Meal plans

Meal plans for the week of March 6th o 12 - not necessarily in cronolical order.

1. Chicken, broccoli, with creamy mustard sauce ( pinterest) 
2. Pizza 
3. Pork roast , baked potatoes, green beans 
4. BBQ pork Sandwiches. Oven baked fries and veggie sticks 
5. Nachos 
6. Shrimp fettuccine 
7. Breakfast for dinner

Repeating family favorites that can be versatile is a great way to minimize the job of meal planning.   Children like repetition and consistency.   Another way to make meal planning easier is to have a matrix, an outline, a plan so to speak.   We have a protein matrix : 1 beef, 1 fish or seafood, 2 vegetarian, and 3 chicken or pork.   Planning a second meal from a roast or a batched of meat cooked saves time and energy.   

Some people base their meal plans on those of meals: soup, roast, etc .  Some people on themes- Mexican, Italian, Asian food etc.   

Whatever works well for you.    

Make a plan, or plan to fail.   It's to easy when you have no plan to get caught on the I have no meat thawed so let's go out trap.    It will derail your budget.   

Notes : 

1) Chicken breast was 1.29 a pound, recipe os on Pinterest .   Trying something new shakes up the boring,   

2) Pizza crust from scratch is seventeen cents.  Sauce is a dollar a jar and you can get more than five pizzas from it.   Pepperoni continues to be .50 a box and you can use a little sausage and 1/2 a package of pepperoni,   Fill in with onion, peppers, or a little mushrooms.   Cheese ism2.00 or so a pound if you watch sales.  Cost of a pizza about 1.09.  Saving little bits if anything that goes in a pizza is a good way to not waste food and make a food 🥘. 

3) pork roast was purchased  in the  form of a pork loin for 150 a pound at Costco wholesale. Potatoes are 1.00 for five pounds again at FM. 

4) scratch sandwich rolls are super cheap. Slice roast very thin and add BBQ sauce.   Oven fries,   

5) nachos are a favorite here,   Refried beans from scratch are easy in the insta pot, add cheese, peppers, tomato 🍅 (on sale at  wimco) salsa (also on sale with a coupon at Winco) and  taco meat .

You  have a dinner our whole family loves, 

6) shrimp is a treat--a bit more expensive than we usually have.   It can be done with averaging .  Pizza is sooo cheap, it balances the cost along with breakfast for dinner,   

7) breakfast for dinner is always a favorite and it's cheap.  Eggs 🍳, waffles or pancakes. Fruit.   An easy dinner and the whole family cooks,   Granddaughter is in charge of buttering toast or English muffins.  Last week, she drizzled the frosting on the cinnamon rolls.    

Children with washed hands can help you cook.   It might take you a little longer when they are little, it they love it and considering you don't have to clean up the mess that they leave while you are cooking, it's time effective.   My granddaughter is good at washing veggies with the vegetable brush, she can load a pizza, and roll crust.   I got bowls with rubber on the bottom somshe  can stir things.   Working a food  processed that has been  loaded and closed by an adult is another thing they can do.  Making bread crumbs with the plastic blade comes to mind.