Menu Monday 6/9 With a Side of Transparency

I used to plan much better, when my kids were young and their schedules more predictable. Now that they are teens and working/running around, we rarely sit down to dinner together :-( I miss those days and try to have a family meal at least once a week; otherwise, I cook and put the leftovers in the fridge for them to heat up when they get home from work.

HEY! I menu plan more often than not, but I would love to be more consistent. I usually have pizza at the end of the week because the lags of the refrigerator can almost always go on as toppings. I use the dough setting on the bread maker for our crust and it works really well for us. I LOVE the skillet idea too - thanks!

Your menu sounds good. How do you make that rosemary garlic chicken?? I am always looking for new ways to fix chicken! :)

As for my strategy when hubby isn't around for dinner but I know that he will be coming in at a decent time(before 8pm) I either adjust dinner time to when he comes in or I fix him a plate to reheat and the rest of us just eat when the food is ready. OR if he isn't going to be around for dinner at all and I don't feel like cooking instead of hitting up the drive thru, I get out a freezer meal or a convenience boxed items(like chicken nuggets and fries) to serve my kids and I. And then for those times when he is out of town on business and it is just the kids and I eating I make sure that I fix meals that are the kids' favorites and dh could care less if he missed them(like sloppy joes, and goulash).

And oh....thanks a ton for the rice and peas recipe. I add 1/4 c. Fresh parmesan and its a huge staple for me now. Atleast once a week!

we usually just adjust dinner time but barring that, i usually make for something with planned leftovers. like a roast chicken on a night when we're all here, and then chicken over rice for just me and the boys. in a pinch, for some reason boy #1 loves tuna noodle casserole. it's cheap and easy.

My husband is never home for dinner. He was either touring the country, working nights or like tonight on his day off...he found something better to do then eat dinner with his family....bitter?
Anyways, I usually cook for my parents, son and me...but on days I don't....its pb&j for the kid and cereal for me.

I'm in a sort-of-similar situation, in that my husband works part-time, nights, at a radio station, so quite often we have to have an early supper to accomodate him.

When we moved in together (a couple months before we got married *blush*), I started making a menu on a whim. Honestly, I just didn't have much to do at work one day and figured out a menu for the whole month. I cannot express how much easier that made my life! I don't always follow it to the letter, but knowing every day what I am supposed to make for supper is a life saver.

In May, I found out just how much I needed the saftety of the menu. We got married in May and went on our honeymoon. There were just so many things going on, I didn't have time to make up a menu. The last two weeks of May were chaos. I have no idea how I decided what to make. And yes, we did succumb to takeout more than once. I've vowed to stay on top of my menus from now on.

I was trying to do a whole month at once. Yesterday, I sat down and made the menu for the next two weeks. That was a little more managable. Now that I have menus through the 22nd, after this week, I think I'm going to do a menu for the week of the 23-29. That way I'm always only doing one week, but I have two weeks planned.

I have no idea what I would do without a menu!

Hello Heather!

The breakfast skillets sound fantastic!!

We tend to eat quite late in the evening -- especially in the summer as my husband works as long as there is daylight. It's our busy season!

For me it is really tough to wait that long to eat and then go right to bed -- so I'll have a small snack at 5:30 and then start all the preprep that can be done so we can eat by hopefully 8, usually 9 or 9:30.

Having a menu is a real lifesaver for us. Otherwise we would be eating sandwiches every night of the week, or more expensive takeout.

Take Care,

Trixie

I try to keep it simple when our schedules are crazy. Thankfully grilled cheese is a fav, they also like breakfast for dinner & almost any form of mac & cheese. My Mom was big on leftovers so I usually have way more on hand than we need for one meal, which only means that we have found a way to microwave just about anything! So it's no biggie if someone has to eat at a different time LOL!