Next Week's Menu

Come on in and check out what I'm cooking next week...


SUNDAY
B ~ Frozen waffles for the kids (Van's brand)
L ~ Bean and cheese nachos after church
D ~ Slow cooker version of Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork (in either tostada or soft taco form) with toppings and beans
MONDAY
B ~ Peanut butter toast
L ~ Grilled cheese
D ~ "Mama's Sausage Macaroni" (except I'll be using hamburger), veggie; GF angel food cake and strawberries (Sean's Bday dinner)
TUESDAY
B ~ Oatmeal
L ~ Leftovers
D ~ Beef roast, mashed potatoes, veggie
WEDNESDAY
B ~ Peanut butter toast
L ~ Bean and cheese nachos
D ~ Slow cooked BBQ chicken, Muffin Tin Biscuits, veggie
THURSDAY
B ~ Frozen waffles
L ~ Beef hash or leftovers
D ~ Pizza (crust), brownies
FRIDAY
B ~ Peanut butter toast
L ~ Chili cheese fries (uh...not homemade...a can of chili, chopped onion, cheese/cheese subsitute, frozen fries)
D ~ Pork loin roast, fried potatoes, veggie
SATURDAY
B ~ Homemade pancakes
L ~ Chicken and noodles
D ~ Spaghetti, corn bread muffins, veggie

There you have it...

For next week's menu, I tried to balance practical (read: easy and quick) with new recipes and fun food. Sometimes I struggle in my menu planning efforts simply because I want to plan BIG and try lots of new recipes and make awesome food my family can rave about but, on the other hand, reality is that I'm usually tired by mid-afternoon and am not the most organized to plan ahead each and every day. Plus, throw in the aspect that some days I'm heading off for work at 3:45pm and you've got a menu that might as well not have been made because a plan without a little effort doesn't get you anywhere. So practical menu planning trumps creative and appealing menu planning in my book. I have to be honest with myself about what I can accomplish. I have also pinpointed a few areas that need more effort on my part such as planning ahead on my work days so Casey doesn't have to take the kids out to eat cook after getting off his job. I am planning to prepare some fairly easy meals on the nights I work to bless my family with. I'm using my slow cooker A LOT this week because it saves me money on my gas bill (gas stove!) and I have less cooking come the dreaded hour before dinner when everyone is in a cranky, needy mood.

Have an awesome weekend!

♥Shari