box myself in to the day, because some days come and I just don't feel like making what was written down for the day, so I do it in a list format. 

1. Connor's Birthday: German Pancakes

2. Abby's Night: Crepes

3. Spicy Artichoke Pasta

4. Pot Pie (concoct a new recipe)

5. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Homemade Tomato Soup

6. BLT's (or in my case, Club Sandwiches)

7. Homemade Pizza

8. Breakfast or Potato Soup

9. Pasta (Most Likely the Pioneer Woman's Sauce)

10. Creamy Broccoli Tuna Pasta

11. Try a New Meal: Taco Lasagna (1/2 meat & 1/2 Black Bean Substitute)

12. Out of Town

13. Crap Happens

14. Crap Happens

Crap Happens: On my home notebook I write "Something in the House" for 2 of my meals. I always have days where something comes up in our schedule, or I don't feel like anything on my list and I can always throw something else together from things I find in the house. Maybe you are an eat out person (we can't afford it) or maybe you just throw cereal at the kids. (Just kidding, I am sure you sit it down nicely) but this is where "Crap Happens" would fit in. 

Side note #2, you will see my kids' name listed as their night. (See #2). I will explain that later, but they get to pick a meal, within reason, once a month.