Menu Planning...Again

A healthy dose of peer pressure can be a good thing. A couple of weeks ago at a homeschool Valentine party the kids heard about another family whose kids take turns making meals. My ears piped up and I started asking questions. What do they cook? How involved are the meals? Do they plan ahead or just dig through the pantry? Well, J got Emily thinking and on Monday morning she was dividing up the week and telling us all when we had to cook.

Cooking Schedule

Mon - Emily

Tue - Mom/Samuel

Wed - Amber

Thur - Mom

Fri - Nicholas

Sat - Mom/Dad

Sun - Mom/Dad

We've done this for two weeks and it's been working great, except for the lack of vegetables. I decided to pull each child aside and have them plan their meal ahead of time so I could strongly encourage the addition of vegetables. We decided to plan for one week and then have the same exact menu the next week, too. That makes for easy planning and shopping. And if they choose something a bit more difficult than macaroni, making it two weeks in a row reinforces the skills needed to make that particular dish. For example, Emily chose to make chicken pot pie for Monday suppers. Today she made two and froze one for next week. Making double saved time and really gave her lots of practice making pie crusts and gravy.

Our 2 Week Lunch Plan

Sun - pancakes and sausage

Mon - homemade cheese fries, applesauce and pickles

Tue - pizza burgers and carrot sticks

Wed - homemade macaroni and cheese, summer sausage, celery w/PB

Thur - leftovers

Fri - grilled cheese, carrot sticks and pickles

Sat - ramen w/dumplings and salad

Our 2 Week Dinner Plan

Sun - grilled Italian sausages, rice and peas

Mon - chicken pot pie, salad, jello squares

Tue - freezer pizza and canned fruit

Wed - ham, mashed potatoes, spring veggies, cranberry sauce, rolls, angel food cake (Warren's birthday dinner)

Alternate Wed - venison steak, cheese curds, carrot sticks

Thur - leftovers

Fri - fish, green beans, pork 'n beans

Monday morning we chopped, sliced, thawed, mixed, boiled and roasted a variety of meat and veggies. We prepared as much of our respected meals as we could ahead of time so during the week cooking time was minimized. The pile of dishes rivaled Mt. Everest, but we did it and boy are we glad. Meal prep will be a breeze for the kids and me throughout this week and next.