Every Monday over at Organizing Junkie menus are posted for the week. Go check it out (www.orgjunkie.com)! I've gotten some great recipes from this group!!! But, I've never done my own menu plan, until yesterday, that is!
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We've been a bit disorganized around here with menu planning, so yesterday I sat down with DH, clipboard in hand and came up with a menu plan for the week. The grocery shopping list for items needed was written at the same time, with Little Boy adding apple juice, pizza and watermelon - and then he got really silly so that was the end of that. But at least he did help contribute and he knows ALL about not buying anything at the store unless it is on the list.
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Having a pre-schooler to feed can be tricky! I am lucky because mine loves fruits and veggies and just about any starch. Meat? Not so much. BUT - he will eat pork/chicken as long as it is cooked as weinerschnitzel. As a matter of fact - it is the entire weinerschnitzel thing that got me to thinking we really need to have a menu plan. This past week - it was his most asked for item for... breakfast. And dinner. And supper. And he likes to dip it into horseradish cream sauce - his Omi just sent him some more from Austria. Getting him to try new foods can be accomplished by combining the new item on his plate with lots of things I know for sure that he does like.
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Seeing that this is our first week doing a menu plan, I kept it very simple. Pasta on Wednesday, fish on Friday, 1 night of weinerschnitzel, 1 night of stew (this week it will be chili) and 1 night of pizza. Since my son eats a bit differently than we do, I tried to incorporate what we are eating into his meal, but made his "kid" friendly. The object here is to get him to eat a variety of foods, not eat like an adult! OK - so that does not leave that many more spots and this is what we all came up with, together, as a family, keeping in mind that we have some ground meat in the freezer to use!
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MONDAY
Chili - http://starfishyskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-chili.html
Rice
Cornbread http://starfishyskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/02/sweet-corn-bread.html
Green salad
Grapes
My son will have
Hot dog
Mashed Potato
Carrots
Grapes
TUESDAY
Weinerschnitzel
Pan-fried potatoes
Carrots & cauliflower
Whole cranberry sauce
Watermelon
My son will have the same thing
WEDNESDAY
Speghetti with meat sauce
Garlic bread
Green salad
My son will have
Plain speghetti with milk/butter
Meatballs on the side
Hot buttered bread
Watermelon
THURSDAY
Beef stir-fry over rice
Pineapple
Coleslaw
My son is having
Ham Steak
Pineapple
Rice
Brocolli
FRIDAY
Baked fish in paper
Couscous
Green Salad
Cantelope
My son is having
Baked breaded fish filet
Couscous
Peas & Corn
Cantelope
SATURDAY
Meatloaf (DH's request)
Mashed potatos
Carrots
Green bean casserole
My son is having
Lentil burger
French fries
Carrots
Watermelon
SUNDAY
Pizza
BIG green salad
My son likes pizza too! Plus cantelope.
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We tend to eat very early so at about 6:30 or 7 pm my son likes to have toasted rye bread with peanut butter and fruit for a snack or milk.
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As I go along, if I make something I will try to pay attention to how I make it - so I can post the directions! Directions will be posted on my cooking blog - Starfishy's Kitchen, which is on my links in the sidebar. Also, I will be making extra chili, meatballs, lentil burgers and meatloaf for the freezer. I am hoping to get some foods pre-made and frozen for later. Yesterday we had frozen shepherd's pie I had made awhile ago and it was really nice not to have to prep an entire meal - just had to make the mashed potato! As a matter of fact - if there is any left-over ground meat I will make up another batch of Shepherd's pie mix for the freezer.
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Now, the plan is posted on the fridge, and I don't care what - that is what we are eating this week! And it is already working!!! This morning Little Boy KNEW that he was having grapes tonight with his dinner. Yes, oh yes!!! No more discussions. Just look at the chart and there it is - all spelled out. What do you all want to bet that he is going to be even more interested in the menu planning/grocery list next week?
7 comments:
You menu looks great!!
My toddler is on a hunger strike...won't even eat Nanana (his word for Banana). I guess he will eat when he is hungry!!
I love your quilts too. I will be back to check them out. I do hand quilting.
Have a wonderful week!
need the lentil burger recipe
I love the idea of planning a menu in advance. I have never really done it before but I think I will give it a try next week and see how it goes for us. I bet it saves at the grocery also.
I was always much better about cooking when we planned the menu's for a week and then did the grocery shopping. Now I'm lucky if I plan to cook 3 nights during the week.
I'm just curious why LB doesn't eat the same things you do. Is he a picky eater? Your menu looks great - is this some of the stuff for the restaurant, too, or just your family?
we did great when I used to do this with my family-however-I always tend to menu plan before I shop, usually keeping it in my head. Nice plan.
Yum! I remember having two separate meals every night but thankfully, at 20, Chad will eat almost everything we eat. There's hope . . just many years down the road!
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