So the verdict is in… we’re going to try a variation of the theme nights and the specific dinner nights. I toyed around with the idea of doing something specific each night and then changing one night each week so that it slowly changed, but I finally settled on this approach for now. This week will vary a little bit because I’m using some things I’ve got left from last week before I go grocery shopping in a few days but after that, we’ll try this for a few weeks and see how it goes. Here’s what it’ll look like:
Sunday: Burger Night (can switch up the sides and toppings for a little variety)
Monday: Theme – Breakfast for Dinner (a theme for me!)
Tuesday: Family Favorites (The ‘Wild Card’ night. Tried and true things we love like meatloaf, rice and beans, chili, Family Casserole, etc.)
Wednesday: Taco Night (could be beef or chicken, or maybe the 3 bean tacos again!)
Thursday: Theme – Italian (pizza, calzone, lasagna, spaghetti)
Friday: Theme – Mexican Night (beef or chicken enchiladas, chipotle burritos, fajitas)
Saturday: Chicken & Pasta (Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Grilled Chicken & Pasta Salad, etc)
So there you have it. Perhaps it will make meal planning a little easier. Perhaps it will make budgeting a little easier. Hopefully, it will help me make my hubby a little happier. 🙂 I think perhaps I’ll let the kids help me pick within each theme each week. They’ll enjoy that! And I’ve also decided that Sunday lunches are going to be the same every week, too. Big Daddy and I were talking about how I need a quick and easy lunch to fix that he is agreeable with so I can hurry and fix lunch after church and put the kids down for a nap. So for now I’ve settled on Super Nachos for Sunday lunches. If we like this we may stick with it a few months and then switch things around a little, but I think I’ve left enough leeway in the plans for now to keep everybody happy.
So having said all of that, here’s our menu for this week:
Monday: Oatmeal, Nachos, Veggies & Ranch, Family Casserole
Tuesday: Cereal, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Popcorn & Raisins, Rice & Beans & Cornbread
Wednesday: Breakfast Burritos, Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Muffins, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday: Oatmeal & Fruit, Hot Dogs, Fruit & Cool Whip, Spaghetti
Friday: Cereal, Sandwiches, Crackers & Peanut Butter, Tacos
Saturday: Biscuits & Gravy & Turkey Bacon, Baked Potatoes, Chips & Salsa, Grilled Chicken & Pasta Salad
Sunday: Waffles, Super Nachos, Pudding, Hamburgers & Cheesy Tots
Don’t forget to stop by I’m an Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas!!
Sounds like a good plan! I like the idea you ended up with!
I’m right behind you. I will hopefully be getting it together soon. My in-laws are in town right now so everything’s up in the air. Maybe I can take this week and make up my chart again. It was a great chart, alas, I lost it when my hard driv e crashed 🙁 But I think I have a copy in my control journal. If only I used that darn thing more, maybe I’d be more organized! Thanks for the renewed inspiration.
S.
Sounds like a great idea to me!
Have a wonderful week 🙂
I am curious how your week has gone with the theme thing! I keep wanting to try that, then I get distracted by a new recipe I simply MUST try… hopefully it goes better for you 🙂
Thanks for asking!
Well, last week was not the full-on theme week,.. we had a few things in the pantry to use up from the previous week. This week I’ll plan entirely by theme, but I’m not really expecting it to feel much different yet at this point. I think we’ll get a good feel for whether or not we like it after the 2nd or 3rd week, don’ t you think?
I’ll keep posted! =)
[…] the meantime, here’s our menu for this week. This is our first full week of theme dinners and we won’t even be home most of the week. We’ll see how it […]
This is my first time here. I love these ideas. I am searching for some new recipes for the new school year and I love the themed nights. I may have to try this.
Blessings!