I must say that doing Menu Plan Monday last week was a huge success for me. It was as simple as thinking up a few meals ahead of time instead of 15 minutes before we should be eating. Somehow, that takes away so much stress. Strange.
Monday – Cookout with friends
Tuesday – Spaghetti using the already cooked ground beef will be ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta. I just bang the bag of frozen cooked ground beef on the counter until I have what I need. Then I put it in the microwave for one minute at a time on 10% power until it’s thawed. Also, I’m using angel hair pasta. If spaghetti is starting to be boring to your family, try switching to angel hair. So yummy!
Wednesday – Beef stew in the crockpot. Again I use the already cooked ground beef instead of stew meat. Hubby likes this better anyway and it makes things incredibly easy. I put it in there completely frozen, since it’s going to be cooking all day. I generally just dump whatever I have into this stew. A can of tomatoes, some beef bullion, corn, cubed potatoes, and anything else that sounds good at the moment. And of course some water. My mother’s advice for soup is that if it tastes watery, add garlic powder. If it tastes bland, add some balsamic vinegar. Seems to work.
Thursday – Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen noodles.
Saute the chicken with some fresh minced garlic in a few tablespoons of oil that’s already hot. At the same time, boil some ramen noodles but don’t add the seasoning packet. Once the chicken is cooked, add some frozen broccoli or frozen Chinese vegetable mix (thawed but not cooked). In a measuring cup, I put about a cup of cold water, and two tablespoons or so of soy sauce and a sprinkle of garlic salt. Then I add about a tablespoon of corn starch. Stir it very well. Once the veggies are to your liking, move them and the chicken to the edges of the pan/wok and add the liquid, making sure you have just stirred to be sure the cornstarch is mixed well. Let the liquid start to boil, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken. Add the drained Ramen noodles and turn off the heat. Stir until all the Ramen is coated in sauce.
Friday – Dinner out!
Saturday – Fish Fry for the Family – This is our way of preventing an expensive dinner out to celebrate the family’s birthdays this month. We have plenty of fish in the freezer, and this will be way more fun than taking three kids to a nice restaurant. Stay tuned this week as I do a frantic house-cleaning for this event.
Sunday – Pigs in a blanket and mac-n-cheese (Easy meals prevent take-out!)
Check out more Menu Plans at Menu Plan Monday
I hope you will consider joining me at Diningwithdebbie.blogspot for Crock Pot Wedenesday. It's easy and economical:) Just post a favorite slow cooker recipe with Mister Linky, and you are all set to share with others. I will look forward to hosting you.
Your stir fry sounds easy and yummy! Plus, I think my son may actually try it if only because of the ramen noodles!
i wish i’d known you when i was a young mom! i always felt like a failure because my house was a mess most of the time and i never could seem to get organized. it’s something i still struggle with at 53! you are a blessing to young moms and i LOVE your sense of humor about yourself!
oh, and one little tip i figured out somewhere along the way. when you’re grilling burgers for a cookout, cook plenty extras. you can put them in your food processor and chop them up for recipes where you’d normally use ground beef. the grill flavor makes the best sloppy joes i’ve ever tasted!
That’s an awesome idea! I’ve never thought of that! THanks, Shirley!