The Joys of Meal Planning

One of my Sunday routines is…drum roll please…meal planning. I look at the Meijer ad, check out the coupons in the newspaper, rifle through my cookbooks and the most recent Rachael Ray magazine to find something…anything different to make, create the menu and the corresponding grocery list, and trek up to the store with the whole family to buy groceries for the week.

I admit..it’s not my favorite task in the world. But it makes my life so much easier to have that piece of paper tacked up on the refrigerator with what we are going to eat during the week. And who wants to drag two kids up to the store multiple times during the week? Not me, that is for sure. That tends to deteriorate into snacks…beverages…horsie rides…oh my…

Also, I am so curious about what other people make for dinner. Not sure why. Maybe partially because of my unending quest for new recipes and partially because it is so interesting to see how everyone’s different expectations about food plays out.

So, for those inquiring minds out there…here’s my menu for the week:

Tuesday: Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken – Scampi Style, Bread, Salad
Wednesday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit
Thursday: Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast, Rice, Muffins, Veggie
Friday: Leftovers or Pizza
Saturday: Barbecued Ribs, Red Potatoes, Cornbread

The pulled pork & ribs…new recipes. Hopefully, they will turn out. I always tell Ben “here’s another experimental meal” and he says “it’s always experimental”. Sometimes it is good enough to hit the normal rotation and other times it is never seen again…but it is always an adventure.