I’m back! I know that many of you probably think that Stacey has taken over full-time. Actually, I just needed to prioritize my time while the kids were home for the summer and blogging was something that just had to go until I had my quiet mornings back with the kids in school.
We’ve had a couple of big changes here which are affecting how I meal plan. First, we temporarily have an extra special 5th blessing that we are fostering. We absolutely adore her and are thankful for the opportunity to care for her. Also, our oldest, Vera, is starting Chinese 1st grade! We weren’t sure if we would choose local school or homeschooling, but finally decided to first try the local Chinese school and see how it goes as we can’t change our minds and put her in later if she doesn’t start from the beginning. Today is her first full day, which is only orientation, but on Thursday she starts full time. I promise pictures soon! Another big change is that Eden, our second oldest, has changed from half-day preschool to full day kindergarten.
What does all of this have to do with meal planning? Well…
- A baby needs to be fed…and that usually happens right around dinner time!
- Our 1st grader needs to be picked up at 4:20.
- Our kindergartener needs to be picked up at 4:45.
- All on this happens on foot each afternoon with the the two boys and the baby tagging along for pick-up!
- The kindergartener has been in a classroom most of the day and needs to run around outside, which means we don’t actually get home until 5:30ish.
We used to eat dinner at 5:30!
I’m having to change the way I meal plan. Monday through Friday dinners must be meals that I can prepare in advance such as:
- crock-pot meals,
- one-dish meals for the oven,
- meals that can be prepped and then cooked within 15 minutes of getting home.
One thing that is going to make this so much easier for us is that we have just found out that our child who was allergic to milk (i.e. no milk, cream of something soups, cheese, butter, etc. casseroles) seems to have outgrown his allergy! I have so many new things to try that I haven’t been making for the last couple of years to accommodate his allergy.
You’re really here for the meal plan though, right? Here it is!
Breakfast
M/W/F: Granola or Oatmeal (child’s choice), fruit
T/Th: Eggs, bacon, and toast
Saturday: Waffles
Sunday: Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Buns (These are amazing. Not healthy, but AMAZING!)
Lunch
Monday-Friday: The kids eat at school, I eat whatever’s in the fridge, and the hubby eats at work!
Saturday: Sandwiches, Leftovers, or Freezer Burritos
Sunday: Eat Out
Dinner
Monday: Pizza and Veggie Sticks
Tuesday: Dinner out with a friend! Chinese take-out for everyone at home.
Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan, Salad
Thursday: Shrimp Scampi over Noodles, salad
Friday: Honey Mustard Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans
Saturday: BBQ Burgers, Sauteed Mushrooms, Homemade French Fries
Sunday: Beef and Bean Enchiladas
What are you eating this week? Check out orgjunkie.com for more meal plans!
