Eat at Home 3!

Wow, 4 potlucks later with no food brought home and our family party today...then back to a little normalcy before a mid-month trip:)...
Fri - Frozen Pizza, Asian Salad, Sliced Strawberries
Sat - Family party - we are paying for a joint celebration for the kids at a local Italian restaurant and then a pool party. Planning to bring another homemade fruit tray (thank you Aldi's for this week's 3 lbs of strawberries, 2 pints of blueberries, and 2lbs of grapes) and bottled water to the pool part of the day and then ice cream sandwiches to end. If anyone needs to eat after all this, they can raid my fridge!
Sun - Homemade Chicken Alfredo over Spaghetti with Sauteed Spinach on Top (I love to layer the greens on top to swirl in - cuts the richness of alfredo), Blueberries

I shop Sunday, so I'll finish the week then:)...

Changed my mind on shopping today (will wait for Monday or Tuesday, so gonna make a few changes (note - another 7lb fruit tray was demolished yesterday, so note to self - people eat berries and grapes at parties - always!:)...final weekly schedule using some grocery ads to help menu plan...

Sun (New - Kid Request) - Hot Dogs, Baked Fries, Sliced Tomatoes with Homemade Chive Dressing, Blueberries
Mon - (Pool Day Afternoon - I'll make sauce before I leave and warm meatballs/cook pasta when we get back) Spaghetti and Meatballs with Fresh Tomato Veg Sauce (gonna put spinach, onion, and last of baby bell peppers in here), Strawberries
Tues (Wonder Woman movie - yeah - getting popcorn, so lighter plan) - Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp, White Rice, Roasted Asparagus, Grapes
Wed (Kids getting vaccines - we'll see how they feel, but kid fave planned) - Bacon Deluxe Cheeseburgers (Lettuce, Tomato, Onion), Baked Onion Rings (the Aldi bag was a huge hit), Strawberries/Blueberries
Thurs - Chicken Fajitas (Onion, Bell Pepper, Zucchini), Blueberry Muffins, Strawberries/Bananas
Fri - (Pool Day Afternoon) Frozen Pizzas, Fresh Fruit Smoothies
Sat - Lunch or Dinner Out - Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Fruit for other meal

EDIT: I'm a sucker when produce is so beautiful, so on top of my planned asparagus and lettuce/tomatoes/onions purchases (and getting rid of old stuff like my bell peppers, spinach, and zucchini), I also bought white mushrooms, cabbage, baby carrots, russet potatoes, and a gorgeous huge cauliflower...so, I may back off a more few proteins/bagged carbs and put in more vegs as the week goes...

I shouldn't mention the amount of fruit I got, but I will say it made a delicious homemade triple berry muffin (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry) that we had for breakfast this morning:)...
 
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I don't work now...but I did for 4+ years while married and did the bulk of the meals for my family.

First thing I did was keep weekly meals simple...

LilyWDW- congratulations on your new job! That's a wonderful combinations of benefits.

I take it you work in retail, as do I...

Thank you both for the replies! I will be using your suggestions for sure.

I think the part I am struggling with the most is that I have no one to share the load with. It's just me. So I do the cooking AND the cleaning, plus everything else. Thus I am looking at it as "OMG there is so much to DO!!!!" and it's freaking me out a bit.

What I am going to have to do is keep a list of easy to make meals and the ingredients for them on hand as well as getting serious about meal prepping.

Like fish cooks super fast and only needs basic seasonings a lot of the time, so I can keep frozen salmon and tilapia for a fast weeknight meal that will come together in less then 30 minutes. Same with shrimp or breakfast for dinner like eggs and hashbrowns with fruit.

Then I can also prep on my grocery day. So, I go to the store and then come home and get everything ready for the next week. Things like:
- Cut up vegetables and store based off of meals (so, for example, slice onions and peppers and bag them together for the fajitas on Wednesday)
- Wash and store the salad greens and other salad ingredients (cucumbers, onions, peppers, etc)
- Make and freeze rice
- Cut up the fruit I buy (instead of having a mango sit in the fridge because I have not done that yet with it lol)
- Cut up and put the meats in the needed marinades
- Even pre prep whole meals like http://www.skinnytaste.com/broccoli-and-cheese-stuffed-chicken/
- Hardboil eggs or make breakfast bowls or burritos


Also Sydney, thank you for reminding me I can use my slow cooker! I forget about that and I even own 2 (maybe 3) of the things. Haha. I have a bunch of Slow Cooker meals saved on my pinterest as well so I have no excuses.

Finally, I will also use my days off to make more time intensive meals that I can either freeze parts of or can eat off of for a few days. Luckily, I don't mind leftover at ALL so I won't be needing to cook every single day. So things like spaghetti and meatballs I can make extra sauce and meatballs for the freezer that I can thaw and throw together for a nice and fast weeknight meal. Same thing for soups and stews, I can make a bigger batch and freeze any extra (I actually have potato soup in the freezer now). Or I can make a huge pan of enchiladas or vegetable lasagna that will last me about 3 days.

So I feel like I am starting to get a handle on things and that I can do this if I stay organized. Still any additional advice is more then welcome!
 
Thank you both for the replies! I will be using your suggestions for sure.

I think the part I am struggling with the most is that I have no one to share the load with. It's just me. So I do the cooking AND the cleaning, plus everything else. Thus I am looking at it as "OMG there is so much to DO!!!!" and it's freaking me out a bit.

What I am going to have to do is keep a list of easy to make meals and the ingredients for them on hand as well as getting serious about meal prepping.

Like fish cooks super fast and only needs basic seasonings a lot of the time, so I can keep frozen salmon and tilapia for a fast weeknight meal that will come together in less then 30 minutes. Same with shrimp or breakfast for dinner like eggs and hashbrowns with fruit.

Then I can also prep on my grocery day. So, I go to the store and then come home and get everything ready for the next week. Things like:
- Cut up vegetables and store based off of meals (so, for example, slice onions and peppers and bag them together for the fajitas on Wednesday)
- Wash and store the salad greens and other salad ingredients (cucumbers, onions, peppers, etc)
- Make and freeze rice
- Cut up the fruit I buy (instead of having a mango sit in the fridge because I have not done that yet with it lol)
- Cut up and put the meats in the needed marinades
- Even pre prep whole meals like http://www.skinnytaste.com/broccoli-and-cheese-stuffed-chicken/
- Hardboil eggs or make breakfast bowls or burritos


Also Sydney, thank you for reminding me I can use my slow cooker! I forget about that and I even own 2 (maybe 3) of the things. Haha. I have a bunch of Slow Cooker meals saved on my pinterest as well so I have no excuses.

Finally, I will also use my days off to make more time intensive meals that I can either freeze parts of or can eat off of for a few days. Luckily, I don't mind leftover at ALL so I won't be needing to cook every single day. So things like spaghetti and meatballs I can make extra sauce and meatballs for the freezer that I can thaw and throw together for a nice and fast weeknight meal. Same thing for soups and stews, I can make a bigger batch and freeze any extra (I actually have potato soup in the freezer now). Or I can make a huge pan of enchiladas or vegetable lasagna that will last me about 3 days.

So I feel like I am starting to get a handle on things and that I can do this if I stay organized. Still any additional advice is more then welcome!

Okay, if you get the cook and clean job...a few more suggestions...
Paper cups and paper plates are worth every penny (and apparently even better for the environment that real plates due to lack of water/energy in dishwashing and their quick decomposition)...even now, I live on these b/c I got used to them when I worked. Cutting dishes in half is so worth it.
Buy already prepped or easy prep items - don't shred cabbage or carrots or brussell sprouts or potatoes - buy the pre-shredded bags...same for cheese, UNLESS you need to integrate the cheese into a sauce (where it can get grainy)...these items aren't usually much more than non-shredded items, and the amount of time saved prepping and cleaning is priceless...right now, I do shred myself, but back then, never!:)
Stick to a lot of one-pot/one pan cooking...don't use more than 2 total with any dinner. Again, time saved cleaning afterwards!
Use crockpot liners if you will use the crock - again, I don't use these now, but I did then - priceless. Same for quart sized (or gallon sized ziplocs for marinated meats)...forget a container b/c you'll want quick, easy, with no clean up...
 
Changed my mind on shopping today (will wait for Monday or Tuesday, so gonna make a few changes (note - another 7lb fruit tray was demolished yesterday, so note to self - people eat berries and grapes at parties - always!:)...final weekly schedule using some grocery ads to help menu plan...

Sun (New - Kid Request) - Hot Dogs, Baked Fries, Sliced Tomatoes with Homemade Chive Dressing, Blueberries
Mon - (Pool Day Afternoon - I'll make sauce before I leave and warm meatballs/cook pasta when we get back) Spaghetti and Meatballs with Fresh Tomato Veg Sauce (gonna put spinach, onion, and last of baby bell peppers in here), Strawberries
Tues (Wonder Woman movie - yeah - getting popcorn, so lighter plan) - Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp, White Rice, Roasted Asparagus, Grapes
Wed (Kids getting vaccines - we'll see how they feel, but kid fave planned) - Bacon Deluxe Cheeseburgers (Lettuce, Tomato, Onion), Baked Onion Rings (the Aldi bag was a huge hit), Strawberries/Blueberries
Thurs - Chicken Fajitas (Onion, Bell Pepper, Zucchini), Blueberry Muffins, Strawberries/Bananas
Fri - (Pool Day Afternoon) Frozen Pizzas, Fresh Fruit Smoothies
Sat - Lunch or Dinner Out - Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Fruit for other meal

EDIT: I'm a sucker when produce is so beautiful, so on top of my planned asparagus and lettuce/tomatoes/onions purchases (and getting rid of old stuff like my bell peppers, spinach, and zucchini), I also bought white mushrooms, cabbage, baby carrots, russet potatoes, and a gorgeous huge cauliflower...so, I may back off a more few proteins/bagged carbs and put in more vegs as the week goes...

I shouldn't mention the amount of fruit I got, but I will say it made a delicious homemade triple berry muffin (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry) that we had for breakfast this morning:)...

I did really great with the plan, with the only change being a pan-fried flounder for the fajitas and a veg scrambled egg for the shrimp and rice (decided my frozen flounder needed to be used more, so saved the shrimp)...and I added 2 breakfast muffins (triple berry and tropical - banana, coconut, pineapple), 1 gluten-free "rice krispie" treat (son bought a generic cereal that was gluten free, so I used it for my gluten-free friends), and a scratch fresh cherry vanilla rice pudding (I was so sad this was gone in under 24 hours, b/c it was so seasonal, fresh, and good - so creamy with just milk, egg yolks, and a touch of butter and much less sweet than store bought:))...

Anyway, now to this week - Sat is still OUT (our replacement Father's Day event, since we are very busy on the real day), so here's the rest...
Sun - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, Red Grapes
Mon (too hot) - Sloppy Joes, Tomato Mozza Salad, Sliced Peaches
Tues (too hot again) - Homemade Chicken Salad with Celery, Grapes, Rosemary, and Maybe Walnuts, Croissants, Kiwi/Pineapple Salad
Wed (last too hot:)) - Cheese Ravioli in a Pesto Sauce, Onion/Bell Pepper Saute on Top, Sliced Nectarines and Bananas
Thurs - Taco Salads (not sure if beef or chicken:)), Mystery Fruit (Whatever the Kids haven't eaten all of), Mystery Muffin (same)
Fri - Frozen Pizza and Smoothies
Sat - OUT

I'm going to use up the last of my cherries and make another rice pudding this week (rice, milk, and eggs are SO cheap right now, and using up fruit before it goes bad is even cheaper:))...I'll probably make another item that is dessert/breakfast swing, but not sure what yet:)...I know my kids had the pudding for breakfast, but to be honest, I did, too!:)
 


Did well last week, and having the meats already made was a huge help with my altered work schedule. This week's plan is:

Sun (8-5): leftover buffet
Mon (7-5): crock pot bbq roast with garden salad
Tue (off): chicken salad melts w/fruit
Wed (off): cheesesteak sandwiches w/fruit
Thu (1-10): dry-rubbed pork chops w/ corn and rolls
Fri (1-11): turkey with tomato pesto pasta
Sat (10-6): out for Father's Day- DH's choice
 
Monday: Slow cooker caesar chicken, carrots and ranch, grapes
Tuesday: Scrambled eggs with cheese, blueberry waffles, the rest of the grapes
Wednesday: I have my workout class. Leftovers
Thursday: Taco mac, salad
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Wedding
Sunday: Penne pasta, red sauce, meatballs, broccoli
 
Friday- Slow cooker pulled pork on buns, roasted cauliflower, corn on the cob
Saturday- BBQ sausages, Baked potato , salad
Sunday- Pork schnitzel, roasted sweet potato, carrots
Monday-Tofu Parm
Tuesday , Breakfast for dinner
Wednesday, Chicken fajitas
Thursday -? Leftovers of some sort. It will just be me for dinner
Friday- late night, likely order a pizza
Saturday - Grocery shop.. new menu.
 


Mon-frozen pizzas, veggies and dip
Tues-burgers, tator tots, veggies and dip
Wed-meatballs and mashed potatoes, broccoli
Thurs-buffalo chicken wraps, salad
Fri-taco salad
Sat-Paris night (charcuterie, cheese plate, grapes, baguette, croissants)
Sun-steak, broccoli, mushrooms (hot dogs and chips for the kids) **DH's Father's Day request**
 
I've been slacking at this but we've been good at eating at home :)

Monday- chicken salads
Tuesday-
Wednesday- date night! My mom is babysitting little (my older DD13 is with her bio mom) dinner and movie with gift card and movie pass
Thursday- pork chops, rice
Friday- pulled pork sandwiches, salad
Saturday- I'm away at a stag, DH and DD will have chili and salad
Sunday- Fathers Day at inlaws farm
 
Sunday: Ended up going to my aunt and uncle's for a nephew's birthday.

Monday: Baked chicken breasts on top of rice and peas with alfredo sauce

Tuesday: Taco Salad

Wednesday: L/O

Thursday: Hash and eggs

Friday: Brats and Italian sausage with corn on the cob

Saturday: L/O

Sunday: L/O

Monday: Veggie pizza

Tuesday: L/O

Wednesday: Spending the day with a friend

Thursday: One pan baked teriyaki salmon and vegetables with rice

Friday: Baked Ziti

Saturday: Work party
 
MONDAY: Rotini pasta with corn, tomatoes, broccoli and 3 cheese sauce
TUESDAY: Slow cooker salsa chicken tacos, chips and guac
WEDNESDAY: I have my workout class. Leftovers
THURSDAY: Frozen pizza and any leftover corn, tomato, broccoli if there is any
FRIDAY>SUNDAY: Key West with inlaws
 
Friday -was just ds and I but Dh had leftovers when he got home. We had broccoli cheese rice, BBQ pork chops, and carrots.
Today- Shopped all day and did errands. We were starving at 3pm so had bbq'd sausages on buns and fruit. We've been snacking this evening. We were just too hot and tired for a big meal.

Sunday- I'll be out for a dinner with my dad, and Dh and the kids will be with his dad. Just the way it worked best this year.
Monday- Slow cooker pulled pork on buns, cauliflower
Tuesday- Beef nachos.. has to be something quick as we need to run right out after dinner
Wednesday- BBQ chicken burgers, asparagus and salad
Thursday-Pasta with bolognese sauce
Friday- Homemade pizzas and then hopefully we will head out to the drive in
Saturday- BBQ pork chops, baked potatoes, garden salad, the rest of the asparagus.
 
We're grilling out tonight after going to the river for the afternoon. DH's dad sent us a bunch of stuff from Omaha Steaks for his birthday that we're going to use so grocery bill was low this week. Great for me because that means easy dinners throughout the week.

Sun (off): grilled steak and baked potatoes
Mon (7-5): bbq beef sandwiches with leftover beef from last week and coleslaw & potato salad
Tue (1-10): grilled chicken salad
Wed (off): hot dogs with fries
Thu (8-5): chicken salad melts with fruit and chips
Fri (8-5): burgers with fruit
Sat (1-10): Chinese take out- guys will grab after church and I'll pick up on my way to work- this will give us leftovers for lunch Sunday
 
Well, next week will be the first week at my new job. The week after that I will be traveling for in store training (since our store is not finished yet). I do not have all of the details yet for that week so I have two days of ?? to cover that. I am grabbing a box of fried fish fillets and also have chicken, eggs, and other things on hand.

I will prep the chicken and vegetables for the stir fry after shopping on Sunday. Otherwise I think I am pretty much set.

Sunday: Baked Ziti

Monday: 9-5 (lunch provided) L/O

Tuesday: 8:30-5 (lunch provided) L/O

Wednesday: 8:30-5 Curried chicken stir fry and rice

Thursday: 8:30-5 (lunch provided) L/O

Friday: 8:30-5 Pan fried tilapia, roasted asparagus

Saturday: Steak, roasted squash, baked potato

Sunday: Broccoli and cheese soup

Monday: 8:30-5 L/O

Tuesday: ??

Wednesday: Out of town

Thursday: Out of town

Friday: Out of town

Saturday: ??
 
Menu Plan Week of June 24th
Saturday - grilled salmon avocado BLT sandwiches with cucumber salad
Sunday - grilled brats, peppers and onions, corn and baked beans
Monday - beef stroganoff, broccoli
Tuesday- chicken tikka masala, rice, naan
Wednesday- pot roast with potatoes and carrots
Thursday- leftovers
Friday - black bean burgers and sweet potato fries
 
Wow! Very late this week but here is the plan June 19th to 25th...

Mon-leftover steak and hot dogs from Father's day with veggies and dip and chips
Tues-Domino's pizza, pork souvlaki (for DH) with salad
Wed-BBQ chicken breasts, broccoli, kids had leftover pizza
Thurs-scrambled eggs, french toast, bacon and tator tots with fruit
Fri-chicken fajitas, not sure what kids will be having
Sat-dinner out
Sun-rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and salad
 
Monday: Slow cooker cafe rio chicken, green beans, brown rice
Tuesday: Black bean quesadillas, chips and salsa
Wednesday: I have my workout class. Leftovers
Thursday: Chicken fingers, alexa waffle fries
Friday: Gnocchi pasta with alfredo sauce, carrots and broccoli with ranch
Saturday: DISNEY!! we have an 11:45 am ADR at Sanaa! Doing a park after (not sure which). I don't think we will need to eat for the rest of the day LOL (except maybe a Dole Whip!)
Sunday: Grilling steaks, caprese salad
 
Back from vacay and finished two grocery shopping trips (Aldi's and regular)...
Sat - Pool Party Potluck - Brought a Homemade 5lb Fruit Tray (Cherries, Grapes, Blueberries)
Sun - Meatball Subs with Fresh Mozza Topping, Buttered Corn on the Cob, Raspberries/Strawberries
Mon - Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Wings, Potatoes Au Gratin, Roasted Cabbage, Blueberries
Tues - Beef, Bean, and Beer Chili, Iceberg Wedge Salads with Tomato and Blue Cheese, Banana Muffins
Wed - Chili Dogs, Baked Fries, Peaches and Raspberries
Thurs - BLTs, Berry Muffins, TBD Fruit
Fri - Frozen Pizza and Smoothies (and any extra chili)
 
Monday - Leftovers
Tuesday - Chicken, spinach and cheese risotto, squash
Wednesday - Training for work (dinner is provided)
Thursday - Dd's high school graduation (something quick)
Friday - Steak (chicken for me), baked potatoes, salad
Saturday - Canada Day BBQ at a friends (we are bringing caesar salad)
Sunday - Chicken fajitas
 
Sun (10-7): lemon chili turkey breasts with corn and rolls
Mon (7-5): sausage and zucchini with cheesy garlic bread
Tue (5-2): smoky chicken with potato salad and coleslaw
Wed (5-2): beef ragu pasta
Thu (5-2): pork chops with green beans and biscuits
Fri (off): crispy chicken Ranch salad
Sat (off): out after church
 

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