Menu Monday...sort of

First, I don't think Menu Monday is going to be a regular feature...although maybe it should be.


You see, I am so NOT a type A personality.  Things you would NOT see at my house if you came to visit - an updated, color-coded calendar, chore charts, behavior charts, a daily schedule, or a detailed menu plan.  As a matter of fact, you won't see much in the area of detail and organization.


That's not to say that I don't WISH I were more organized or detail oriented.  My sister who is 3 years younger than me IS and sometimes I think she inherited whatever part of those genetics there was to inherit.  


I'm not completely willy-nilly.  I am the one who maintains financial records for our family.  I am a stickler for balancing the checkbook every month.  And, each week on payday I sit down to figure out bills, tithing, & other expenditures.  My filing system for paid bills, and other important papers is a mess.  But, I still know where it is sitting and waiting to be filed.


Over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee today there was a post from a guest writer who is a self-proclaimed type B personality...and she homeschools!  Even though I don't homeschool, I could relate to so much that she wrote.  One line particularly resonated with me.  She said (and I'm paraphrasing) that she works better with routines than with schedules.  Yup.  That's me!


Anyhow, all that to say that I'm not ANTI schedules or organization.  It's just that I usually don't follow through for the long term.  A while back in our MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group we made a monthly menu plan for our house.  That month was great!  I wasn't scrambling for a dinner idea at 4:00 only to realize that I didn't have any meat thawed from the freezer.  Or worse yet I just couldn't come up with an idea so settled for the same old same old yet again.  In our house, chili,  spaghetti, or chicken corn soup are the meals that get whipped up in  a hurry if I can't think of anything else.


As I was thinking this morning about what to have for dinner tonight the thought occurred to me that I should make up a menu for the week!  The fact that I was thinking about dinner at 9:00 a.m. instead of 4:00 p.m was amazing enough, so I decided to run with it.  


So, here you have it, this week's menu plan.  As I said, it may or may not be a regular feature.  But, I had to share my one shining moment in organization and planning when it occurred.


Menu


Monday - Tilapia filets, baked potato, carrots
Tuesday - Deer pot roast, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies
Wednesday - Baked mac n cheese with sausage, peas
Thursday - Chicken enchiladas, bean salad
Friday - Burgers, oven baked sweet potato fries, salad


I also have to acknowledge Thy Hand Hath Provided in helping to inspire this menu planning.  In her blog she's been talking about eating simply in order to give.  You can check out her post here.  But, basically it comes down to the fact that as Americans we have so many food choices and we eat far more than we need for our nutritional needs (not to mention that we often make poor nutritional choices). 


 When I went grocery shopping this weekend I couldn't get that post out of my head.  I can't say I made all wise food choices that day.  But, it definitely effected what and how much I put in my cart.  Truth be told, we have so much food in our freezer and food that we've canned, that I didn't really need to grocery shop.  We could have easily made meals for weeks to come with what we have.


What do I usually buy at the grocery store?  Well, there's paper products and cleaning supplies.  We also use a lot of milk in our house as well as butter, fruit, yogurt, etc.  But, after that it's a lot of junk - snacks, juice boxes, cereal (how much money I could save if I just cut this from my spending and prepared home-made breakfasts like pancakes, waffles, baked oatmeal, and eggs).  When we say that we don't have anything to eat around the house, it usually means we are out of these types of foods.... which are not essential.  


So, in planning this weekly menu, I decided to look carefully at what I have available and to use those foods.  And, then I want to challenge myself and continue to use what I have in my house without grocery shopping for as long as I can.  


And, on that note, I must go.  The baby is awake from his nap.  I hope you all have a great week!