Weekly Menu #1

Hey Guys! We are going to try something new today, if that’s alright with you guys. A lot of folks ask me how I manage to organize my shopping list, get everything done, and cook for my family, with everything going on.   Well, we have a busy life, but I try my best to be super organized whenever possible. This means that on Saturday morning, I pick out all the recipes I’ll be making for dinner every day that week, and then I make a grocery list based on what I need for those recipes. I add any normal household things we need (eggs, milk, bread, laundry detergent, etc) to the list, fruit, a few snack items for the kids, and whatever my husband wants for lunch. At the end of my prep work, I head to the store. If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t go in the cart. Preparing ahead helps me avoid impulse buys on things that we don’t need, or are not healthy. It also helps me save a ton of money.

So, in the spirit of helping other busy moms I’ve put together the following menu, and shopping list. It includes dinner for 6 nights, and the shopping list for all that cooking! Just add any non-dinner items you need, and head out to the grocery store. Let me know if you guys like this, and I will see if we can make this sort of thing a regular occurrence on the blog. So, here we go. Happy shopping. Happy cooking. Happy eating.

Each week I include at least 1 or 2 “quick and easy” recipes in my menu that I can throw in the crockpot or on the stove quickly for hectic nights. This shopping list was designed to meet the following needs:

• 6 nights of Kid friendly recipes
• 2+ nights of quick and easy meals
• 1-2 super low calorie dinners (in case i have a business lunch or bigger breakfast)
• Budget and calorie friendly (600 calories or less per dinner)

So, here goes.

The Menu:

• Potato Soup and *grilled cheese sandwiches (quick and easy)   (316 calories)
• Chicken Pot Pie (quick and easy)     (212 Calories)
• Grilled Sirloin with Roasted cabbage and carrots, and Grilled Corn on the Cob (600 calories)
• Crockpot Beef Stew (quick and easy) over Rice  (447-600 cal)
• Smoked Sausage and Potato Bake with Simple Side Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette (306 calories)
• Oven “Fried” Fish with Spicy Tartar sauce, Garlic Smashed potatoes, and Roasted Garlic and Lemon Cauliflower (550 Calories)

*Note: I don’t have a recipe listed for grilled cheese. I use 35 cal bread, spray butter, and 1 slice of velveeta singles= 120 calories

The List:

Produce:

Onion 4 yellow or white

Onion 1 small red

Minced Garlic

Cabbage (1 head)

Carrots (2 large)

Baby Carrots (1 bag)

Corn on the Cob (1 per person)

Celery

1 large Russet potato

6 Red new Potatoes (somewhere between golf ball and plum size)

6 Red new potatoes (about tennis ball size)

Romaine lettuce

1 tomato

1 cucumber

1 head of cauliflower

1 lemon, or bottled lemon juice

Meat:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast (12 oz)

Sirloin Steak (7 oz per person)

1 lb of stew meat

1 package (13 oz) turkey smoked sausage or kielbasa

4 oz fish filets (1 per person)  (fresh or frozen)

Center Aisles:

35 calorie bread

1 packet of Pioneer pepper gravy or country gravy mix

Chicken Stock (2 cans)

Veg all original mixed veggies (large can)

98% fat free cream of chicken soup (1 can)

98% fat free cream of mushroom soup (1 can)

Olive Oil

Apple Cider Vinegar

Hot Sauce

Corn Starch

1 packet McCormick beef stew seasoning

White or brown Rice, or other grain (to serve with beef stew. Optional)

Banana peppers (1 jar)

Balsamic vinegar

Flour (Seasoned flour if you can find it)

Panko bread crumbs

Fat free miracle whip

Sweet pickle relish

Dijon mustard

Horseradish (minced, this comes in a jar, sometimes in produce with garlic)

Cold:

Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls (1 can)

Low calorie spray butter

Light butter (50 cal per tbsp.)

1% milk

Parmesan cheese

Velveeta singles

Frozen:

Potatoes O’brien (1 bag)

Seasonings/Spices:

Garlic Powder

Paprika

Black Pepper

Salt

Sugar

Sea Salt (optional)

Bay leaves

Creole or Cajun seasoning (I use zatarains)

Italian herbs (AKA: Italian seasoning)

Cayenne pepper

Other:

Ziplock steamer bags

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