Summer Menu {1/2 camping addition}

a fast little menu post while I have a break in between errands...

School is out tomorrow...it is HOT here in Redding...headed towards 110 on Saturday!
{so sad that we'll be at the Oregon coast in the 60 degree weather and missing the 100's}

Making menu's around the weather is a must, no soup or hot baked dishes for summer in Redding,
I.just.can't.do.it!

Our Menu

tonight-breakfast {eggs, bacon, fruit}

tomorrow night =McD's for us...{our kids get McDonald's twice a year, 1st day of school and last day of school...}

Friday & Saturday- Camping food {chili dogs one night, hamburgers the next}
we have a few camping desserts planned camp fire cones, baked apples & of course S'Mores

source: Chef Jessica Bright

source: Cooking Outside the Box

Sunday -sandwiches and leftover camping buffet {we'll probably be driving, so we'll just snack, and stop and make a sandwich on the road somewhere}

Monday-Chicken Patty Sandwiches {girl child's request}

Tuesday-grilled chicken pasta salad {so many recipes for this}

Wednesday-Indian Taco's

source: the Pioneer Woman

Thursday-Tuscan Garlic Chicken

source: the Recipe Critic 

Friday-Easy Mandarin Chicken

source: Yummy. Healthy. Easy 

Saturday-Honey Mustard Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Salad

source: Half Baked Harvest

and that's all I have for now...
what's a favorite for your family in the summer...

Menu Monday {kids edition}

how do you make your menu?
same thing every week...think of it while your shopping?...poll the family before you go shopping?...do the kids and husband make the menu?..open the cupboard and fridge and throw stuff together?...

I seriously don't like making a menu
very much dislike grocery shopping
but HATE life in my house at 4:55 pm when I have NOT made a menu and grocery shopped off that menu!!!


so I did something slightly crazy for my menu this time...

I handed the ipad over to the kids,
pulled up the pintrest app, had them look thru my Yum- dinner & yum-crockpot boards
& they made the menu....this will get us thru the next 2 weeks...and depending on how well it works we may or may not have the kids make the menu again!

 Baked Panko Chicken Tenders {both kids}

Olive Garden Alfredo {girl child}

The Best Parmesan Chicken Bake {girl child}

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken {girl child}

Italian Sloppy Joes with Ranch Style Beans {both kids}

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls {both kids}

Vegetarian Chili with cornbread {boy child}

Pretzel Dogs {boy child}

Homemade pizza {boy child}

Not Soggy Nachos {boy child}

Bread Bowls with Chicken Chowder {boy child}

what's your menu making style...?

Menu 11/27-12/5

So the leftovers are slowing down...I do have two bags of turkey noodle soup in the freezer to pull out on days I don't want to actually make anything...
Making this menu I took some inspiration from my pintrest 'dinner' board...and then I mentally sorted thru our freezer, fridge, and pantry....

Tonight I'm going to make Turkey Pot Pie with the last of the turkey...and then good bye leftovers.

Wednesday - Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Thursday - Sweet-n-Sour Beans

Friday - Coconut Chicken

Saturday - Chili, baked potatoes & cornbread
Sunday- girl child's birthday...waiting for her to decided on a meal


Monday - Red Beans & Rice 

Tuesday - Pulled Pork Tacos

Wednesday - Turkey Soup {from the freezer}...

and that's a wrap...
how do you use up your Thanksgiving leftovers?

Menu

this is the menu that the boy child helped me put together as we grocery shopped after school today...
he was a trooper and ended up with an apple fritter
    {that's a fruit, right?}

tonight...make your own pizza's ...
     using this recipe for the first time

tomorrow...
taco salad...with this taco meat only gonna do 1/2 ground beef 1/2 ground turkey

wednesday...wonton soup

thursday...baked potato bar

friday...quiche

saturday...CANDY...{our family holiday candy tradition is we throw away all holiday candy at the next holiday...so Halloween candy gets tossed on Veterans Day, which is Sunday...last year we started a new tradition, the kids are allowed to have candy for dinner on Veterans Day Eve, so then when we toss all the candy on Veterans Day they have had all the candy they want....yep, I'm crazy!}

other items on the menu for next week...
tacos
brinner...breakfast for dinner...biscuits and gravy
pulled pork tacos

pfchang lettuce chicken wraps

chicken tikka masala & naan

kielbasa, sauerkraut & potatoes 

 and that's all I got!

menu...finally

in no particular order...here is the menu for the next two weeks...give or take a few days

here you go...a pintrest inspired menu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

coconut chicken

Brown Butter chicken and crispy sage

PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Black Bean Taquitos

 Slow Cooker Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken

and a few without recipes...because they're standards in our house

chicken tacos
Taco Salad
breakfast burritos
Biscuits and Gravy

...
okay that's done now off to shop for food...

what is on your menu this week...
do you have a favorite pintrest inspired meal?

Menu Monday

I did the horror's of all horror's on Saturday and went grocery shopping with a menu list of 2...
2 things I knew I'd make for dinner...
and about 20 items on the overall shopping list...and forgot milk...of course

I survived and managed to make a menu while shopping...
and shopping with the girl child...
she helped brainstorm menu ideas
I think this is an amazing thing to do with the kids,
     although much easier to do with only one...
shopping by myself is by far way easier...
but bringing along a child helps them develop important life skills

• they learn how to grocery shop
• menu planning (or lack thereof) being as important as the shopping
• how to pick out fresh/ripe fruit & veggies
• price comparisons
• patience 
• self control
• packing a grocery bag (lots of adults can't do this)

here is the menu that girl child and I put together on the fly while shopping...
not too bad (helps to have a smart phone while shopping!)

Saturday
Citrus Butt Chicken (Beer Butt chicken...but a Citrus Soda rather than a beer)

watch for a BITNF for this recipe

Sunday
Popcorn for dinner

Monday
Sweet-n-Sour-Beans

Tuesday
Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Wednesday
Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Thursday
Grilled Island Chicken

Friday
Spring Penne Pasta with Light butter Sauce

Saturday
Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Sunday
Popcorn

Monday
Orange Chicken (won this dinner via Dream Dinners!)

Tuesday
Grilled Chicken Fajita Fettuccine 

Wednesday
Chicken Tacos

Thursday
Brinner-Huevoes Rancheros 

Friday
Yogurt Marinated Chicken

what's on your menu this next 2 weeks?

pintrest Menu

January 2012=nacho's and breakfast for dinner...

yep...I know better...

   but I went into the month with no menu

....I made a menu...

tentatively ....

once...

in my head...

while in the grocery story ...

mid way thru the month...

yeah, that didn't work...

shocking, I know...

so, I'm doing my pintrest menu for February

(if you don't know about pintrest ask me and I'll help you...

if you need an invite to pintrest ask me and I'll invite you)

here is my 'yum' board in pintrest

and the recipes I'm putting on our menu for the next 2 weeks

PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

menu Nov 12th-Nov 20th

haven't made a menu in a long long time...

and it's showed in our nightly dinners...

nachos 

bean soup 

nachos

breakfast burritos

nachos

cereal

nachos

candy & popcorn (oh, yes we did...blog to follow)

I also have a confession to make...

My name is Kiera, and I am a pintrest addict...

a part of my self-induced therapy is to actually 'create' some of my 'pins' 

and thus...the pintrest menu was born!

Saturday night: Lasagna Soup

Monday night: Chicken Tikka Masala

Tuesday night: black bean taquitos

Wednesday night: Chicken in Basil Cream

Thursday night: Honey Lime infused Chicken

Friday night: Zuppa Tuscana soup

Saturday night: Phyllo Dough Pizza

there you have it...

now off to grocery shop...something else that I've been failing at since I haven't been making my menus...

menu...April 25th-May 5th

I did the worst thing E.V.E.R on Saturday!
I went grocery shopping without a menu or a list...
okay, I lied, I had a list..a list with like 7 things on it...
7 things for 2 weeks worth of meals...thinking I might need more...

so I did the, walk thru the aisle and think of meals while putting  random food into my cart...
I have to say I didn't do so bad and it was sort of nice because the kids were at home and the store wasn't crowded....

meals that I thought of during and after shopping...
salad bar (all the fixings/toppings and everyone gets to make their own salad)
potato bar...(ditto of the above)
french bread pizza
french onion chicken (chicken coated with french fried onions)
tacos/burritos/nachos (make beef in the crock pot and get 3+ meals out of it)
Egg McMuffins
French Toast
Spaghetti and Meatballs
sweet-n-sour beans and cornbread
peanut chicken
stir fry with rice and egg drop soup

...
and that's all I got!

Back on the Wagon...Menu...Again

oops...went a whole 2 weeks without a menu...and it showed...

we had lots of brinner (breakfast for dinner)...
and grilled cheese sandwiches...
and nachos/tacos/burritos....

so looking at the calendar for the next 2 weeks...
have a Leadership training thingy on Friday night so need a fast dinner...
a 5K Saturday morning and straight to the rest of the Leadership Training all day on Sat (need a crock pot meal for sure)...
taking a meal to a family with a new babe next week...(no peanuts because of allergies)...
Wilson's special share day on Friday so need to plan on a treat to take into his class

Getting on the ball again, making a menu and heading off to the store...

Italian Chicken in the Crock Pot (totally winging this recipe and will share if it works)
Sweet-n-Sour Meatballs-girl child's choice
Taco Soup
Creamy Chicken and smashed potatoes
cheddar roast
Spinach Quiche
Chicken Apple Sausage with Potatoes
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Orange Chicken with steamed rice
Tex-Mex Pie
Brinner-Breakfast Burritos
Leftover Buffet
French Bread Pizza-boy child's choice

...and that's all I got!

Menu for March 7th-21st

argh...it's menu time again...
I was recently asked, "Why?" do I make a menu if I dread making it...
why oh, why
but it is a must if I am to keep the peace in my home during the bewitching hour*

*bewitching hour: the twilight zone of time from picking up kids from school, running them from piano lessons/dance/softball/girl scouts getting homework done to getting dinner of the table.
note...my children take piano lessons once a week...none of us can handle any more activity than that!

so for peace in the bewitching hour I opt for making a menu and modifying it during the week around other activities/errands/and-what-not that pops up....

how do I make the meal...
I look at the next 2 weeks and see what activities are on the calendar that happen every week
~Mondays I work in the kids class room from 7:45- around 10:45
~Wednesday night church from 6-8 (this is a great crock pot night)
~my 'office' hours at the church are pretty flexible but I HAVE to work on Thursday because I provided childcare at MOPS
~Thursday is also piano day and usually the most homework for the girl child...(also a great crock pot night)
~Sundays at church from 7:45am-12:30+...not a day I want to make dinner usually a good night for brinner (breakfast for dinner) or leftover buffet

and now things that aren't normally on the calendar but are happening the next 2 weeks for us...
~we already have dinner at friends scheduled for 2 of the nights this week (woot woot!)
~taking a meal to a family (pray for my friend Kim as she has and recovers from surgery this week!)
~I have a jewelery party on the calendar on Thursday-not serving dinner to the guest but a nice dessert will need to be planned before I do my grocery shopping so I'm not having to run to the store on my busy Thursday
~next week is the church's annual Father Daughter Feast (a date night) so the meal is supplied for Madison and Beau and I will probably take Wilson out on a date with me...so no cooking!

why 2 weeks?
1.  I would do it for longer if I could but we have the smallest refrigerator/freezer known to man...it's one step up for the college size...okay, maybe a little larger...but not much...to give you an idea...our microwave sits on top and the girl child can still reach the microwave!
2.  We get paid twice a month so I can shop around the time we get paid.
3.  Fruits, veggies, and dairy products don't last much longer than 2 weeks...sometimes less!

so quick math...2 weeks = 14 dinners...with 3 taken away with other plans-3=11 dinner menu items I need to have...

so for the next 2 weeks...
Dinner Ideas
~Minestrone soup -in the crock pot (excited to make this...have had it on the menu and it keeps getting pushed off...but it's the meal I'm also taking to my friends family...so it WILL get made this week!)
~Black Bean soup...this was so good that the kids asked me to make it again...and it's SO easy
~Almond Crusted Chicken with creamy gravy & potatoes and spinach salad
~Chili and cornbread
~baked potatoes (with left over chili)
~Meatloaf
~Chicken in the crock pot (I have a whole chicken in the freezer...not sure yet what I'm going to do with it...but it will be in the crock)
~Chicken -n- Spinach Pasta Bake (new to us recipe-I'll post the recipe if the family likes it!)
~Sweet-n-Sour Meatballs and rice (an easy one to change to spaghetti and meatballs if I have less time!)
~Brinner-Puffed oven pancake, scrambled eggs & bacon
~Leftover buffet

here are a few things I'm also thinking about while making a menu

I try to plan things that work together...

chili one night and a few nights later we can use the leftover chili for the baked potato bar

I try to have a variations of pastas, soups, meats (beef & chicken & pork), vegetarian meals also help keep the price down (lots of soups can be vegetarian)...

I look at the dishes that I will need to buy the same stuff for...

potatoes for at least 2 meals maybe more...

cans of beans for both soups & the chili

ground beef for the meatloaf, meatballs and chili

chicken breast for the almond crusted chicken and chicken bake...

spinach for the minestrone soup,  spinach salad, spinach pasta bake..etc...

I try to take an inventory of the pantry & fridge to see what I have on hand so I'm not buying stuff I already have and so I can plan meals based on stuff I need to use up.

I usually get some meal input from the rest of the family...when I made this yesterday they were all at school/work so I had to just wing it...but I also know most of what they like so I'm sure it'll be okay...

you get the idea!

happy menu planning and grocery shopping!

Menu for Feb 21st-March 6th

it's hard to make a menu when your kid is sick and all you can think of is chicken noodle soup...
but I'm going to try!

Dinner
Breakfast burritos
Black Bean Soup
Spinach Quiche
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Chicken Apple Sausages with potatoes
Pizza (boy child's choice)
Lasagna
Pepper-Lime Chicken with Pesto Penne
Chicken and Dumplings
Herb-Roasted Chicken (in the crock pot)
Minestrone Soup
Chicken Corn Chowder
Leftover Buffet
and Chicken Noodle Soup will go down as the girl child's choice... although she is NOT talking about food or menu's at all right now...poor girl is eating saltines, jello and fresca....

lunches
spinach salad
fish tacos
fried egg sandwiches
leftovers
grilled pb&j
....

hoping the girl goes back to school by Wednesday and I have a chance to go grocery shopping this week...or I'll just go at night when the husband is home...and when the stores are CRAZY!

menu for Jan24th-Feb 7th

okay so I didn't get a menu posted yesterday...

but I DID work in both the kids classes
put in a few hours at 'work'
do a few loads of laundry
make dinner for the family
help the kids with homework
go on a family walk around the neighborhood
eat dinner together (yummy dinner I might add!)
cuddle on the couch and read a stack of books with the kids
tuck the kids in and veg out with the husband watching MSW...

and the whole time I was creating the menu in my head

dinner items:
Mexican Lasagna (actually made it last night...so yummy)
Chicken Pot Pie
Calzones (girl child's choice)
Nachos (boy child's choice...again! using this meat)
Soup-probably minestrone since I didn't make it last week
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Meatloaf
BBQ Chicken in the crock with sweet potatoes
BBQ chicken sandwiches
Sweet-n-Sour Beans (super bowl)
leftover buffet-at least 3 times
Brinner-breakfast for dinner...
     to include either crepes or a puffed oven pancake..
     haven't made either in years and both sound so good
Ground Beef Stroganoff

lunch items:
salads with all the fixins
tuna noodle casserole...never actual made it off last menu
fish tacos
leftovers
sandwiches
Quesadillas

now I just need to figure out what day this week I'm going to actually make it to the store...hoping tomorrow am...

menu....Jan 10th-Jan 20th

okay, so I realized that I haven't posted our menu from this past week...but I did make one and I have been loosely following it....

I decided to just create a list of meal options and not actually assign them to a night of the week...so at least I know the 'meals' that I have in the house, but it's more flexible for the family....

also having the kids choose at least one meal for the list and the husband so I'm not the sole one responsible for making the menu...and the kids get to help make dinner on 'their night'...they can help other nights too....I really do like to have the kids help with dinner prep as long as I'm in the right frame of mind...

I've also decided to print off the menu and put in on the fridge so I can see it each morning, process thru the day and decide what I think would work best for that day...and then if I need to get something out of the freezer I can do it in the morning, rather than remembering it about 4:45....

Breakfast for Dinner-two different meals...
     biscuits and gravy w/scrambled eggs ...and waffle bar
Nacho Bar; boy child's choice...beef done in the Crock Pot
     and would be his meal choice for all 3 meals a day 7 days a week!
Cheese Ravioli's with Marinara Sauce; girl child's choice
Veggie Stir Fry w/ rice and egg flower soup
Potato Soup
Minestrone Soup
Broccoli Rice and Spinach Salad w/swiss cheese and toasted almonds
Baked Mac & Cheese
Cheddar Roast
Chicken-n-Dumplings
40 Garlic Chicken
Mexican Lasagna
and of course leftover buffet

have also made a lunch menu list since the husband and I were grabbing lunch out too often...
~Paninnis
~Tuna Noodle Casserole (something we both love but the kids don't!)
~Stuffed Pita Pockets
~Fried Egg sandwiches
~burritos
~tacos

off to get the waffle batter started for tonights waffle bar....

menu dec 15-dec 25th?

okay so I've totally flaked on making a menu for the past...I don't know month at least!

anyways...I was forced to do the worst thing ever today...
grocery shop without  menu or even a list...
I went in KNOWING the important facts
we needed
*coffee (maybe the reason I was shopping without a list!)
*milk....
that was my list!

yeah...but my fridge and pantry are empty....

hmmm...so while shopping without a list
or even a scrap of paper to start a list, I searched my purse for anything to make a list/menu on when I hit aisle 2....but nada nada...so I had to totally make my menu, shop for my menu and try to remember my menu when I got home....
lets see how I did...

Wed-egg rolls and rice
Thu-Sweet-n-Sour beans and corn bread
Fri-meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Saturday-birthday party dinner served there!
Sunday-not sure, the kids have their Christmas program at church...needs to be something light and fast
Monday-lasagna
Tuesday-tacos
Wednesday-patty melts
Thursday-leftover buffet
Friday-Christmas Eve sandwich
Saturday-Merry Christmas-Crab and Ham...YUMMY!

okay, that will hopefully get us thru the next week and a half...don't want to think anymore about menus....

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

I LOVE Thanksgiving...

I think I love it more than Christmas...
     as a day...not as what we're actually celebrating!
     Pilgrims vs. Jesus...of course Jesus wins!

maybe it's because I love being in the kitchen

I really really love and enjoy the kids in the kitchen next to me
all the family together
     parents & kids
     husbands & wives
     grandmas & grandpas the kids grandparents not mine
          that would be weird and creepy since mine have passed away
      Aunts & Uncles
     cousins

      this is a picture of my great-grandma Roberts,

not sure if this picture was even taken at a holiday, or just her in the kitchen, but I love it!

all of us wearing our aprons (I have a small apron collection...but need more)
sleeves rolled up
hands washed

all the smells...
the sounds
the memories

maybe that's why my list is so long...even though I only signed up for 3 things
Turkey
stuffing
Pumpkin Pie are the only things I actually signed up for...
oh and the breakfast casserole...so 4 things....

my own, self imposed, list of kitchen to-do's today
*another batch of this Chex Mix
     opting for MORE chocolate chips, per my Father-in-Law's comment
     or was is a suggestions of, "there's just a 'hint' of chocolate chips"
*Pear Tart
*Pumpkin Pie-I just use the recipe off the back of the can of pumpkin...with homemade pie crust and more vanilla than the recipe calls for.
*Chocolate Pie
*French Toast Breakfast Casserole (for tomorrows breakfast)
*stuffing prep for the stuffing in the morning...chopping, slicing, sautéing (yep, that's a real word, I checked wikipedia), ...still trying to decide if I will make 2 types of stuffing...I really, really, really don't enjoy stuffing, but I really want to...so I have found a recipe with artichoke hearts & spinach....we'll see!

and Beau's not off the hook either,
here's his list
*Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies
*Cheese Ball....

oh, happy day for me...
Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all, and to all a Good Day!

menu for Oct 20th-Nov 5th

wow...that's a LONG time to make a menu for...
hope I can do it...but I need to just pound this one out, hop in the shower and hit the store...otherwise I will be forced to grocery shop after school with the kids which is a form of torture for both me and the children and the workers and the other shoppers!

Wed, Oct 20th-Chicken Chow Mein and fried rice
Thur, Oct 21st-dinner at a friends (taco soup-I need to bring chips, sour cream and chocolate dessert)
Fri, Oct 22nd-kielbasa, potatoes and sauerkraut
Sat, Oct 23rd-chili and cornbread
Sun, Oct 24th-potluck at church need to make something can't remember what
Mon, Oct 25th-baked potatoes
Tues, Oct 26th-nachos
Wed, Oct 27th-Orange chicken with steamed rice
Thurs, Oct 28th-cheddar roast
Fri, Oct 29th-tacos with leftover roast
Sat, Oct 30th-Neewollah; turning Halloween around the carnival at church-so some sort of junk food from there
Sun, Oct 31st-Cheesy Potato Broccoli Soup
Mon, Nov 1st-Pecan Crusted chicken Breast-need to post this recipe it was so easy and SO yummy!
Tues, Nov 2nd-Pesto Raviolis
Wed, Nov 3rd-something Chinese-studying China at Church on Wed so I'm trying to make Chinese for these 3 weeks!
Thu, Nov 4th-leftover buffet
Fri, Nov 5th-Breakfast for dinner-pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, etc

okay now off to my shower and shopping...

Menu for Oct 8th-when the food runs out

I know that my life is easier with a menu,
I know my families life is easier with a menu...
but some times it's just so hard to sit down and make one...
this is how it happened yesterday...
girl child and I leave to run errands...
she had checked the mail right before we left and had some junk mail envelopes sitting on her lap in the car...
I handed her a pencil and said, "what should we have for dinner this week?"
and together we brainstormed dinner ideas/options...
she and I tried to figure out what we'd need for groceries off that menu
...always a little harder when you can't remember what's in the fridge/pantry...
and then we hit the store...

can I tell you how much fun it is to grocery shop with just one child...and one that is so helpful.
Madison is a very sweet little girl and I love hanging out with her.  She made grocery shopping at 5 pm on a Friday a pleasant experience!...and she WROTE the entire menu and the grocery list...and a few words were in cursive!  so sweet!

Friday, October 8th-Ravioli's with Marinara sauce, Spinach Salad and French Bread
Saturday, Oct 9th-Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast and Parmesan Orzo
Sunday, Oct 10th-Breakfast Burritos
Monday, Oct 11th-BBQ Chicken Pizza
Tuesday, Oct 12th-Chili with corn bread and honey butter
Wednesday, Oct 13th-Baked Potato Bar
     (with leftover chili, steamed broccoli, sour cream, cheese, bacon, etc)
Thursday, Oct 14th-Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli
Friday, Oct 15th-Taco Salad
Saturday, Oct 16th-dinner out...my birthday....
Sunday, Oct 17th-Egg McMuffins
Monday, Oct 18th-Ravioli's with Pesto
Tuesday, Oct 19th-Chicken Chow Mein and fried rice
Wednesday Oct 20th...pay day...and a new menu!

so the menu's not bad...just hoping I bought everything I need to make it to the next payday without a trip to the grocery store!

Menu for Sep 20th-Oct 4th

okay, so here is a really fast menu...hoping to stick to it...
and why the odd dates of the menu you might ask...we get paid on the 20th and the 5th so I'm trying to stretch our menu/grocery shopping from payday to payday...


Monday -Sep 20th
(yes that was yesterday, but I made dinner and it was good and the family sat around the table and we talked and everyone finished their food...so I'm putting it on the blog menu!)
...Meatloaf, smashed potatoes, steamed broccoli...
Tuesday, Sep 21-Breakfast for dinner-French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, country potatoes
Wednesday, Sep 22-Black Bean Soup

Thursday, Sep 23-BBQ pulled pork sandwiches

FridaySep 24--Sunday, Sep 26...the weekend will be sandwiches, crackers cheese & lunch meat, rotisserie chicken and other other meals like that since we're heading down to Santa Cruz for my 2nd Triathalon!

Monday, Sep 27-Orzo and Black bean salad similar to the Spinach Black Bean Rice Salad  

Tues, Sep 28th-Pecan Crusted Chicken breast (recipe from my friend Kristen...can't wait to try it and post the recipe for you guys!)
Wed, Sep 29th-Baked Potato Bar
Thurs, Sep 30-Shredded Beef Tacos (EASY recipe that I will share once I make them and take pictures!)
Fri, Oct 1-Calzones
Sat, Oct 2-Nachos
Sun, Oct 3-Breakfast Burritos
Mon, Oct 4-leftover buffett


now off to grocery shop!...good times

Menu for July 26th-Aug 4th

okay...so I know that making a menu, then making a grocery list is the easiest way to make my life easier...
YET I continue to fight this...and fight it when I need order most!
the last week was crazy  with it being our VBS week...
(side note: with my husband being the Children's Pastor and me being the Early Childhood Director at our church, VBS...Vacation Bible School...this week is BIG!)
and yet I failed to make a grocery list or a menu...so the last week was sort of mildly crazy and made more so by my lack of planning...
after spending half the day with 30+ preschoolers/kindergarteners
YES  30+...one day it was 35 of them...
with one other adult and 3 teen helpers...we might have been breaking so sort of code...
the last thing you want is to come home and make dinner...or even think about dinner...
anyways...
I digress...

I made a menu AND went grocery shopping...yes...on a Sunday no less...with one child in tow...
(menu disclaimer to my husband...all menu items are subject to change according to the cooks discretion...and or willingness to cook in a hot kitchen...at anytime during the week of said menu you may choose to show your wife love by taking her out to dinner with or without the children!)
Monday-July 26th
     Lunch-corndogs (not what I had planned, but I went to work, and dad and the kids were left alone!)
     Dinner-make your own pizzas
Tuesday-July 27th
     Lunch-@ the lake...pb&j sandwiches
     Dinner-pasta salad
Wednesday-July 28th
     Lunch-tuna melts
     Dinner-BBQ pulled pork sandwiches
Thursday-July 29th...my baby boy turns 5...FIVE!
     Lunch-@ McDonald's, Birthday Boy's choice
     Dinner-Corndogs (also his choice)
Friday-July 30th
     Lunch-3 bean salad & egg salad
     Dinner-Nachos (with beef made in crock pot)
Saturday-July 31st
     Lunch-leftover buffet
     Dinner-Burritos made with same meat at Friday
Sunday-Aug 1st
     Lunch-chicken salad
     Dinner-Kashi Pilaf with Chicken

Monday-Aug 2nd
     Lunch-Fried Egg sandwiches
     Dinner-grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken with pesto pasta
Tuesday-Aug 3rd
     Lunch-who knows
     Dinner-breakfast for dinner
Wednesday-Aug 4th
     Lunch-sandwiches
     Dinner-Huevos Rancheros