Monday, 21 May 2012

Meal Planning Monday #1


I have been reading with some interest for some time now the Meal Planning Monday posts, and while I do try to plan my weeks meals I have never bothered to write a post myself and link up.

Well, I am going to from now on.......hopefully at least!

Basically, for several reasons.

1). It makes ordering my on line grocery shopping much easier if I actually know what meals I plan to cook!

2). I need to budget more as our grocery bills each months are too high.

3). I want to lose some weight and again it I know what meals I am having I won't slip up with my healthy earth plan!

4). By committing myself to posting my meal planner each Monday, I am hoping it will make me stick to it and keep it going.

Hmmmm we will see!

As a rule, Burton and Jenson tend to have their cooked meal at lunchtime which is often what OH and I had the night before or are going to have that night. Then the boys have a 'tea' at tea time which doesn't involve cooking eg. Sandwiches, finger food

So here is my meal planner for this week. I may move the meals around a bit but essentially this is what I will aim to cook for the next seven days.

Monday

Lunch
Jacket Potato & Ham Salad (me)
Homemade Mini Savoury Muffins & Steamed Veg (J)
Pasta Salad (OH)
Burton at Ladybirds

Dinner:
Homemade Baked Gnocchi With A Rich Tomato, Bacon & Pepper Sauce

Tuesday

Lunch :
Leftover Gnocci & Sauce (B&J)
Tuna pasta salad (me)
OH out for the day

Dinner :
Barn Pie & Peas - same as cottage pie but uses pork mince instead

Wednesday

Lunch:
we go to Granma's every Wednesday & today it's my turn to cook lunch
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup (me & Granma)
Barn Pie & Peas - will have made 2 small ones yesterday (B & J & Cousin Ben)

Dinner:
Leftover Barn Pie (OH)
Jacket Potato & Salad (me)

Thursday

Lunch :
Homemade Meatballs & Pasta (B & J & me)
Poached Eggs On Toast (OH)

Dinner:
Leftover Meatballs & Pasta (OH)
Tuna Jacket Potato & Salad (me)

Friday

Lunch :
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon, Mash Potato, Carrots & Peas (B, J & Me)
(not made this before but will make a change from steak & ale which I 
                              always ways make! If it turns out well, I will post recipe)
Pesto Pasta (OH)

Dinner :
Leftover Beef Bourguignon, Mash Potato, Carrots & Peas (OH)
Beans On Toast (me)

Saturday

Lunch :
Not sure where we will be/what we will be doing, but I have homemade meals in the freezer for the
boys/all of us eg. Bolognese sauce for pasta

Dinner :
Homemade Chilli Con Carne & Rice OR Stuffed Jacket Potato & Salad

Sunday

It is Granma's birthday and we will be doing something for that eg. BBQ or a buffet

Dinner:
not sure, it will depend what we eat for lunch!

And that is that!
**Please note: although it looks like we don't eat many vegetables, we do but they are hidden in my meals as I have 3 fussy vegetable eaters!!
eg.Barn Pie will contain carrot, courgette, onion, baked beans and apple, with potato on top!
eg. the tomato sauce for the gnocchi contains grated carrot, peppers, spinach, courgette & onions & tomatoes!
I have to get their vegetables into them somehow!

I am linking this up to Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday




6 comments:

  1. Damn! I would have been over for dinner tonight if I'd known!

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  2. Wow, your meals take some organizing! I cook in vast quantities but we all have the same which I think makes mine easier to plan than yours. Hope you are going to have a few treats in that diet too or you will never stick to it (or at least I wouldn't)!

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  3. I wish I was disciplined like this. I always end up ordering too much too!

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  4. I am loving the sounds of Fridays lunch! and you are very innovative with hiding the veg! xx

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  5. That's some seriously impressive organising!!  The gnocchi sounds yummy - do you have a recipe?  I think it would go down well here :)

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  6. Lauren - Big Eejit24 May 2012 at 11:32

    Yay! Welcome to MPM! This all sounds lovely. Interesting your are having "Barn pie". I am a member of a forum where we had a lengthy discussion about what a pork-based shepherds pie should be called. Lots of interesting suggestions like Sty PIe, Porky-pie etc. Didn't see Barn Pie in there! 

    Enjoy - have a lovely week x

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