Monthly Menu Plan for April
I did it! I actually set down and figured out a menu for the whole month of April. The first 3 weeks went quickly but figuring out the 4th week took the longest. As I have a tendency to do, I wrote out mostly all new recipes. I have a weakness that way. I have some tried and true recipes but I find that many recipes are just mediocre and I’d rather move along to something else. Of course many times I tend to fall back on those meals I can cook easily without a whole lot of effort.
What helped me the most in planning this menu was having the categories for each day in place.
Sunday – a make ahead meal or something that can be put in the pressure cooker (I skipped 2 Sunday’s since we usually eat out on that day.)
Monday – meal using elk meat
Tuesday – Italian
Wednesday – meal using hamburger
Thursday – try new recipe (ha! That really worked. I’ve got a whole month!)
Friday – Mexican
Saturday – Left Overs
I went to some food blogs that I like and found recipes that sounded good. I then bookmarked them in Delicious and tagged them so that I can easily find them later. I had my monthly meal planner in front of me and would write my menu for the day on it, as you can see below.
I then took a scrap piece of paper and wrote on it Week 1, Week 2, etc. If I needed any groceries for a recipe on let’s say, Week 2, I wrote my list under Week 2. Is that not brilliant? 🙂 Now I can do my shopping for fresh ingredients once a week using my list that is already made. Note that this list is only for my supper meals. It’s written on scrap paper so it’s a little hard to look at.
I didn’t write out any lunch ideas because we usually just wing it for that meal. We might have leftovers, sandwiches, tuna and crackers or a cheese crisp (for those not from the west you might know it better as quesadillas).
So here’s what my menu for the last week of March and into April. If I had really planned this, I would have started on April 1 but it’s probably better for me to start sooner rather than later. Some of the sides will be determined as we go along.
I also do not feel locked into this. I can change days around. If I’m in the mood to have Mexican on Wednesday, I’ll have it on Wednesday instead of Friday! If I want to have a meal that’s planned for week 3 during week 1 instead, I’ll just make sure I have those ingredients and switch it around. I want to be sure I feel the freedom to do that.
Week 1
Elk Roast, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad?, Cornbread?
Pasta Pie, Green Salad
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Green Salad
BBQ Chicken, Rice,
Taco Salad (Youth Bible Study)
Black Beans w/ rice
Week 2
Beef Pie, Green Salad
Italian Sausage Soup w/ tortellini, Green Salad
BBQ Meatball & Vegetable Packet
Week 3
Drip Beef, Cole Slaw
Pasta Carbonara, Green Salad, Sourdough Bread
Pork Souvlak, Chopped Greek Salad
Enchiladas, Beans, Cabbage Salad
Carne Mechada, Rice, Beans
Week 4
Elk Roast,
Stromboli, Green Salad
Sweet n Sour Meatballs w/ rice, Green Salad
Hoisin Beef w/ vegetables & rice, Salad
Tacos
Now, I just totally threw out, last minute, the idea of joining up with your menu plan for 2 weeks or more. Be sure to join up with Mr. Linky, if you wouldn’t mind sharing.
14 Comments
Lily
Ok! Now I’m totally inspired. Got to get busy on my own monthly menu. Thank you for the fresh incentive!
Elisabeth
Oh, Lily. Your enthusiasm is totally contagious. I love it! I think I’m going to like this monthly planning idea. My biggest problem in the past has been not wanting to get locked in. I like new recipes, etc. This time things seem different. I don’t feel hampered by my menu and I’m really looking forward to trying this.
Joane Dominguez
What about breakfast? What do you do there?
Elisabeth
Joane,
I haven’t forgotten your question. Breakfast is another thing I want to get streamlined. Usually, we have the same meals every week since breakfast seems to be rather limited in what you can do. If you have a great recipe that you make every week, I would really like to get it. I’m always looking for fresh ideas.
I have some ideas for streamlining my breakfast meals. I just need to do it and then I’ll post about it.
Elisabeth
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Joane Dominguez
Well, I don’t know that I have any inspiring ideas or recipes. During the week, I keep it pretty simple: cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, quesadillas (sometimes with sauteed onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes), this morning we had oatmeal and a fruitshake (strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit, lightly sweetened).
On Saturdays, I like to make our breakfast special: biscuits and gravy, eggs, hashbrowns, sausage or bacon and egg McMuffin, waffle sandwhich (similar to Mc Muffins) pancakes…. I do have a new pancake recipe that I really like.
BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM PANCAKES (but I use plain yogurt instead of sour cream)
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c. sugar (can use honey)
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs (I use duck eggs 🙂
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1/3 c. butter
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries.
for the topping (which I never make… Guess I’ll try it sometime):
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. water
4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
In medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Add blueberries; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
Elisabeth
Thanks, Joane for the recipe. It looks like a good one that I will definitely try. I’m curious about your waffle sandwich. Do you use waffles to sandwich the egg? Do tell, please. 🙂
Joane Dominguez
🙂 Yes. Very yummy! As SOON as I take the waffle out of the waffle iron, I put a slice of cheddar, some strips of bacon. Then I transfer to the toaster oven just for a minute, take it out, add a freshly fried egg (or not). Dip it in your favorite pancake sauce (my favorites are maple syrup or triple berry) YUM!
Also, have you ever tried making waffles with cheese and bacon IN the batter? Yum again!
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April
Thank you for visiting my blog and inviting me to participate in your Monthly Menu round up. I’d love to. 🙂 See you next week!
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Lauren
I love it! I am inspired that you have gone so far. I completely relate to the desire to “try” new recipes. I have tried so many over the last year that I can’t remember what I made and what I likes. My cooking is always “evolving”. But whenever I am making my grocery list I figure out how many meals I need (at least two weeks) and then I determine how many share ingredients (we have a tight grocery budget) and go shopping that way. Long gone are the days when whim and stomach shop for me! 😉
I then keep a list of my “meals” so that I know I have made them and I am not scratching my head saying “what could be for dinner.” But I am like you and not locked into a certain day. I do try to push ones with perishable ingredients to the front. I really love the idea of elk steaks. We mostly consume venison.
Lunch I too get stuff for winging it. Like tuna and some canned goods for the boys. I am interested in breakfast though!?! I always feel stuck and bored at breakfast but I still want it to be easy. Eggs ever morning gets old though… sigh.
Looks amazing. I need to follow your example and take it a step farther. Did you plan for this month (May)? Is it still working for you? Do you find this saves you money? Costs more? Or is about the same? Thanks for sharing!!!
Elisabeth
Lauren,
You know I haven’t checked to see if this is saving me any money. That’s a good idea. I did plan May’s menu, too. The link is http://treasuringthemoments.net/2011/05/02/monthly-menu-plan-for-may/. Another way to find it is to go to the top of my blog and one of the headers says “In the Kitchen”. If you hover, another menu will pop up and then you click “Monthly Menu Plans.”
It sounds like you have a good plan in place, too, for meal planning. I have so enjoyed having this monthly menu. It’s actually easier than sitting down every week and planning a new menu. Venison or elk, I cook them the same. Here in Arizona my boys go hunting every year and so we have always had elk in our freezer.
Have a wonderful day there on the farm,
Elisabeth
Teresa
Great plan! The planned out grocery list would also be a huge help for me.
We’ve got a couple rainy days ahead, so I think I’m going to try to hunker down and get myself organized. I drove to town at six o’clock tonight to pick up a Papa Murphy’s take and bake pizza. Which my family loves….thank goodness!