Breakfasts
French Toast Casserole (from the freezer), fruit
Cereal
Steel Cut Oats with raw sugar and milk
Breakfast Burritos, fruit
Strawberry-Banana Maple Smoothies, toast
Waffles, scrambled eggs
Amish Baked Oatmeal, scrambled eggsLunches
Egg salad sandwiches, cantaloupe, peas
Annie’s Mac & Cheese, carrot sticks, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches, carrot sticks
Beans & Rice with cheese, peas, fruit
Leftovers x 3Snacks
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Bananaberry Freeze
Fruit/VeggiesDinners
Marinated chicken, cooked carrots, wild rice, fruit salad
Burritos, steamed veggies, fruit salad
Steak on the grill, frozen veggies, rolls, fruit salad
Tilapia, barley, steamed broccoli, fruit salad
Asian Barbecue Chicken, rice, tossed salad
Dinner out
Dinner at extended family’s houseFreezer-Cooking-In-An-Hour Plan (I’ll share pictures/details on how this goes on Thursday!)
Homemade Whole-Wheat Baking Mix (recipe coming Thursday)
Amish Baked Oatmeal
Asian Barbecue Chicken
What’s cooking at your house this week? Feel free to leave a link to your menu plan or any great new recipes in the comments.
sarah says
How do you get your kids out of your hair while you are cooking. My boys get into EVERYTHING. How do you keep your kids occupied while you are trying to get things done? I use the TV too much, but it’s the only way I can get some time to myself.
Annett @ Fit Moms Fit Kids Club says
Here’s my meal plan.. looking at yours I may want to try some of your stuff next week…
http://www.fitmomsfitkidsclub.com/2011/06/my-successes-and-near-failure-meal-plan-monday/
Becky says
Sounds delicious! Crystal, how do you cook your barley–with chicken broth maybe? It’s such a delicious & healthy grain. I need to remember to use it more often.
Andrea Q says
I’m also curious about how you cook barley. I use it in a beef & barley stew, but would love to know how to prepare it as a side dish!
Making My Own Luck says
I’m excited because I got my first garden pepper this week. I used it in our Monday night beans and rice. My menu plan is here:
http://cookingluck.blogspot.com/2011/06/this-weeks-menu.html
Emily @ Saving with a Plan says
We have drastically changed our menu to be more Natural and remove the unhealthy foods from our diet. It has made a huge difference in the way our children feel and has really tamed down the Crohns/Colitis issues that we were having. Here is out menu:
http://www.savingwithaplan.com/2011/06/menu-plan-favorites-baking-day-plans/
Jennifer says
I have over 150 tried and true recipes on my website, called What’s Cookin’. Each recipe is personally made by me, then kid tested and family approved, prior to be posted! Stop by and check them out 🙂 http://www.jennifervandahm.com
Meredith says
TY! The shredded beef tacos sound great! Excited to look through your recipes!!
Katy @ Purposely Frugal says
This is my 2 week menu. I’m trying to see if I can get our grocery bill under $250 for this month (feeding 2 adults and a 3 year old).
http://purposelyfrugal.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/groceriesmenu-starting-my-june-challenge/
Maggie says
Yum! We’ve been grilling at least twice a week since summertime is here now–everything from sausages to chicken to burgers to veggies. We’ve also been doing lots of delicious salads. Almost every Saturday night in the summer I cook the same thing and we never get sick of it–chicken or burgers on the grill, roasted red potatoes, grilled veggies, some kind of delicious salad (either with greens or something simple like cucumber tomato salad) and some type of fresh fruit–usually in pie form 🙂 for dessert–all picked up at the farmer’s market that morning. It’s always so delicious and never very expensive. Our grocery bill always goes way down in the summer because of all the great produce we are able to get at the farmer’s market and the lower produce prices in the store. Summer food is definitely my favorite thing to plan for and cook.
Michelle @ Simplify, Live, Love says
I’m excited this week because my freezer is (hopefully) getting fixed! Once I get my freezer back I can start freezer cooking again. It really does help me to have meals prepared for quick, busy nights. We’re also getting our yearly beef this week (if I get my freezer back…)
Anyhow, thanks for sharing your menu. Seeing what other people eat gives me so many great ideas!! Here’s what we’re eating, if all goes according to plan.
http://simplifylivelove.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-menu-part-2.html
cathy says
I just saw the link for the chicken! 🙂
cathy says
How do you make the asian barbecue chicken? That sounds like a winner!
Kimberlee says
Yum-steak on the grill! Thanks for posting so we can all get some inspiration for our own meals.
Here’s our budget menu for the week. We only had $60 for our family of six so nothing too exotic this week: http://thepeacefulmom.com/2011/06/03/fun-friday-weekly-menu-6311/
Here’s the budget gluten free menu for my daughter with a wheat allergy:
http://thepeacefulmom.com/2011/06/06/simple-gluten-free-weekly-menu-63-69/
Stephanie says
I don’t want to be a debbie downer here, but I just have to throw out there that I have done a lot of reading on farm raised fish, such as tilapia, and it is really unhealthy. All Tilapia is farm raised, meaning they are squished in tanks filled with pesticides and antibiotics to ward off disease and kill the feces that they fish swim in in such tight living conditions, and their diet is corn. It has been studied that Tilapia has more bad fat in it, so it’s as bad as eating a pound of bacon, never mind all of the pesticide and antibiotic residue. I know it is the cheapest fish usually, but you get what you pay for here!. I know you desire to feed your family healthy foods, so just wanted to mention it in case you have never heard any info on it. 🙂
Sharon says
Not all tilipia is farm raised. There is a variety of types available- just like everything else.
Fay says
In Phoenix there is a family that grows tilapia in their swimming pool that they have converted into a pond. eeww
Jen says
I’ve noticed the past few weeks that you eat fruit salad with dinner quite often. Do you have any tips for making it frugally?? My kids would eat nothing but fruit if I let them, but it is soooo expensive!!!
Crystal says
I usually just buy whatever is on sale/in season — Aldi had cantaloupe and strawberries on sale for $0.99 last week so that was mostly what we had in the way of fruit/fruit salad.
Kristen says
I love these posts too, and following your example is saving us so much money! Last week, I let the meal planning slip, and the difference in unexpected spending on eating out was crazy! So this week, I’m back on the meal planning wagon. I’m sharing my plan at http://www.differentshadesofgreen.com/2011/06/menu-plan-monday-june-6.html
Crystal says
Kudos for getting back on the menu-planning wagon! It really does make a difference.
Maura says
This is seriously one of my favorite posts you do each week. I think getting a hold of your budget starts way before you get to the store. The weeks I have a meal plan are so much cheaper than the weeks I try to wing it….
Meredith says
(I was typing… and then it just… went away – jeez – I hope it doesn’t post with this all at once LOL!)
So, I’m just back on track with meal planning. I think we got into a rut with the recipes I was using, then I realized this pregnancy is a whole other (and much harder) animal than my first, and then our whole household practically fell apart until maybe just a couple weeks ago. I’m trying to pull it back together!
In the past I’ve really only planned out our suppers; like another family whose mom posts her meal plans on here pretty regularly, during the weekdays we all kind of have whatever we want for breakfast (cold or hot cereal, yogurt and granola, toast, eggs, homemade frozen pancakes, smoothies, etc.) and lunches tend to just be sandwiches, boxed mac & cheese, or leftovers… My husband usually gets lunch at the work cafeteria or at a restaurant nearby during the week because he likes to be able to chat with co-workers during that time, and most of them just will not brown bag it, so it’s part of the budget now (I don’t love it, but hey, it’s all about compromise, right?). I think I’d like to get breakfasts and lunches better planned out as well, but for now, I’m starting just with suppers.
I read back through Crystal’s post on meal planning and decided that a different theme each day would work best for me: Sunday is something simple/easy, Monday is something with either pasta or rice, Tuesday is soup (w/sandwiches for those who want them), Wednesday is a casserole dish, Thursday is a crock pot meal, Friday we are going to do (local, with a coupon) take out. This was a hard decision for me, as I know we would save more money eating at home; but honestly, especially at this point, I needed at least one day where I had a break from cooking (we have no family here, so no meals at grandmas or anything like that), and I think that having some takeout will help me stay on track with meal planning and also with not getting burnt out on keeping a stricter budget. Saturday is my husband’s night to cook, but I kind of planned what it is he’ll be making (so I know what to buy and have on hand)… LOL
I made three different lists of recipes (one for each month), some new, some repeats, that I can hopefully cycle at least twice before we get burned out (guess I’ll make three more lists then) and then I went back through and figured out what I need to have on hand each month to make those recipes so that I can be sure to stock up on deals for those ingredients when they come around. Obviously I won’t be buying the fresh ingredients way in advance, but pantry staples and things that can head to the freezer I can have on hand and I’m already seeing savings and feeling good about being prepared (especially with another baby on the way)!
So this week we did: Baked BBQ Chicken, Wagon Wheel Chili, Hearty Pasta Tomato Soup, Pizza Bubble, French Dip Sandwiches, and Brupper (breakfast for supper; I just can’t call it dinner LOL I went to college in the midwest, and while I probably headed out there calling the evening meal dinner, I came back calling it supper, because anyone who has friends who grew up on a farm KNOW it is breakfast, dinner, and supper. I never got into calling lunch dinner – but supper is supper. End of story.) 😛
I wish I had the links to these recipes but I don’t; I’m sure if you Google any of the names you’ll find, if nothing else, a recipe that is similar to what I’ll be making. 😉
Mary Jo says
I enjoy new recipes too, though I rarely make a different variety of something once I “perfect” it. Probably wouldn’t hurt to branch out a little more. 😀
Have you successfully frozen baked oatmeal before? I have thought about doubling it and freezing some but wasn’t sure how it would turn out.
Mary Jo says
Do y’all like the Amish Baked Oatmeal better than your baked oatmeal recipe in your old ebook? I’ve made that dozens of times over the years. 🙂
Kaitlynn is getting so big! What a pretty girl. 🙂 I remember reading updates on your labor the day she was born. Doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago!
Crystal says
I’ve not tried the Amish Baked Oatmeal before, so I thought I’d try it and see what I thought. If we don’t like it, it’s back to our old recipe (that we love! I just like to try new recipes every now and then!)
Carolynn @ mylittlebitoflife.com says
She is so precious!
Here is our menu plan and my shopping for the week! 🙂
http://mylittlebitoflife.com/?p=1481
Debi @ Bluegrass Savers says
She looks all grown up! So adorable.
Crystal says
I know! She’s almost four; I can hardly believe it!
Bethany says
I have two classic meals that add in extra servings of vegetables – your children are sure to love these!
http://thebigredpot.blogspot.com/2011/06/menu-inspiration-monday-june-6th.html
Erin Jan says
For the French Toast Casserole (from the freezer) Do you mix it up and completely cook it before putting it in the freezer? And then how do you warm it? Maybe you mentioned this previously and I am just behind on my reading 🙂
Crystal says
I baked it ahead of time and have been just thawing it and reheating it in the oven.
Ashley says
I was about to ask the same thing 🙂 Good thing i read through the coments 🙂
Brit @MomAnswersWithBrit.com says
What a sweet picture of your daughter! Each week I keep thinking I’ll try freezer-cooking in a hour. I get scared it will take more than a hour…
If you ever need an idea for a quick/easy/yummy/mexican dip here’s one! 🙂
http://momanswerswithbrit.com/?p=384
Emily says
It’s only Monday and I’ve already revised our menu plan. 🙂 We just roll with the punches here, though!
http://ourfrugalhappylife.blogspot.com/2011/06/menu-plan-65.html
Mary Ann says
We had Southwestern lentils and rice (crockpot) for dinner tonight. Looking forward to chicken and veggie skewers on the grill later on this week as well as a salad with shrimp and some other crockpot meals since it’s been so hot here and I’m trying not to use the oven!
http://mrsmaryannshouse.blogspot.com/2011/06/planning-monday.html
Erin says
Yum! I need to try a few of your recipes and break out of a bit of a rut I’ve gotten into with our meals.
We’ve also been enjoying having tilapia for dinners the past few weeks. It was on a great sale about a month ago.
Last week I got creative and made up a recipe using some great farmers market vegetables. http://cathcartfamilylife.blogspot.com/2011/06/farmers-market-tilapia.html
Jamie says
We just ate a quick and easy salmon meal for dinner with produce from our CSA and Alaskan Salmon from our neighbors (personally caught by a family member in Alaska) – it was AWESOME! http://delicious-nutritious.blogspot.com/2011/06/this-weeks-meal-plan-662011.html
Jenn Soldato says
Hubs is from AK. His mom LOVED the Salmon up there, she always had some smoked and in her freezer (year round)
Jamie says
The salmon was so incredible that it makes me want to take a fishing trip to Alaska someday!
Kristen says
I’m going on a fishing trip to Alaska in July. My parents went last year and want to share the experience!!
Stefanie Schrampf says
I made your Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread tonight. It was so delicious! Thanks for posting that! I love your site:)
Frugal Momma @ Live Joyfully says
I’m excited for Tamales and Black Beans, Spinach and White Bean Soup, and Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs this week.
The entire menu is here: http://www.savemoneylivejoyfully.com/2011/06/weekly-menu-june-5-11-2011.html
We LOVE Annie’s Mac and Cheese. The only Mac and Cheese the kids AND adults can agree on around here 🙂