I’m trying something different in the new year. I am going to menu plan out the month. I typically have done weekly menu plans. Honestly it has been because it’s easier to throw together on Sunday night with what I have in the fridge.
Since I have a massive stockpile and I’m trying to eat out of the pantry/freezer like a few others. I decided to menu plan for the entire month. I’ll share my method with you in a post soon since this monthly plan was a new experience for me. Since I plan on using this as my guide all month, I am including the meat next to the recipe so I know what to thaw out.
Main Dishes
Sides
What can I say, we have a boring/repeat selection of sides. The veggies will be whatever is either fresh or frozen (and on sale). I might make some bread – I might not too :)
I’m also going to try throw in a few sweet things. The Happy Housewife’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Vanderbilt Wife’s Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. I’ll probably also throw another batch of Once A Month Mom’s Banana Sour Cream Muffins together too!
If you want to log various recipes you find online, check out the Virtual Recipe Box I created last year. That is a huge part of how I was able to make this monthly plan easier to put together. I have updated it with some new recipes I have found, along with removing some dead recipe links.
Are you menu planning this week/month too?
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A virtual recipe box … I need to check that out!! I have alot of chicken in the freezer this month (we have a Tyson plant near by & I get alot of it from time to time in bulk) so I am actually planning for a full month this time too. Here’s to seeing how that goes!
Hey this is off the subject. But did you say that you freeze milk? If so for how long and how long is it good for? I got my two free gallons yesterday with the kellog purchace and I used my coupon…whoo…whoo!
Thank you for posting the links to all these recipes! My hubby gets tired of the same stuff all the time…always looking for good new recipes!!!
Thanks for including me in your menu plan. The coffee cake is SOOOOO good. It works as breakfast OR dessert! Enjoy!
I have been doing this for the past couple of months and I have been saving a couple of hundred dollars a month in grocery bills. I do one massive shop and then only go once a week afterwards for milk, yogurt, produce and that’s about it. So much easier!
LCM, are you linking up with the Eat from the Pantry challenge too? It’s a great way to share your menu with others. I love reading the posts for new recipes and overall ideas to be more efficient.
I always try to make a weekly menu plan, I save so much money that way. This month I am doing the Eating from the pantry challenge, too. I will be posting recipes that I create on my blog.
Hey Andrea, How weight loss friendly are these recipes? You know the New Years resolution…whoops.. I mean life change! :)
Hey Debbie!! I think most of them are very healthy. Actually, I had these on in our menu plans throughout last year when I was still in the weight loss zone. I would say as long as they are eaten in moderation, you’d be fine. I’m sure you could find healthier substitutions in some of the recipes if you wanted to.
Actually, a goal of mine this year is to incorporate a few more organic/natural foods and stay within our budget.
Wow.. Im impressed! :) I have a difficult time filling in 7 days much less 20! But man what a service for yourself it would be.. Im gonna have to check out your recipes and sometime or another sit down & try to do one of my own!
I have enough food in this house to feed my family & several of their friends for several months..
And.. it’d take the burden of me trying to figure out what the heck we’re having tonight. ;)
Thanks for a great idea & the recipes too! :)
Have a running menu calendar that runs since 2008. Since I have a plan for dinners, and am just starting to stockpile (began mid-November) thank you “Sharpen Your Scissors”– I am building my stockpile around my dinner menus and needs for sack lunches. Works beautifully … since I work many week-day evenings most meals are slow cooker or oven meals.
I made 3 whole chickens since they were on sale at Kroger this week for 88 cents/pound. I want to freeze to use later, do I freeze the whole chicken(It is already cooked) or do I cut the meat off and just freeze this? Then how do I use it after frozen? Sorry all the silly questions. I am making the blueberry coffee cake tonight! Yummy!
Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, what a smart idea! I would debone the chicken and freeze it with a little chicken broth in the freezer bag (it will help to keep the chicken moist when you use it later). When you are ready to use the chicken in a dish, just thaw it out, drain any excess liquid and put it in your dish. Let me know how that coffee cake turns out for you. I am buying some blueberries next week to make it too! :)
The coffee cake is soooo good. I have to keep myself away from it so I don’t eat the whole thing. Thanks for the chicken tips!