This Weeks Menu

I have a few friends who are trying to plan weekly menus instead of trying to decide what to fix for dinner at the last moment. Creating a list for me cuts down on unnecessary spending, time spent at the store as well as car gas used to constantly be going to and from the grocery store.

When I go into the grocery store armed with my weekly shopping list (which is written in order of isles - yes I am that OCD about my grocery list) I quickly and efficiently shop and check out. The most I spend at the store is 50 minutes. That is from the time I walk into the store until I am back in the car and on my way home.

I like being able to wake up in the morning and check what we will be having for dinner that evening. This allows me to prep ahead. Do I need to take out any meat to defrost? Are there any fruits or veggies that I can cut up while the kids are in school? Any sauces I can pre-make? Doing these small tasks really cuts down on the time I spend in the kitchen right before dinner.

And to make menu planning more fun I include the entire family. I will ask my husband and daughter what meal they would like to have for dinner that week.

So here is my weekly menu:

Monday: Roasted whole chicken (covered in herbs, garlic salt, and pepper) with dinner rolls, angel hair pasta in herb and butter sauce, and sliced fruit (strawberries and bananas).

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken sandwiches with baked beans and corn on the cob.

Wednesday: Chicken Tostada Salad Bowls

Thursday: Pasta with freshbaked french roll and side salad

Friday: Fish Tacos with chips and dip

Saturday: Cheese Enchiladas with side salad

Sunday: Pepper Steak with steamed rice, chow mein and eggrolls.

***Monday - Wednesday is from the same whole chicken I am currently roasting.

I hope this post has inspired you to start creating a weekly menu as well. You will be surprised at the amount of money you save.

On Friday I will blog about the fish tacos I will be making.