So this week I am determined to actually work with a dinner menu plan. I have narrowed it down to some easy, quick dinners based on whats in the cupboard meal ideas and tried to think about what I can double cook for later in the week.

I am also thinking I may start using someone elses menu plans for the following week (payday is next Wednesday which will allow me to shop based on the menu plans). So I have started looking for a few different menu plan groups and menu plan e books.

So onto sharing my menu plan for the week (I didn’t plan menus for lunches, as my children eat lunch at school and I eat left overs or just have cereal :) ! )

Monday:
Breakfast -  English muffins  cheese slices (melted on top)   oranges
Dinner – Spaghetti bread (bread machine dough) green salad *make extra ground beef for tomorrow

Tuesday:
Breakfast – Poached Eggs Whole wheat toast Melon
Dinner- Tacos – Mexican Rice (rice cooker do you have one yet ?)  – tomatoe/cuke salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast – Berry Oatmeal Muffins Milk creme cheese
Dinner- Mashed Potatoes Corn on the cob Pork Chops Apple sauce

Thursday:
Breakfast – Apple sauce – sausage – toast
Dinner- Tuna Casserole – Tossed Salad – dinner buns

Friday:
Breakfast – Oatmeal with real maple syrup and golden raisins
Dinner- Potato Salad Hambugers

Saturday:
Breakfast – Saturday is always pancakes and scrambled eggs :)
Dinner- Crock Pot Jambalaya

Sunday:
Breakfast – Toast, fruit, coffee ( I know but its my lazy morning …. )
Dinner- The Best Pasta Salad -  Grilled Barbque Chicken

There you go, maybe I will get inspired and take pictures !

Of course I am referring to my life before three children not my life as a busy mom trying to stay organized :-) One of the biggest obstacles I face is trying to cook meals that are affordable and healthy. My grocery budget is stretched each month beyond my budget with last minute runs to the store for meals. Its the constant finding time delima. I know other moms who buy family size meats for example and cook up three lasagnas and freeze them for future use.

I would enjoy an evening of cooking, I just have a hard time finding the time. I have a freezer, I just don’t have the time. My goal this month is to locate different menu planning options with shopping lists, and putting a shopping system in place. I currently have a monthly shopping list that covers all my basics however with out a menu plan this busy mom spends too much on her grocery bill.

Developing a menu plan use to be really easy for me when I was a mom with one child. My oldest son will eat anything! He was eating black beans with cilantro at 8 months of age. I am now a mom to a picky eater. So I am trying to balance what everyone would like in my menu planning. We don’t eat pork (by choice) and I am trying to cut out red meat so this means any tools I find online I will have to spend time adjusting to my family’s needs.

This morning i signed up for Menus 4 moms free service. I am sure this will give me a starting point, once I remove all the pork products though I am left trying to fill in the blanks. Ideally I would like my Grocery budget to get under $400 a month with a menu plan and develop a menu plan that accommodates my obvious lack of time! I also need to learn how to balance my children’s desire to eat chicken nuggets everyday to my taste for ethnic food.

My Online Meals offers great menus based on serving amounts.