..meal planning..

Around here we get sales ads twice a week.. The ones that come in Sunday's paper which is mostly retail ads like Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl's, etc. And then we have a free weekly paper that comes on Tuesday that is almost entirely classified ads, but it also includes all of the local grocery ads. The difference is, retail ads are usually valid Sunday-Saturday, and the grocery ads are valid Wednesday-Tuesday. So when I get ahold of each set, I go through, mark things that are on sale for a good price, and then figure out if I need to make one or two grocery runs that week. Sometimes I will go on Monday, and then again after Wednesday, when the grocery ads have changed. It's all about getting the best deal and saving the most money. Once I look at all of the good sale items, I try to make out a menu plan for the week. I NEVER used to plan meals, but now that the girls keep me busy until the hubs comes home, I don't like making last minute store runs, frantically trying to decide what we're going to eat that night. Plus, it also cuts down on our grocery bill. No more "aimless" buying, and it means if I have a list, I can get in and out of the store faster. So I thought that maybe someone out there in www land might want to see an example of what my weekly meals looks like. I figure out enough meals to cover the week, but don't necessarily "assign" the meal to a day. That leaves a little wiggle room if I need it. So the meals I have lined up for this week are: 

{Slow cooker BBQ pork chops with broccoli fritters, baked potatoes and rolls

{Chicken enchiladas with sour cream rice and homemade guacamole

{Sloppy joes with mashed potatoes, fresh corn on the cob and fried green tomatoes

{Spaghetti carbonara with salad and garlic bread

{Turkey and Swiss paninis with homemade guacamole and chips

You see that I've got five meals there and, well, there are seven days in a week. We always have some kind of dinner plans for the other two days. Usually we eat with the in-laws once a week, and there is always one night where I'm really busy, so I'll grab take out from one of our favorite restaurants. So I know that if I tried to plan for seven meals, it just wouldn't happen. Every family is different. Many families are much busier than we are, and many are not. So if you want to menu plan, do the number of meals that works for you! 

During the week, I'll try to post recipes as I make them. I can't promise there will be magazine-quality photos to go along, but I'll do my best!