I love Menu Plan Monday.
I just don’t feel organized for the week unless my menu plan is done.
I love when dinner time comes around and I have a plan.
I know lots of people who don’t do menu planning but wish they did.
The first comment I hear is that they don’t know where to start.
Here are my top 3 tips for making a menu plan.
1. Ask family members what some of their favourite meals are. Make a list of meals to pick from for future menu planning.You might think you know what their favourites are, but I have learned that when I ask this question, sometimes I am surprised by the answer!
2. Take a look around your fridge and freezer. What’s in your fridge already that needs to be used before it goes bad? What’s in your freezer that can be made into a meal? Incorporate these into your meal plan for the week. This saves you money by using things you already have before spending more money on duplicate items. This week, I have broccoli in my veggie crisper that needs to be eaten….so that’s the green vegetable for today’s meal.
3. Read the grocery flyers to see what’s on sale this week. Take advantage of sales in your menu planning. This saves you money, especially in the fruits and vegetables department!
Now, write down 5-6 meals for the week using the information you have collected! Now you can create your grocery list! Save cooking with new recipes for the weekend when more time is available.
Would you like more menu planning examples and ideas? Visit the blog I’m An Organizing Junkie. She hosts Menu Plan Monday every Monday and over 300 women link up with their menu plans for the week. It’s fabulous! Click on the link below to visit!
My menu plan for this week:
Monday-Basa fish, jasmine rice, broccoli & carrots.
Dinner Time: 3:00 pm
{The basa fish was bought on sale and in my freezer already. Broccoli and carrots already in the crisper and need to be used.} Due to sports activities, we are eating at 3pm when the kids arrive home from school starving and hungry. We all need to be out the door by 4:30 pm. Each child will also have snack before bed such as: fruit, toast & yogurt.
Tuesday- Greek chicken with Greek salad, pita bread and tzatsiki.
Dinner Time: 5 pm.
{The chicken is already in our freezer from Costco. The tzatziki needs to be eaten before it expires soon, as does the romaine lettuce.}
Wednesday-Pulled Pork Sandwiches & coleslaw.
Dinner Time: 3:00 pm
{We are eating dinner early today because of sports activities.Pork already in the freezer from Costco.}
Thursday-Italian wedding soup and crusty bread.
Dinner Time: 5:00 pm
{Ground turkey from Costco already in the freezer.}
Friday- Order out night.
Saturday- Make your own Pizzas.
And now for one of our family favourites:
Shrimp Creole
This is a classic Louisiana dish which tastes great on a cold night.
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 staulks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp. drimed thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 to 1 serrano chili, finely chopped
1 can 28 oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup clam juice, fish stock, or white wine
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1 lb. shrimp, cooked, peeled with tails off.
Directions: In skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and green pepper and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, & chili pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stock or wine and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Turn heat to a simmer and add shrimp, parsley and lemon zest. Stir thoroughly and heat until shrimp is hot. Serve immediately. {Don’t allow to simmer once you have added shrimp because the shrimp will turn tough and chewy.}
Serve with hot rice, a green salad and hot crusty bread.
Our entire family loves this meal. It tastes great when heated up the next day too!
Share the Love!
Love me a good Creole. The recipe that I usually use is too time-consuming. I printed this one to use up some shrimp in my freezer. Thanks Angie!
You are so awesome for posting this. My sisters friend creates menus and I said I would do the same but…I always forget. Chris (my fiance) and I get so tired of our own cooking that we will go out in a heartbeat. That is so not good because we usually follow it up with a blizzard from Dairy Queen! O.k. I pledge to create a menu and follow it!! Maybe we'll be more apt to follow our menu if we create such wonderful dishes as your yummy looking Shrimp Creole!!
manymomentsofme.blogspot.com
That would make a perfect date night meal for my husband and I – my mouth is watering just looking at it!
Yumm!! I love cajun food!
I'm just visiting all my friend bloggers now as things have been busy!
Angie this is a fantastic post!!!
Great tips love it!
I really need to do this.
I love the shrimp creole you made yum and the photos are super!!!!
Boy i wish you lived closer …i love to cook and grocery shop!!
Keep the tips coming!!!
Pamela xo
Great tips and your week looks fabulous!!
Laura 🙂
Thanks for the sweet words while visiting. I love how organized you are. I think I'll be having creole this week too.. I already have shrimp in the freezer.
I have been saying for weeks (or is that months) that I have to organize dinner planning…its something I never get around to it…or, like today, I bought things early in the morning to make asian style chicken wings for dinner….then I didn't feel like washing and chopping up the chicken (I hate touching chicken)…so we had pizza and corn on the cob…worst mommy ever!
BTW I am having a giveaway! Come visit! ($35 CSN gift certificate)
Great tips for menu planning! The Shrimp Creole looks delicious. Enjoy your weekend, Kellie xx
My husband would love me if I made this for him. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it too…but it would definitely make him very happy!
Wow all I can say is that you are a great writer! Where can I contact you if I want to hire you?