Welcome back! If you didn’t get a chance to read my previous post, go check it out- it will explain Meal Planning Monday. Hope you had a few minutes this weekend to sit down with a pen and jot down what you’re planning to make this week. It really helps you complete a thorough grocery shopping list. As I pull recipes for the week, I make sure to peruse the ingredient list and add anything I don’t have to my grocery list. Then I fill in all the other basics I need. This whole process- the grocery list and meal plan takes me 5-10 minutes. Done.
All you need to do is add your weekly plan to the comments section. Check back to see what other’s are having and feel free to link up any recipes you are using. If you don’t have a complete week, fill in what you know. Maybe you’ll get some ideas from other comments!
Menu for June 5th
Sunday
Homemade Pizzas (using pizza yeast- so easy): Spinach, Garlic, Tomato Pizza & Carmalized Onions, Peppers and Goat Cheese Pizza, Salad
Monday
Hoisin-Glazed Salmon, Couscous Salad with Dried Cherries, Sugar Snapped Peas
Tuesday
Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Salad
Wednesday
Italian Sunday Brunch Bake, Broccoli, Rolls
Thursday
Leftovers
Friday
Turkey “Lettuce Wrap” Tacos, Beans, Homemade Salsa
Two of my meals this week, the salmon and pasta, are coming from a new cookbook, the others are mine. Either way, I always look forward to eating! Hope you have a great week in the kitchen!
New Coaching Services: 6 Week Weight Loss Course
Basic Family Meal Plan
Sauteed Sesame Kale and Meal Planning
Meal Planning & a Workout
As you might guess, head chef Marlos came up with the great menu below. We’ve been trying to do fish twice a week and we always do pasta one day so I can have easy leftovers for lunch.
Sunday – Grilled Mahi Mahi with lemon and guacamole on top, orzo with feta, mixed veggies: squash, zuccini, green pepper and mushrooms in olive oil and garlic
Monday – Chicken/Eggplant stirfry with green onions, carrots, green peppers on top of brown rice
Tuesday – Baked Salmon with dill, lemon and olive oil on bed of spring greens, tomatoes, avacado, mandarin oranges and raw crushed almonds
Wednesday – Turkey meatballs with whole wheat pasta, side salad
Thursday – Grilled Pork/Venison Sausage, baked sweet potatoe with cinammon and raisins, steamed broccoli
P.S. I totally agree with your stance on family dinner. We waited too long to begin that with Mazen and it probably contributed to him being such a picky eater. I recently read an article posted in my pediatrician’s office about how kids who don’t eat dinner with their family are more likely to use drugs and have other social and emotional problems. Pretty compelling reason to eat as a family! That scared us into the habit quickly and we’ve been eating together as a family for a few months now. It was challenging at first, but now we really enjoy the time together!
Melanie,
Here is my meal plans for the week. I love this idea as meal planning (which I try to do weekly) gets very difficult at times. Also on a side note, my husband went to high school with you (Greg Hokenson), and my plans are a bit different because I take turns trading meals weekly with Brittany Edgerton Smith. So every other week we eat what ever she cooks and visa versa. This is something I highly recommend for your readers to try to find a friend to do this with. It has been AWESOME and something we have done with only a few weeks off for over a year. Britt and I live blocks away, both love to cook healthier for our families. It has worked for us, we just double our recipe one week and then get a night off the next. Anyway, here is my menu for this week,
Mon–Your turkey wraps we are going to give them a try (reading your plans inspired me), and fresh fruit
Tues–Brittany’s fablous meal:)
Wednesday–A corn Quinoa Black bean salad (our vegetarian meal for the week and a new recipe) Fresh fruit
Thursday– Left overs
Friday–our weekly pizza night, cheese pizza for the kids and one adult geared pizza based on what I find on sale this week when I shop on Wednesday:)
Saturday–Simple chicken nuggets or left over pizza for the kids (and eat out for the parents)
Sunday–Grill out axis venion tenderloin, fruit, green beans
Gretchen,
Thanks for sharing! It’s nice to “meet” you. Tell Greg hello- it’s been ages! I am sure this won’t come as a surprise, but he was one of the nicest guys in HS. 🙂 Love your meal exchange with Brittany. It’s so great you live close- obviously that makes it so much more doable. Hope to hear from you again!
Yay! Love this!
Monday: I work, hubs has soccer game, so he takes kids to grab something before his game while I teach.
Tuesday: Pioneer Woman’s http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/05/beef-noodle-salad-bowls/
I am doing veggies and then marinating them in the yummy sauce for me since I do vegetarian. Though, my hubs wants me to add in red meat at least once a month since I tend to be anemic. So I may partake of meat:)
Wednesday: Egg in the holes (again, I work this night, so it needs to be something Luck can make and
then we will eat when I am home.)
Thursday: Homemade marinara with brown rice pasta, Parmesan roasted broccoli, and for my
carnivores, I am slicing an Italian chicken sausage to go in the pasta.
Friday: We will either make homemade pizza or go out. I am kinda a sucker for going out on Friday….especially if I can get a margarita 🙂
Saturday: Homemade black bean burgers and homemade gf buns with guac and all of the fixin’s (this one is more ambitious since i have to MAKE the buns. But my hubby likes to cook so we often do our harder, more complicating things on Saturday b/c it is fun) IF YOU HAVE A GOOD BLACK BEAN BURGER RECIPE, LET ME KNOW!!!!
ALSO: I did this with pinto beans a few weeks ago and am going to do it with black this week. So that i don’t have to used canned beans, you cook your beans overnight in the crockpot and then drain them and let them cool. Then you scoop out 1 2/3 cups into baggies and freeze. Each baggie equals a can of beans. So anytime you need beans, there they are! And way cheaper and not canned! I will be making the bean burgers from this.
Great idea for the beans. I need to do that at the rate we use beans around here- great tip! Sat night plan does sound ambitious but I am sure the payoff will be great. I love veggie/bean burgers. I just looked at one in a cookbook for veggie/lentil one but don’t have any black bean recipes. Good luck!
Heading out of town on Thursday so it’s “clean out the fridge” week over here.
Monday: Lettuce (peppers, cucumbers) salad with oil & vinegar dressing, veggie burger (frozen)
Tuesday: That salad again with grilled chicken breast (still need to search for a marinade online) & grilled zucchini
Wednesday: chicken sandwiches with veggie plate
Will be off the hook the rest of the week while I’m visiting my parents and then off on a women’s spa weekend, wahoo!!
I love meal planning! Not a whole lot to plan this week though.
Monday:
Lighter Eggplant Parmesan, Crudites
Homemade strawberry ice cream
Tuesday:
Dinner at Friend’s house (bringing salad)
Wednesday:
Leftovers
Thursday:
Sandwiches, Fruit salad
Friday:
Out with hubby (late anniversary dinner)
Saturday:
Whole Grain Pancakes, Fruit
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Thank you
Have a blessed week!
this is great Mel! I plan to join in this week – I’m giving it thought right now. Thanks for all the inspiration.