shells in your pocket header  photo homecopy_zpsfb4a2569.png photo about_zps830e372c.png photo hello_zps830e372c.png photo kitchen_zps99b973df.png photo homeschooling_zpsa379c641.png photo linklove_zpsc7adec01.png

Finding My Dinner "Routine"

Well, we have been back in school for 1 1/2 weeks and I am still trying to figure out my {DAY}. I finally pulled out the good ole' crockpot for dinner and made a roast last night. Started dinner planning for next week!

How do you plan your meals for the week? Do you make the same thing every week? Do you use different cookbooks?

I need a plan or we end up eating fast food in the car going to practice. It can happen so easily. Then the next thing you know...your kids have had fried chicken nuggets 3 nights in a row!

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday: Homemade mac and cheese with cut up fruit
Tuesday: Crockpot pork chops with red skin potatoes and veggie
Wednesday: Tacos and rice
Thursday: Chicken and rice casserole with rolls and veggie
Friday: Order Pizza
{I did have a meal planned for Friday but who am I kidding? I will end up ordering pizza}

23 comments:

the undomesticated wife said...

There are websites devoted to crock pot recipes. I've seen desserts made in them too! I have one and should use it. I don't know why I don't think about it.

Well, as you may or may not know, I don't cook, so there's no such thing as a meal plan. ha! However, since I've been home, I've been trying a few recipes here and there. The problem is hubs is not home for dinner...he's always teaching, so it's hard to try to come up with something inventive just for myself. So I usually end up eating a salad or sandwich. Blah I know!

Ruth said...

I need a meal plan. I usually wait until last minute and then I don't know what to make and it's a rush. I don't love cooking. I need to find new recipes we all like here.

Ruth

I am Mom said...

One day I sat down and made a list of four weeks worth of dinners that my family really likes and that are Easy.

My plan was to then rotate those four weeks so it would still seem like a variety. A friend of my does this and it is all on her iphone calendar....makes shopping easier too.

I have made my list but have yet to Do It. Im with you though, Fall is when it is so needed as the schedule is crazy..

Tara G. said...

I have a binder that holds all my planning materials, including a menu sheet. I make my menus up the week ahead of time as I sit next to the calendar reviewing upcoming activities. I've found that in this stage of life, I have a repertoire of recipes that are fairly quick and easy, and I rotate them in every 3-4 weeks. I throw in a new recipe occasionally, too.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Pizza on Friday is necessary. :0

Yiota said...

Hi Sandy Toes!
Looks like you could find some ideas in www.jamieoliver.com.
You can follow the link on my blog or type the above web-address.
Personally, I don't like weekly plans because I want to cook according to mood: bored or tired - something quick and easy,
having more time and feeling creative- something more complex.
There some basic rules though, like: there's some kind of vegetable almost every day, apart from the salad of course; we eat fresh fish at least once a week; we eat lentils, beans or chickpeas (there's a word for them all which I don't remember now) at least once a week and avoid junk food as hell. We sometimes order food in like pizza, usually when we have time. Ah, yes! And I use my frying pan about...twice a year, maybe?!!

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

I am getting ready to dust off my crock pot too!! Enjoy the pizza:)

Lisa

heather said...

Sounds good to me. :)

Jo said...

I try to set a side a half hour or so on Sat or Sun and plan out a 2 week menu. I also list the items that I need at the market. This makes my life so much easier!

Jo

duchess said...

Friday night is our pizza night too.

Jboo said...

I really need to plan better! Have just been thinking about getting the crock pot out again.

Have a great weekend!

Janet

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Hi! Popping over from SITS roll call to visit.

These days it's just me and The Hubs so I have a lot more freedom with my cooking and often fly by the seat of my pants based on what I am in the mood for. Still, I sort of plan out what I want to cook for the next week or so - just to have everything on hand. I think that having a well stocked pantry is a key for cooking on the fly. If you have a lot of basics in your pantry and your freezer you can easily come up with a meal at the last minute. Course you also have to have a collection of "go to" recipes for that to work.

I agree, you really need a basic meal plan of favorite recipes when you have a family of kids to feed! Then you can basically rotate through those especially when you don't feel real creative.

Otherwise, those drive throughs start getting too easy to do. And sort of having a plan, but keeping it flexible to move things around, sure helps with the frustration level.

That roast looks really yummy!! I should use my crockpot more often in the summer.

Have a great weekend!

LuLu said...

Oh how we are living the same life! ha ha My only meal planned is Friday's .... PIZZA Night no matter what! I just told my sister on the phone today that this week I squeeked by getting by with last minute meals... I have to sit down and do what you did... or maybe we could just stop by your place for dinner :) I'll bring the ice cream! :)
keep motivating me to meal plan!!! I need it!!!
have a great pizza night!
LuLu

Joy said...

I think your meal plan looks great. I'll just use it. :)

It's a day to day thing for me.
I hate when hubs gets home from work and I've got tacos on the table and he had Mexican for lunch.
Sometimes I give him a heads-up if I know what I'm making so he won't have it for lunch.

Joy

Montee said...

Oh my goodness, that pot roast looks good! I am trying to get back into the blogging groove.

The Blonde Duck said...

Ben eats fast food at work (snarl), so I'm adament about fixing good food at home for him.

Anonymous said...

A meal plan.. but sometimes, anything goes..^^

vicki said...

do not forget about flylady.com
she has a cooking section!!

Ruby Red Slippers said...

Its Friday, and we had pizza here!

SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB said...

okay just STOP IT. i already feel like a crappy enough mother as it is, miss home cooked meal every night. my rule is - if it doesn't cook in the microwave, it doesn't see my table. i wish i loved to cook, but i DON'T! AHHH! i need a sandy toes transplant. maybe i'll do a menu for next week. or just copy yours. prob just copy yours. c u later sandy gater

Anonymous said...

I haven't been able to find my menu mojo since we moved. I need to go back to some of our old standby favorites to get me started and then I'll start looking for some new stuff again. You might need to share your crockpot pork chop recipe with us.

Farmgirl Paints said...

School hasn't started for us yet. I don't really like to cook...it's the planning and creativity. But your plan sounds like a good one. I need to get my thinking cap back on and get into a new routine.

Anonymous said...

That roast looks yummy! Even though we don't have children, I still have to meal plan. We'll eat out too much also if I don't.