What's for supper?

I have been so lazy lately about planning my menu for the week! When I was raising my family, I always had a plan, even though I worked full time. Now that it's just Bob and I and I guess Chris, for a while, it seems I have forgotten or just become too lazy to plan our meals. My main concern is money. I know that it costs us more money when I don't plan ahead and we certainly don't eat healthy when there is no plan. So, my goal, along with lots of others, is to figure out a good menu planning system for myself!

I have been looking at a lot of different menu planners and none of them seem to meet my needs - they are all made for families with little children. My plan is to compile all of my favorite recipes, I will even throw a few that I haven't tried into the mix, put them in a file box, and rotate them. If there is one we don't like, I will take it out and add another one. When I find something I want to try, I will add it to my file box, again, on a trial basis. I would also like to have at least one meal a week, maybe more, to be meatless. I won't plan breakfast and lunch, because we just do left-overs. Now, I think that I need to be flexible, because I occasionally have things happen that are just out of my control!!! Sometimes, I might not feel like having chicken!! So, I don't want to be so committed that I can't change the days around.

I would also like to do some freezer meals. I had a friend, who got together with her daughters once a week and made freezer meals. One week they made meatballs, another week, they made calzones, another week, they would make an Italian meat mix . . . etc. I think that is a great idea, only once a week is too much, I think once or twice a month would be better. Me and my daughters tried this a while back, but their children were small and it was too hard. I think I will try it again though, it was really fun! I think it's really important to have some all ready prepared meals on hand, you never know what might happen or who you will have to bring a meal to. I also want to make some quick frozen breakfast meals for Bob to take with him to work, he leaves at 4:30 a.m.! He does not feel like eating that early in the morning, but when he gets to work, he's hungry - any ideas? I thought about frozen egg muffins with sausage and breakfast burritos (found the recipe on Realmomkitchen.blogspot.com) But, frozen muffins would be good too, along with yogurt and fruit.

I would love it if you would share your ideas with me, and I will try to post some of the recipes that I try. I will also let you know how it is working out for us. Let me just share this weeks menu with you;

Saturday - Hamburgers and oven fries

Sunday - Roast beef with potatoes and carrots, homemade rolls

Monday -Italian stuffed shells (using left over roast beef), green salad

Tuesday - Crockpot pork chops over brown rice, Broccoli

Wed - Creamy Italian crockpot chicken over whole wheat noodles, mixed veggies

Thursday - Swiss broccoli quiche, green salad (this is my meatless meal)

Friday - Honey lime enchiladas, mixed raw veggies (this is my new recipe)

Saturday - chili with cornbread

Have a great week-end!! Blessings to all, Barb