Feeding the people {a 2 week menu with links}

Yeah, we’ve got a lot of mouths to feed. We also entertain a couple of times a week. Combine those two elements and you have a faint-worthy grocery bill. The “average” family of four (does this family actually exist?!?!) spent about $1,000 per month on food items at the grocery store each month in 2012. Our family, by rights, ought to more than double that figure. But we don’t even come close– not even with regular guests at our table.

Our biggest factor in savings is a no-brainer: we avoid pre-packaged foods. Our budget (and our bodies) are healthier thanks to foregoing much of what fills the center aisles of the typical grocery store. We make our own spice blends and seasonings at home. You’d be shocked at how easy it is to adapt a recipe that calls for “cream of _____” to a homemade version! We bake our own cookies, cakes, pies, etc. We don’t eat frozen meals or most convenience foods. What started as a way to keep our budget trim is now so ingrained as a preference that paying for an inferior product seems, well … not worth it.

Our second tool in keeping money in our pockets when it comes to food is planning. While Mary Hannah and Mathaus have stepped up to take on the challenge of cooking a couple of times a week, I’m still the one who makes out the meal plan, collects recipes, writes up the list, and does the bulk of the cooking. (I am not the main shopper, however. Christopher has been doing our grocery shopping for six years now. Go ahead and be jealous.) In truth, I love finding recipes and managing a meal plan. My Pinterest boards tell you everything you need to know about my obsession with trying new dishes from all over the world. Thankfully, my family is game and doesn’t mind the whiplash of Mexican one night, Indian the next.

Whenever possible, I serve leftovers for lunch. Lately, it hasn’t quite happened. We’re in the midst of another season where I need to bulk up the amounts I’m serving at supper time to make sure there’s enough for the next day. When I get that adjusted properly, we’ll go back to leftovers on a regular basis.

We shop twice a month, and I rotate a series of pre-planned meal lists. I leave slots open for new dishes, and work around events to make sure that what’s on the menu works for the day. There’s no use planning a complicated new meal on AWANA night, right? I consider my crock pot to be one of my Proverbs 31 servant girls (like my clothes washer) and I employ her often. Finding unique, flavorful, and healthy meals that I can prepare in the morning makes this Momma one very happy wife!

Below is an actual 2-week menu that our family will be following. You’ll see desserts specifically noted some nights. Those are days when we either have guests scheduled, or I’m planning something special for our family Bible Study time. (We always have a treat during Bible study. Sometimes it’s just a cookie Mary Hannah baked that afternoon, other times it’s a scoop of ice cream, and sometimes it’s something really yummy!) I’ve included links to specific recipes in some places.

 

Wednesday 22nd

Breakfast: baked pumkin spice doughnuts

Lunch: pasta primavera

Dinner: slowcooker chicken enchilada soup & salad

 

Thursday 23rd

Breakfast: banana bread

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: black bean tortilla stackups

Dessert: chocolate lava cake

 

Friday 24th

Breakfast: biscuits and gravy

Lunch: snack plates

Dinner: bbq chicken sandwiches & chips

 

Saturday 25th

Breakfast: monkey bread, bacon, fruit

Lunch: chili dogs

Dinner: creamy crockpot chicken soup & salad

 

Sunday 26th

Breakfast: yogurt, granola, & fruit

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Nepali Curry & Naan

Dessert: Beignets

 

Monday 27th

Breakfast: breakfast casserole

Lunch: spaghetti

Dinner: curried chicken, broccoli and cauliflower with mango chutney

 

Tuesday 28th

Breakfast: baked hashbrowns, eggs and sausage links

Lunch: taco salad

Dinner: dijon chicken linguine pasta, braised root vegetables, salad

 

Wednesday 29th

Breakfast: french toast sticks

Lunch: English-muffin mini pizzas

Dinner: cheeseburger macaroni, broccoli, and asparagus

 

Thursday 30th

Breakfast: bagels & cheese

Lunch: tuna noodle salad

Dinner: lasagna, roasted carrots & salad

 

Friday 31st

Breakfast: slow cooker sausage breakfast casserole

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: white chicken chili

Dessert: Granny’s Chocolate Cobbler & ice cream

 

Saturday 1st

Breakfast: bacon, eggs, and hasbrowns

Lunch: momo party!

Dinner: fried rice

 

Sunday 2nd

Breakfast: yogurt , fruit and granola

Lunch: black bean burritos

Dinner: Crockpot Angel chicken, WHO bread

Dessert: apple enchiladas

 

Monday 3rd

Breakfast: mamaw’s egg casserole

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:

Cheesy potato and smoked sausage casserole, roasted cabbage, salad

 

Tuesday 4th

Breakfast: bagels, cream cheese, and sausage links

Lunch: cheesy orzo

Dinner: crockpot chicken cacciatore, oven-roasted green beans, baby bok choy

 

Wednesday 5th

Breakfast: muffins

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: crockpot (spaghetti) sauce, italian bread, salad

 

Thursday 6th

Breakfast: baked peaches and oatmeal

Lunch: grilled cheese

Dinner: chili

Friday 7th

Breakfast: mamaw’s egg casserole

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: chicken and stuffing casserole

Dessert: pumpkin pie

 

a-wise-woman-builds-her-home

Also shared at http://orgjunkie.com

10 thoughts on “Feeding the people {a 2 week menu with links}

  1. Just found your blog via your full quiver post. I’m posting our family’s menus this month too. Sounds like we have similar cooking strategies for our clans. I wonder if you might be interested in reviewing a copy of my cookbook ‘Family Feasts for $75 a Week’? If so, shoot me an email. I’d love to send you a copy.

    Mary, momma to 10

  2. I want to come to your house! I bookmarked several of the recipes that I want to try. Thanks. :-)

  3. I really need to be more daring and try Indian food…I always hear such great things about it. We eat tons of Mexican though! The hubby is from Veracruz, so I’ve learned some GREAT recipes since meeting him! I think your menu sounds fabulous! I’m pretty sure I *have* to have biscuits and gravy for breakfast now!

  4. All this food looks great! I can’t wait to try the bbq chicken sandwiches on Friday. I’m still on the hunt for a Super Bowl dessert and I only have two days left, any suggestions?

    • We’ll be nibbling on apple nachos. Sound good? Come on over. We may or may not have the game on. Lol

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