Monday Menu Idea

Today I thought I’d share a great way to make your weekly menu less of a headache!  I’ll start off by giving you a little background of my cooking history…or lack thereof!  Like it says in my bio, I am not a cook, but I can follow a recipe!

Before I had B, my husband and I ate out A LOT!  I mean pretty much every day.  This gets REALLY old when you live in a small town like we do because there are not many options at all!  I didn’t mind cooking, but I just never knew what to cook (and I hate the mess). 

My husband is the pickiest eater EVER…seriously!  He doesn’t eat any vegetables! I know you are probably thinking…I’m sure there are some veggies he likes…NOPE NADA!  Well…okay…he eats corn and potatoes but that’s about it!  I LOVE watching the Food Network channel, and he would always ask why I never cooked if I watch so many cooking shows.  I told him “YOU WON’T EAT ANY OF THIS STUFF!” So he stopped bugging me about that. 

Anyways...just imagine cooking for someone who pretty much only eats meat, beans, potatoes, pasta and rice (and lots of sweets)….BORING.  I, on the other hand, will try just about anything!  So my rational to eating out was it was just so much easier for two people, and I could eat what I wanted without having to make two separate meals.  When I did cook, I would just make something that he liked because it was much easier than cooking something different for me that was more tasty and healthy. 

Fast forward a few years (or about 9) to when B came along.  When he started eating solids I knew I wanted him to eat mostly healthy and homemade cooking.  This is where Pinterest and cookbooks have been such a lifesaver for me! 

So now (back to the tip I started with) on Sunday afternoons or Monday mornings I try and sit down and make a menu for the week.  This seems like such an obvious routine that probably many moms do all the time, but it is something that I have just started doing and it makes my life SO much easier! 

I have a magnetic menu on the refrigerator that I use to write down the menu for the week.  I usually browse through my food Pinterest boards and cookbooks to come up with my menu.  Then, I make a grocery list and go to the grocery store sometime Monday.

Before this easy fix, I would stress myself out every day deciding what to make for super that night. Then by the time I finally figured something out, it was too late to thaw out any meat, so supper would end up being something like sandwiches.  Making a menu also helps me give my family a little bit of a variety of food instead of it being Friday afternoon, and I realize we have eaten a casserole with ground beef in it every night this week!

Now you might be wondering how I fixed the problem with my picky eating husband...well I haven’t (if you have any tips let me know)!  Now, I just don’t give him an option!  I make something that B and I will enjoy (B is really a great little eater), and my hubby picks the veggies out, or some nights he might just eat a chicken breast with rice!  I’m hoping (not with much luck) that one day he will get more adventurous and at least try something new!  Until then I will Carreon!

This is the magnetic menu I use!

All the recipes this week are from Pinterest (what would I do without you?), so I will share the links to each one.  I usually tweak recipes to better fit my family (or the things in my pantry and frig) so I'll let ya'll know if I change something up!

Monday- Italian Chicken Artichoke Bake...I'm so excited to try this!

Tuesday- Beef and Broccoli...One of my new FAVS!  So easy and delish!  I will serve this with brown rice.

Wednesday- Hamburgers on the grill with sweet baked potato fries for B and I and regular baked fries for the hubby (no he doesn't like sweet potatoes...sigh)!

Thursday- Chicken Verde Tacos (using the crock pot).  One of my very favorite Pinterest meals!  SOOO easy and delicious.  I usually throw in extra chicken breasts to have some to freeze and use later.

Friday- Chicken Alfredo the healthier way!  SHHH don't tell my husband... He loves Chicken Alfredo, and I want to see if he notices the healthier ingredients.  This is a new one for me!

Saturday- I'll let the hubby cook tonight....which means we will go out somewhere and eat ;)