Menu Plan: Spring (June 9-15)

**There is now a photo album on the RH Facebook page just for food photos. If you like to see a photo of a dish to judge whether you want to try it or not, then follow the link to view the album. (I tend to like recipes & cookbooks that include lots of photos). Let's be honest, some dishes are just too pretty to not take a picture! ;) **

     I'm fairly passionate about growing in knowledge and skill in working with real foods. In my experience, once you put down the packages and pick up food in its whole form the disconnect people have from their food is hard to miss. I've found that frequently individuals simply don't know what real food is much less how to work with it. The cashiers at the grocery probably dread seeing us enter their lines each week because they're in for a produce pop quiz. For instance, this week's trip-

Cashier: Is this a zucchini squash?
Us: No, that's a yellow squash
...
Cashier: Are these regular green beans?
Us: No, those are sugar snap peas.

Lastly,
Cashier: Do you care how heavy the bags are?
Me: Yes. For one, I have to lift them. Second, heavy items will bruise softer ones.

Oh my, sometimes it's just too much. ;) 

Strategies

• This week's shopping list is quite short! Our schedule got jumbled a bit last week, and so we didn't stick closely to the menu plan. That's okay because we are starting out this week with three meals that were shopped for last week.

• We didn't have to buy any new meats this week because we already had what we needed stored in the freezer. Buying in larger quantities and then storing frozen is a great way to save money on meat! 

• Some items require some planning ahead. It's easiest to cook time-consuming items prior to the moment of need. For instance, tortillas require about an hour for the dough to form and rest. Dried beans require about an hour soak, and then additional time to cook. These are time requirements that I do not want to face when it is time to cook for a meal occasion. I got up early one morning and got to work making each of these so that they'd be ready to go throughout the week. That's one less item to make at meal times!

• Tip: write your grocery list and the date in a little notebook each week/month. This way you can easily see how much and how frequently you purchase items. You can then use that information to determine the value of purchasing in bulk for your family's needs. If you don't use the entirety of a bulk purchase before it goes bad, then it would have been wiser to buy the smaller quantity even though it would have been at a higher unit price. Below is a copy of our list for this week:

Click image to view larger

OUR MENU PLAN FOR THIS WEEK

*Note: I include links to the recipes if they are available online. Some recipes are from cookbooks we have at home, and while I can't share the recipe I can direct you to the source. Other dishes or meals are created by myself or my husband, and we can do our best to explain how to recreate it. If you'd like additional information on any of the meals or our menu planning, then please feel free to contact me. :) 

Breakfasts

- oatmeal with diced apple, walnuts, and flaxseed meal

- granola cereal, banana

- oatmeal with dried cherries, almonds, and flaxseed meal

- whole wheat toast with peanut butter and drizzle of honey 

- cottage cheese with diced strawberries

(repeat all to keep it simple!)

Lunches

- Garden salad (romaine lettuce, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, carrot, cucumber etc)

- Beef and cheddar sandwiches, zucchini chips

- Bacon, egg & asparagus pizza

- Okra & chickpea tagine 

- Vegetable casserole (I'm normally not a casserole fan, but we're going to give this one a try)

- Maple-carrot couscous salad

Dinners

- Roast beef, seasoned potatoes, broccoli

- Chicken pot pie

- Gingered tilapia with starfruit/mango garnish

- Grilled veggie sandwiches

- repeat chicken pot pie

- repeat vegetable casserole

Snacks

- homemade crackers 

- cottage cheese and diced pineapple

- apple and cheese slices

- almonds

- yogurt with dried apricots

Weekly Menu Planning Sheet

*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not affiliated with any of the sites or companies included in the links, and was not asked to include or recommend them or their recipes in this post. (I simply like what they have to offer!)

What's on your family's menu plan this week?

Linked up at: 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Join Reviving Homemaking on Facebook!

Visit the Reviving Homemaking Etsy Shop!

Follow Reviving Homemaking on Pinterest!

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-Question for YOU!-*-*-*-*-*-*-

What is something you wish you had learned to do before getting married or having children? Why?

(Your name (first name + last initial) and comment may be used in the upcoming Reviving Homemaking ebook. If you wish for your name to not be included, then please simply use "anonymous" or "guest." Thank you for your input!)