Menu Plan Monday 10.31.11

Happy Halloween everyone! I am being a scrooge and not handing out candy tonight! I just didn't want to spend money on sugar, but now that I hear kids throughout the neighborhood I am having second thoughts.

I am trying something new with my menu planning & grocery shopping. I have always planned for one week at a time and shopped every Saturday. I hate spending my weekend running errands when I should just be enjoying the weekend off doing things I want to do, which is not menu plan or grocery shop. So this week I have my menu planned from for almost two weeks. I will make a trip to the store after work one evening towards the end of this week to get everything I need for next week's menu. I may have to go one time next week to stock up on produce and milk.

My challenge will come when I need to go to the commissary (basic pantry items like bread and the few organic items they have in stock), Publix (buy all my meat and organic items here), and the health food store (everything I can not get at Publix). This may take some time to figure out how to work it into my weeknight evenings, especially when I have to drive at least 20-30 minutes for Publix and the health food store!

I added a column to my menu sheet that includes prep work to be done the night before. I find this helps me get dinner on the table quicker. The prep work never takes long and can usually be done while dinner is cooking.

Here is my menu for the next two weeks.
Menu Planner 10.31

Click here to print

I will be sharing the recipes from above in the days that follow, so check back for some great recipes! 

I am linking up with I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday and Keeper of the Home's Plan It Don't Panic Challenge.

Till next time,