Need some help menu planning? Here’s the menu plan that our family of five enjoys!
I’m so ready for fall and the cooler weather it brings! I’m really starting to feel like I’m in a rut with our meals and being able to mix in soups more often would be wonderful. We love soups and I rely on them a lot during the cooler months.
But, unfortunately, it’s still warm here, and so I’m trying to stay inspired and keep things fresh and interesting by trying some new recipes.
I don’t know where you like to find recipe inspiration, but I love using Pinterest. I’m constantly pinning delicious recipes to my boards there and I kind of wonder how I ever managed before Pinterest was a thing, you know? Oh, and if you want to follow me there, I’d be delighted! The more the merrier, right?
If you are new to these menu plans of mine, it’s probably helpful to know a couple of things first:
- Our family of five consists of two adults with fairly big appetites, a 7-year-old boy, a 3 ½-year-old girl and an 19-month-old girl.
- I buy lots of fruits and veggies in bulk from local farmers/orchards in the summer and then freeze or can them. This is not only much cheaper it is also healthier too.
- I have a stockpile. My cupboards are full from previous shopping and here’s why. When I can get pasta for free with coupons, I buy as much as I have coupons for. If I’m able to get flour for $0.50/bag like I did last fall, I’ll buy half a dozen and put them in the freezer to use as needed. I do this as much as my budget allows, on as many items as I can and as a result save lots of money. Then when I go to plan menus, I simply plan our meals around what I already have in my cupboards and freezer, as much as possible. Obviously, I still might have to buy a few things at regular price here and there, but by stocking up when the price is at rock bottom I save a lot.
- I cook almost totally from scratch. That means when I make a cake, I rarely use a cake mix. I make my own bread totally from scratch. I rarely use pre-packaged sauces. I make my own cream soups and pie crusts. Making your own food is typically less expensive and healthier too.
- We rarely snack. By eating “heavy” food like granola at breakfast we don’t get hungry until lunchtime. And the same goes for the afternoon. Our lunches are big enough that we usually are fine until dinner time. When we do need a snack, I try to keep it mostly healthy by offering fruit, nuts or maybe No Bake Energy Bites. We don’t always do it perfectly though, and sometimes end up having chips or cookies instead.
- Our breakfasts consist of Easy Homemade Granola or Baked Oatmeal, the occasional bought cereal that I was able to get for $0.50/box and sometimes some fruit too. I know that might seem awfully boring to some of you, but we actually all really enjoy it and prefer it over other breakfast food. I also have a homemade iced latte, homemade frappe or some other fun beverage every morning. It’s just one of the little things that I do to add a bit of sunshine to my days!
Below you will find our lunches and dinners. (If we ate something other than our usual breakfast, I’ll note that too.) Monday through Friday, 3 days a week the lunches are just for the two youngest and I, the other 2 days my husband joins us.
Our son gets lunch at school and 3 days a week my husband takes a packed lunch with him to school/work. His lunch typically consists of sandwiches, fruit, homemade yogurt and sometimes random leftovers too.
Need help menu planning? Here are some meal ideas!
WEEK 1
Sunday
- At my in-law’s…took 2 Best Ever Chocolate Cakes with Quick Caramel Icing
- We were invited to a birthday party that included dinner
Monday
- Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Fresh Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
- Breakfast Sandwiches (Sausage/Egg/Cheese/Tomatoes on Bagels); Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Leftover Best Ever Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing; Frozen Crushed Strawberries (I preserved)
Tuesday
- Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Bananas; Frozen Blueberries
- Easy Vegetable Beef Soup; Lettuce Salad; Fresh Peaches
Wednesday
- Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Bananas; Frozen Blueberries
- Easy Chicken Pot Pie; Fresh Peaches; Leftover Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing
Thursday
- Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Fresh Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
- Creamy Sausage and Potatoes; Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream
Friday
- Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Fresh Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
- Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps; Lettuce Salad; Homemade Applesauce; Leftover Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing; Frozen Crushed Strawberries (I preserved)
Saturday
- Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Fresh Peaches; Frozen Blueberries
- Big Lettuce Salad with Chicken, Black Beans, Hard Boiled Eggs, Shredded Cheese, Carrots, Tortilla Chips with various dressings; Homemade Applesauce; Blonde Brownies (from freezer)
WEEK 2
Sunday
- Got a lunch invitation from some friends at church
- Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread (for the kids); Easy Frozen Fruit Smoothies; Homemade Popcorn
– We were still pretty full from our big lunch, so my husband and I didn’t feel like eating much, which is why the kids were the only ones having sandwiches.
Monday
- Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Potato Chips; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Blueberries; Home Canned Peaches
- One Pan Balsamic Sausage and Veggies; Garlic Green Beans with Parmesan); Homemade Applesauce; Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream
Tuesday
- Various Leftovers; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Blueberries; Frozen Peaches (I preserved)
- Zucchini Crust Pizza (I tweak this recipe); Lettuce Salad with Mexican Dressing; Homemade Applesauce
– Later in the evening, we used Rita’s gift cards that we were gifted to enjoy some Italian Ice and Gelato!
Wednesday
- Various Leftovers and Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Blueberries; Frozen Peaches (I preserved)
- Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce; Baked Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes; Peas; Homemade Applesauce; Chocolate Chip Shortbread; Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream
– We had a neighbor that shared dinner with us. And that chicken? Well, it’s absolutely delicious! I definitely recommend it.
Thursday
- Leftover Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce; Leftover Potatoes; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Blueberries; Frozen Peaches (I preserved)
- Easy Vegetable Beef Soup; Fresh 100% Whole Wheat Bread; Lettuce Salad; No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Friday
- Meat & Cheese Sandwiches made with Homemade Bread; Potato Chips; Easy Homemade Yogurt; Frozen Blueberries; Home Canned Peaches
- John Wayne Casserole; Lettuce Salad; Leftover No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Saturday
- Away at my parents for the weekend and for a wedding- took lettuce along to make salad for one of our meals
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Yvonne
I’m so ready for autumn, too. Ready for more soups, stews and casseroles, but the weather here (in Scotland) is better than it was in June/July. Bring on Fall! 🙂 P.S. the sausage and creamed potatoes look delicious!
ThriftyFrugalMom
Yvonne, yes, bring on Fall! Our June and July were remarkably cool and pleasant and as someone who typically doesn’t enjoy summer, I loved it! But August kind of decided to act more like our typical muggy, humid summer, which wasn’t as fun. 🙂 But it’s okay really, because I know cooler weather is just around the corner. And it rained nicely yesterday, so it’s actually a lovely 68 degrees today! Yay!
The Sausage and Creamed Potatoes is yummy! I’ve had so many people email me or message me and tell me that they’ve enjoyed it. Definitely give it a try if you get the chance.
Ps. I love finding out where my readers are from! Scotland has always seemed like such an interesting place to me- so romantic somehow. 🙂