Still Figuring This Out - Menu Plan March 21

So, last week was not a total bust, but I probably only did half of my planned meals. It was not a lack of desire, but it was my first week juggling care for our new chicks (we have 81!), care for the full grown chickens, of course taking care of my darling son, and trying to take care of the house and pack.  I did, as a matter of fact, get some packing done, though there is certainly more to do!  This week, however, I plan to be much more proactive in all of this.  I hate last minute scrambling to get a meal made (especially when it means I am eating dinner around 8:00 at night), or eating junk because it is quicker.  Ok, ok, the "junk" we have around is a lot healthier than "quick foods" that I used to eat, but it is still not the best I could be giving myself (and by proxy, my Joshua).

I started this last week by making to-do lists, and surprising myself with how much I got done. Now that I can make to-do lists on my phone with an app from Cozi, I am not as prone to lose the lists I make!

This week I am going to kick it up a notch by actually planning what time I need to get those things done, and see if that helps me to make the preparations I need to in order to stick to my menu plan. Any women out there whose husbands have had to be away for a time (military, traveling for work, whatever) who have tips on how to keep motivated and get rest...comment away.  

There are some repeats here, carried over from last week because I did not do them, or because I did not do them while Jeff was home.  This week I am cooking for both of us today through Wednesday, and myself the rest of the week.

Monday - Grilled Chicken Salad
Tuesday - Barley Burgers / Salad
Wednesday - Pork & Cranberry Stew (didn't do this last week because the weather ended up being much warmer than the forecast indicated, and I didn't feel like eating a stew in such warm weather)
Thursday - Breakfast for Dinner (Waffles, Bacon, Eggs)
Friday - Leftovers (probably burgers, there are always plenty left over)
Saturday - Pizza
Sunday - Leftovers (probably stew)

This post is a part of Menu Plan Monday.  For more great posts, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Menu Plan for One (and a half)

I have to admit, it has been a couple weeks since I have actually laid out a menu plan, and this is largely because I find it very difficult to plan when cooking for one.  Jeff has been away during the week for the last couple weeks, as he is around our new house trying to get it ready for us to move into. He is working hard to prepare our home for us, and I am so grateful to have a husband who is willing to get the job done, even if it means being away from us for a little while. (Aside: It also paints a nice picture to remind us to long for Christ, who is preparing a place for us.)

Regardless, I find that life is so much easier when I plan our meals, so I need to make it a point to do so. Between Joshua and I both having the cold that has been going around (twice!) and trying to both clean the house and pack things we will not need for a while, not having a menu plan only added to the chaos -- NOT what I was going for!

So, here's the plan:

Monday - Pasta Alfredo with Chicken and Fresh Salad from our (winter) GARDEN! (homemade Alfredo Sauce)
Tuesday - Pineapple Pork Chop, Brown Rice, Salad (totally winging this recipe. At the moment I think I'm going to get some pineapple canned in its own juice, add garlic and honey to that and marinade the pork in it...I know fresh is better but I'm working with what I've got.)
Wednesday - Quinoa Stirfry (with Chicken, and of course we use Tamari instead of Bragg's or standard soy sauce)
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - California Salad (with Chicken), Whole Grain French Bread
Saturday - Barley and Cranberry Pork Stew (actually doing it in the crock pot, so Jeff has a nice hot meal to come home to after a long week of hard work, and I can enjoy my Saturday not worrying about dinner)
Sunday - Leftovers

And that is the week!

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.  Find more great menu plans there!