Why I need a Menu Plan

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It’s been awhile since I started planning out my weekly meals. For awhile, I would just write out different recipes I’d like to try, buy the grocery items for them, and then improvise throughout the week.
Then I found Organizing Junkie’s weekly Menu Plan, and thought it would be fun to join in. I’ve posted off and on with her linky, but I really should make it more of a priority.  After the last two weeks I’ve had, I know I need my menu plan!  Here’s why –

• We eat better, and more healthy when I plan out meals
• We actually have food in our house that can be made into a meal
• I become more creative in the kitchen
• I gain more confidence in my cooking skills
• I spend less time trying to figure something out last minute
• We save more money, by avoiding my stressed out “let’s just go out tonight” phrase

If those aren’t good enough reasons to plan a menu each week, well, then I guess you don’t need to plan a menu.

Life has just been so crazy around here lately. We finally closed on our house, and are no longer home owners (can I cry?).  At the same time, however, we found a house we think we can make our new home. So we put an offer on it, and I’ve been crazy busy, deep in paperwork from selling our house, and trying to buy a new one. 

So of course, I thought I could skip planning a weekly menu. It didn’t work. We ate mac and cheese for dinner, ramen, and I won’t tell you how many times we went out or how many dishes didn’t turn out.  It just wasn’t pretty come dinner time around here.

I’ve learned, the hard way of course, that I need my menu plan. Even if I don’t follow it to a T, it keeps me sane and my family happy with good dishes. So after a new hair cut today, and a serious kitchen cleaning, I’m back!

Monday – Home Made Pizza
Tuesday – Frozen Burritos (requested by Mark)
Wednesday – Chili
Thursday – Chicken and Corn Soup

Friday – Slow Cooker Sesame Orange Chicken (but I’m going to use turkey)
Saturday – leftovers
Sunday – Chicken Taquitos