Monthly Menu Planning

We have restarted our monthly menu planning. I found an APP called Pepperplate that I have on my iPad. I use this app for my grocery list, to add recipes and for menu planning. I like the app. There are things on there I do not like, however, but overall it works good. You can add items straight to the list, or add a recipe and then add the ingredients (and you can always delete the ingredients you already have on hand). I'm now taking my iPad to the store with me and checking off the items as I go. Nice!

Anyway, back to menu planning. I plan a month out. Right now I am slowly working on December's menu. In October, I printed my menu off. This month I just did it on the app. I wish I could share the menu with Chris so he would not ask me what was for dinner. That would be helpful. Perhaps I will have to print it again next month.

Items on our monthly menu:
1. BBQ Chicken Nuggets
2. Spaghetti night is on Mondays. We have a different type of pasta every Monday.
* Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chilli pepper flakes with Macaroni Grill bread.
* Bowtie Pasta with Garlic (usually some kind of home made bread or garlic toast).
* Spaghetti with Chris' special tomato sauce (I have no idea what is in it but it is amazing! He uses one big can of crushed tomatoes with garlic and oregano in it, wine and who knows what else). Best with fresh home made white bread.
*Super Lazy Cheesy Pasta

2. Breakfast for Dinner (One of Addison's favorites!), includes anything from bacon and eggs, waffles, pancakes and cereal with fruit (which is all Alivia will eat).
3. Meatless Tacos (we used to have these every Tuesday, but Lettuce does not make it longer than a week. So, we have it during the first week of the month only now). We appreciate Taco Tuesday more now that it is monthly.
4. BLTs minus the tomato. :)
5. Homemade Pizza
6. Shrimp (Grilled, in pasta, anyway it is just yummy).
7. Baked Fried Chicken
8. Beer crockpot chicken
10. Salmon: Addison, Asher and I love salmon. Yummy! But, when we make this, I have to find something else for Chris and Alivia. That is just annoying. 
9. Hamburger on bun (for the kids).
On weekends we keep things more laid back and easy...PBnJ for lunch is common or crackers with cheese and pepperoni (kids favorite). We always have a fruit and veggie with our meals. Fresh towards the beginning of the month moving to frozen towards the end of the month. The frozen veggies from Costco last us 2 months sometimes!


So, easy n quick meals other than the ones listed above (we only do easy!).
1. Grilled cheese
2. Chicken nuggets with baked fries (I have so many recipes for these it is not even funny).
3. Costco pizza...when all else fails...through in a frozen pizza! Seriously...sometimes that is perfect on the nights I work!
4. Trader Joe's Orange Chicken and Rice...a favorite!

And of course, we have pizza every Friday from some place different, three times a month. I try and have them skip the pizza on the one Friday night I work a month. Really, it is not fair that they get to eat pizza while I got out and stay up all night working, eating crackers! :)

Every month, I try new recipes to break things up. Some we like and will use again while others turn into favorites. Chris made home made pretzels on Sunday that were a total hit! They were amazing! They were so good nobody wanted dinner. Huh, pretzels for dinner. Gotta love that! :)

So, what do you make for dinner? Anything you would like to share?