Meal Plans - March - Page 3

[mbtmom2000]

My plan for the week: I may change the days around, but this is what we will be eating this week.

Sunday: Out for Chinese( my sis is coming into town for the week-- Chinese food is her favorite).

Monday: Chicken and Yellow Rice Skillet , salad, green peas

Tuesday: Turkey burgers, sweet potato fries, baked beans

Wednesday: Homemade spaghetti sauce with ground chicken and spinach meatballs, salad, steamed garlic and lemon green beans, breadsticks

Thursday: Baby lima beans, rice, cornbread

Friday: Green Chile chicken enchiladas, sides to be determined

Saturday: Cajun 15 bean soup with smoked sausage, rice, cornbread

Dawn

[puddle]

Sunday: Duck egg buttermilk quiche, cornbread
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Pan-fried chicken with leeks and rice pilaf
Wednesday: Leftover chicken on salad
Thursday: Spinach enchiladas with venison chili, Mexican rice and maybe lentils
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Dinner out with Inlaws

I can't plan more than a week at a time because I don't know what will be in my weekly local produce delivery

[~Megan~]

I'm so uninspired and unenergetic this month.

But here are some meals I forced myself to write down today (that way when 4pm rolls around I don't stand like an idiot wondering what to make for dinner):

1. Bacon and Spinach quiche
L- leftovers for lunch
2. Mini pizzas with cheese and hamburger w/salad and applesauce for kids
L- grilled turkey and cheese, orange slices, salad
3. Baked chicken with herbs, fried potatoes and onions (preg craving!), peas, carrots
L- leftovers
4. Meatloaf (dh craving), mashed potatoes, gravy, big salad
L- meatloaf sandwiches, apple slices
5. Chili dogs (need to use up leftover chili in the freezer), fruit salad, and green salad
L- soup from freezer
6. Chicken soft tacos, Spanish rice, salad
L- chicken quesadillas, applesauce, carrot sticks
7. dinner at Sil's house - fajitas I think

I'll make another list next week. Maybe I can find one of my old ones somewhere that's well thought out and balanced! I went ahead and posted this one here so that the other lazies might be able to get some ideas too. I don't anticipate any of these meals taking more than 30 minutes to prepare though some will take longer to bake.

[becoming]

Okay, okay, after a meal planning hiatus, during which time we spent tons of money on disgusting take-out and felt totally unprepared and overwhelmed, I'm back to meal planning. Here's our plan for the week:

Monday: taco bowls, tortilla chips with homemade guacamole
Tuesday: grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade bread, canned soup I need to get rid of
Wednesday: lemon pepper tilapia, steamed carrots, lima beans, rolls
Thursday: frozen pizza & corn
Friday: scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits

I'll grocery shop on Saturday for some basics, but I'm kind of doing a pantry challenge for the rest of the month.

[ricemom3]

I am just starting to try this. We definitely need to save money. I have done a plan for this week.
Mon was leftovers (our fridge was full)
Tues - Baked chicken, veggie, potato and salad
Wed - Chili in crock pot
Thurs - Chicken/pasta (not sure on recipe)
Fri - Cheese Ravioli
Sat - Probably pizza (either take out or homemade)
Sun - Easter at dh's grandma's house

Saturday I hope to sit down and plan two weeks. I figure I will work my way up to a month at a time. I would like to grocery shop every two weeks and just a quick stop for milk and produce on the off weeks.

[freespirited]

I'm proud of myself! I just put together my first menu plan! I spent $120 at the grocery store and I told dh that if we wanted to keep our costs down to $400 for groceries, then this food would have to last 10 days. Well I really had to do some thinking to stretch it out but I did it! I imagine this gets easier and you learn as you go.

Budget - $120 Days - 10

Mon: Started with dinner, refried beans in tortillas w/ sour cream
Tues: Breakfast - granola, banana, Lunch - Turkey sandwiches, salad, Dinner - Black beans & polenta, asparagus and a ripe plaintain sauteed in maple syrup for dessert
Weds - Breakfast - Instant oatmeal, Lunch - Grilled ham sandwiches, frozen french fries, Dinner - Wild rice crockpot creation
Thurs - Breakfast - cereal, Lunch - huevos rancheros, Dinner - Frozen dinners (organic, on sale 50% off), salad and baked sweet potatoes
Fri - Breakfast - Instant oatmeal, Lunch - Ramen noodles w/ cut up veggies cooked in it, Dinner - *Treat* (under $20, like pizza or something). TGIF!
Saturday - Breakfast - Eggs and toast, Lunch - Macaroni & tomatoes, salad, Dinner - Black beans from scratch (soaked overnight), rice, cabbage salad with tomatoes
Sunday - Breakfast - cereal (for me, pumpkin seeds and fruit many mornings), Lunch - Leftover beans w/ fresh rice and salad, Dinner - Spaghetti, salad, cornbread muffins
Mon - Breakfast - Spaghetti leftovers, cabbage salad, Dinner - Tasty Bite Kashmir Spinach and Madras Lentils Indian food over rice (For the kids, cheese tortellini)
Tues - Breakfast - Oatmeal or cereal, Lunch - Tuna on saltines, raw veggies, Dinner - Black beans from scratch, rice, stir-fried broccoli and grated carrot together
Weds - Breakfast - Eggs & tortillas, Lunch - Leftover beans, fresh rice, Dinner - Steak, sweet potatoes fries, salad or veg
Thurs - Breakfast - pancakes, Lunch - Tortellini w/ frozen vegs, Dinner - lentil soup, cornbread

Snacks and desserts: Activia yogurts, string cheese, cookies, fruits (grapes, watermelon, organic apples and bananas), popsicles, granola.

My cupboards and fridge will be completely bare by Thurs the 27th, lol. That is going to be satisfying, considering I usually ignore many food items in my cupboards until I question if they are still good to eat. This time, I am utilizing everything I bought and some things I had sitting in my cupboards too long - like lentils and wild rice. Good luck ladies and thanks for letting me share.

[KingstonMama]

Originally Posted by granolalight

No way! You spend $100 for a big trip every two weeks!?! How? I would say that we spend, on average, around $125-$150 per week. A big trip for us is closer to $200. Are we unusual? Or are you? Sounds like a topic for a new thread...

Part of my reason for beginning to be a meal planner is so that we can cut costs.

I spend about $130-$150/week for our family of 4. I do weekly meal planning which I thought saved us money, but when I see how much all these other Mamas are spending, I'm starting to wonder!!

[mbtmom2000]

Plan for this week or so: These are in no particular order,but this is what we have on hand for the new week. With my sis here the past week, we didn't stick with last weeks plan too well. I will be cooking those meals from last week that we didnt prepare.

Well, I forgot it was Easter this weekend... not sure how I pulled that one off....




Spicy 3 bean-3 pepper turkey chili, white rice, mexican cornbread

Spaghetti and ground chicken/ spinach meatballs with Giada's simple tomato sauce, steamed veggie blend(red bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, beans) garlic bread sticks


Baked Ham, , green beans, orange candied sweet potaotes, rolls

Country Ham Mac and cheese casserole, sweet peas, corn

Lima bean soup made with ham bone, rice, corn bread, more steamed greens

leftover night

Sandwich night (usually with fresh fruit and canned soup)

Dawn

[jldumm]

Just chime in with the money thing. we spend between 80 and 100 a week for two adults and one baby... but we eat 85% organic. It seems like a lot compared to some of my friends and not a lot compared to others.

i also plan per week because we get veggies from a csa and find out what they are each week because they are seasonal.

last week-
cheese grits facon and eggs
spinach quesadillas
zuchini tortalini and salad
cocnut lemon cake
eggs in a nest
spahetti salad and garlic bread
potato latkes and coleslaw and fake chiken patties
breakfast smoothie (had this this am, yum)
bread butter and fruit salad
make bread

next week
oatmeal cookies
carrot bran muffins
beans and rice- make leftovers into freeezer burritos
tortallini with sour cream sauce
pita stuffed with greek salad and fake chiken pattie
rice brocoli and feta saute
pepper and soinach fritata
make bread