A Glimpse At A Two Week Meal Plan

 

Last week I sat down and mapped out a two week meal plan.  I based  my plan off of items I already had on hand in our freezer, fridge and pantry.  Since I was already planning a trip to the grocery store the next day I was able to add a few items to my list to help me complete these meals.  I just needed a little bit of fresh produce.

 

Last Thursday I had purchased a whole roasted deli chicken I had come across that had just been marked down for a quick sale.  I incorporated that into my meal plan as well as making sure I used the leftover bones to make a nice pot of broth.  Some of that broth will be used in this meal plan too.

 

The chicken was originally used for a quick supper with a tossed green salad.  The next day my daughter made a chicken sandwich for her lunch.  Then I removed all of the remaining meat from the bones and used some of that for chicken Caesar salads.  After that the rest of the meat went into a batch of chicken fried rice with still a little bit leftover for another sandwich.

 

Bones and veggies to make broth

A delicious Chicken Caesar salad

The bones, skin and even the drippings that had accumulated in the bottom of the bag ended up in the slow cooker with carrots, celery and onion to become a nice broth.  Some of the broth will be used for egg drop soup and the rest will stay in the freezer to be used in the future.  That is a lot of mileage out of just one chicken.

 

This little cutie even got in the action fixing Sunday brunch

I know from experience that if I make four large meals each week we will have plenty of leftovers to keep us in suppers and lunches throughout the week so I planned eight meals plus an extra one to make sure we are well covered.  I also made a short list of items I could make to supplement breakfast and snacks.  I even included a couple dessert ideas.

 

A double batch of meatballs for two meals, one now, one later

We are a busy family with varying schedules to work around so creating meals that can be portable and reheat able is important for us.  I also want to make sure we are using up items we have so they don't go to waste as well as make the best use of those items so we can stretch what we have as far as possible.  I love when one meal, or an item such as a whole chicken, can morph itself into several meals.

 

A big batch of seasoned taco meat, plenty for supper & lunches

Of course we want our meals to be tasty and nutritious as well.  And a variety so we don't get bored is nice too.  So a lot of different factors weigh in when I do my meal plans.  But once they are done I love having them because I don't have to think much beyond the plan.  We all know what we will be having for our meals and what is available to eat.  I don't have to worry each day about what I should fix either.

 

I spend about an hour or less to come up with my meal plans.  Over the years I've gotten much quicker about it.  Once the meal plan is posted on the side of our fridge I tell my girls to let me know if there is anything special they would like to have so I can incorporate it into our next plan.  I love having their input, although typically, they are quite fine with the meals I come up with.  So back to meal planning it is!