Food. I like food. I would like it better if someone else cooked it for me. Who has time for all the coupon clipping, menu planning, meal preparing and cleanup? Lately, not me. When I was going to school, I was overwhelmed by the hectic schedule, project deadlines and study marathons, not to mention motherly and wifely duties. I aspired to get more organized with our family’s menus. Sadly, that idea never left the drawing board. Sure, I printed out dozens of fabulous recipes. I made many a shopping list. Usually that’s where the ambition fell off track.
Or sometimes I got all the supplies together, and then lacked the time and ability to see the menu through um, usually planned Day 2. Epic fail, time and again of the culinary sort. I hope to fix that. It’s no easier feeding these growing boys now that I’m working. It’s time to get real. Well, real as in figuring in a day of good ol’mac and cheese or Beefaroni every once in a while. Or as in picking out only ONE new recipe at a time to try among a few tried and true fall backs. Every so often I search the internet for pages with weekly menus and shopping lists. I have yet to find one that works for me and my family. Time to make our own!
….So, What’s Cooking, Good Looking?
I was up before the sun this morning. That usually doesn’t put me in a very good mood. These weird hours I’m working take some getting used to. I had two choices:
**Claim a mood of denial and roll back over, end up getting too much sleep and be in a fog for the rest of the day.
**Or get up and at ‘em, see what I can get done and probably aim to be lazy once mid-afternoon rolls around.
I went for the productive choice. Any day off has to be a productive one or our busy times of the week are chaotic.
So here it is 7 a.m. and I’ve done some online shopping, paid all the bills for the month, thought about jumping in the shower (that counts, right?) and started breakfast for the 4 tweens about to start stirring downstairs.
Next up: Menu planning. The dreaded “What’s for Dinner?” question. Quite frankly, I’ve grown tired of the nights where I have absolutely no plan so it ends up being Fend-For-Yourself Night or Let’s See What The Pantry Holds Surprise.
We’ll take this one week at a time. I started making the menu for the month and realized that too will fail. I’m starting to own up to my shortcomings 
I can commit to this week, we’ll leave it at that. Starting with a basic structure and will go week to week from there.
Sunday: Italiano
Monday: Dad Cooks… so read Easy Night
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday, Mexican Night
Wednesday: Pinterest Night
Thursday: Dad Cooks… again, Easy
Friday: Family/Pizza Night
Saturday: TBD
This week’s Menu:
Sunday: Chicken Alfredo, Tossed Salad, Breadsticks
Monday: Sloppy Joes, Pasta Salad, Chips
Tuesday: Beef Enchilladas, Rice & Beans, Chips & Salsa
Wednesday: Crockpot Cashew Chickenhttp://www.daydreamkitchen.com/2012/09/crock-pot-cashew-chicken/ , White Rice, Pineapple
Thursday: Grilled Cheese, Fries
Friday: Order out Pizza, Salad, Breadsticks
Saturday…. Still TBD
We’ll see how it goes, but this gives me something to work with at the grocery store!
I can’t wait till the first time one of the boys asks what’s for dinner. I don’t know, go check my blog ;0) Too many of the menus out there were cutesy, too fancy, centered around current health fads…. Didn’t really work for me. I just want the simple, easy meat and potatoes plan!!