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Supper Plan for January

What's for supper?

I love being able to answer, "Look at the schedule!" It makes my life soooo much simpler. I always know what we're having because I already decided, days or weeks ago. I know the ingredients are in the pantry, fridge or freezer. And I know the food budget won't go over because by having a plan, I can stock up when the basics are on sale. I can keep some money back and buy a large, inexpensive, locally raised piece of meat and have it cut into pieces the size I need for my family.

But how do I write a plan for the whole month?  I use a few techniques. First I set themes to each day of the week:  Monday - leftovers, Tuesday - beef, Wednesday - chicken, Thursday - pork, Friday - pizza, Saturday - soup, Sunday - chicken/fish. But of course, this is just a plan and isn't carved in stone. Sometimes I'll slip in a meatless night, sandwich night or whatever else comes to mind. But generally, the themes point me in the direction to go.

And from here, I cheat! Because I already have a meal plan written. It's called Supper Plan for December! And with just a few changes, it will become the meal plan for January. Looking at the birthday and holiday calendars, I don't have anything to work around, and all the meals I made in December were well received by the family, so writing a plan for January is simply the process of copying.

Friday, 1st - pizza (take-n-bake or homemade)
Saturday, 2nd - broccoli cheese soup
Sunday, 3rd - baked fish, tossed salad, roasted vegetables
Monday, 4th - leftovers (I always have sandwich fixings in the fridge which is the back-up plan.)
Tuesday, 5th - shepherd pie
Wednesday, 6th - chicken spaghetti
Thursday, 7th - pork steak, baked beans, corn
Friday, 8th - pizza
Saturday, 9th - chili and corn bread
Sunday, 10th - chicken tacos
Monday, 11th - leftovers
Tuesday, 12th - beef sausage, hash browns, green beans
Wednesday, 13th - slow cooker chicken, page 170 (no idea what this recipe is today, but that's ok)
Thursday, 14th - slow cooker pork roast, potatoes, veg
Friday, 15th - pizza (maybe on ciabatta bread for variety)
Saturday, 16th - lentil soup, fresh baked bread
Sunday, 17th - baked fish, tossed salad, roasted vegetables (recipes can repeat within the month)
Monday, 18th - leftovers
Tuesday, 19th - beef gravy over toast, peas (which sounds boring today, but who knows in 3 wks?)
Wednesday, 20th - chicken, angel hair pasta, CA med veg (one of our favorites)
Thursday, 21st - stuffed baked potatoes - cheese sauce, broccoli, bacon, SC, chives, etc.
Friday, 22nd - pizza
Saturday, 23rd - chicken, veg and rice soup
Sunday, 24th - not sure... time to look up a new chicken recipe
Monday, 25th - leftovers
Tuesday, 26th - sloppy joes, corn and peas or tacos
Wednesday, 27th - slow cooker chicken ala king
Thursday, 28th - ham and cheesy potato bake, peas or broccoli
Friday, 29th - pizza or spaghetti
Saturday, 30th - potato soup and tossed salad
Sunday, 31st - baked fish, tossed salad, roasted veg (this is the only fish meal I have, but I get no complaints)

Tadaaa!! That took about 10 minutes! Of course I will copy it over to a calendar that hangs in the kitchen. And I'll still have to check my inventory levels and write a shopping list, but this is the starting point.

What about lunches and breakfast? I pack lunches for husband and daughter which include lunch meats/summer sausage/tuna salad, cheese/yogurt, fresh veg, fresh fruit, pretzels, and something sweet. It's a lot of the same kinds of foods without being the exact same foods every day. My lunch is usually either leftovers, sandwich, or salad. And breakfasts are pretty simple - homemade granola, fruit & yogurt, eggs & toast. Again, simple.

Are you a planner? What does your plan look like - no plan? weekly? monthly? Let's stop re-inventing the wheel and share.

Cheers!
Ann
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Comments

  1. Shari Burke29 December, 2015

    Nice plan! Lots of good, basic meals on there that can be easily varied--different herbs on the fish and veg, different veg to be roasted, etc. We get free fish from our neighbour and I cook it simply, but it can really taste different depending on which herbs I add before baking or quickly cooking it in the pan (he gives us herring and mackerel, so fast cooking). White fish makes good tacos, too. Can't get taco shells here, but I used to love fish tacos made with white fish, onion, pepper, finely chopped/shredded cabbage (adds a bit of crunch) and cubed potatoes (slightly precooked). I cooked it all in a bit of olive oil and added some garlic and chili powders, spooned into taco shells and topped with salsa and shredded cheese. Hmm, maybe I need to see if I can order taco shells online! Anyway, it is nice to have the plan done! It is always nice when I know what I am cooking. I do not plan that far in advance, except in a general way, because I never know what will be on sale in a couple of weeks--fruit and veg go on sale regularly and are featured prominently here and the savings are significant, so I stock up on produce that will keep and plan meals around what is on sale. We get chicken, sausage, and Irish bacon (which is almost more like ham)from one of the butchers in town (there are 3, even in this small town!) and we have lots of fish in the freezer from Jason. So I cook based on our stash and what is on sale. Breakfast is porridge or muffins and fruit. Lunch usually is leftovers, cheese and crackers, or pbj sandwiches.

    Happy New Year!! Pizza is a perfect way to kick off 2016, in my opinion!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ann31 December, 2015

      Your fish tacos sound good! I'll have to give that a try and see how it flies with the family.

      Delete

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