New cooking goal - monthly menus!

I won't bother making excuses for my hiatus from blogging. I just didn't do it. Suffice to say, I am alive and we are doing just fine.

I've decided that I'm going to combat the "What should I make for dinner?" battle I have every day. I hate stopping at the grocery store on the way home, with no idea of what to get. I've decided that my goal for November is to create a monthly dinner calendar, so I always know what I am making for dinner!

I sat down and made the menu this weekend. I tried out the larger QFC in Covington (about 10 miles from our house), and they were having a big meat sale, so I picked up most of the meat for the month already! My freezer is pretty full right now, but with this dinner menu, I should remember either the night before or in the morning that I need to defrost something. Wahoo!

Travis has reviewed the menu, and is also excited to try out this monthly dinner menu planning - when he was reading it last night, he said it made him hungry, which I thought was a good sign.

Here's the daily menu (we'll be flexible if we decide we want to go out to dinner, or if we have lots of leftovers we need to eat):

Week One:

• Sunday - T-bone steaks and roasted onion-coated potatoes
• Monday - Mango-jalapeno sausage jambalaya
• Tuesday - Leftovers
• Wednesday - Chili and cornbread
• Thursday - French bread pizza
• Friday - Kebabs
• Saturday - Chicken wild rice soup (my book club is here too, so I will make a lot)

Week Two:

• Sunday - Lasagna
• Monday - Chicken stir fry
• Tuesday - Travis closes
• Wednesday - Flank steak (I'll be getting a Bobby Flay recipe for this night)
• Thursday - Pork chops sauteed in cream of mushroom soup
• Friday - Ham steaks with pasta
• Saturday - Smoky beef tacos

Week Three:

• Sunday - Tuna casserole or spaghetti
• Monday - Pork tenderloin (Luna suggested this works as a weeknight meal, I am trusting her!)
• Tuesday - Travis closes
• Wednesday - Enchiladas
• Thursday - Stovetop lasagna
• Friday/Saturday - Samantha in NJ visiting Stacy/Cory/Charlie so Travis will be eating leftovers!

Week Four:

• Sunday/Monday - Samantha is still in NJ
• Tuesday - Travis closes
• Wednesday - Cheeseburgers and french fries
• Thursday - Thanksgiving! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy
• Friday - Leftovers or grilled cheese and ravioli
• Saturday - Carnitas

Week Five:

• Sunday - Turkey noodle soup
• Monday - Pork chops and pasta

So that is the plan for November! I hope it goes really well - keep your fingers crossed :)

-SKH