Back to planning

I took the summer off of menu planning so we could eat what the garden gives us each day. The garden is almost spent and since I'm back to working full time, it's just not practical anymore. So I'm back to planning our meals for the week. Since I'm off for three day weekends, I'll get my planning and shopping done on Fridays. I'll put several 'make ahead meals' in the freezer on Saturdays so we'll be set for the week...well, that's my plan anyway!

I'm most definitely a planner and scheduler, it's just the way my brain works, so this fits into my routine pretty well. Plus, planning makes me feel like I still have a little bit of control over the household when I'm away. It definitely saves us money and helps Doug out tremendously. He's trying to run a full time business from home AND take care of kids and household!

Here's what I have in store for this week's meals:

Monday: Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Will make this Sunday night so Doug can pop it in the oven Monday evening.

Tuesday: Spaghetti squash with homemade sauce. This was made for the freezer weeks ago when we were harvesting so much spaghetti squash and tomatoes! I'll set the freezer bags out to defrost before going to work and Doug can heat them in the oven at dinner time.

Wednesday: IT'S KYLE'S BIRTHDAY! We'll have a picnic lunch on the beach that day and then take our boy out to dinner at his favorite restaurant that night. Plus, I'm off this day so it will be a real treat!

Thursday: Taco Night! I'll precook two pounds of grass fed beef and season it for the freezer along with some soft bread wraps on Saturday. Doug just has to warm it all up and serve with fixings.

Friday: Homemade mac & cheese. I'll be off on Friday and will cook this from scratch. I'll make a double batch so one can go to the freezer for a lunch or meal next week.

Saturday: Roasted chicken and wild rice. Leftovers will go towards chicken salad for my lunches next week.

Sunday: 15 Bean soup with corn bread. Leftovers will also be for my lunches next week.

....and yes, I can eat chicken salad and soup everyday for lunch!
I love the stuff!

I came across a great little blog last week that give tons of ideas for make ahead meals, check it out: 100 Make-Ahead Meals