If I’m lucky, this will be a full week of school with no vacation days or snow days. . . which means things might actually go as planned!
Monday: Spaghetti with meat sauce and green salad.
This is a quick and easy meal for a busy day. I’ll use jarred sauce but add some venison sausage for the meat.
Tuesday: Salmon loaf with rice and steamed vegetables.
I never did make Salmon Loaf while my dad was here, despite the fact that I bought honest to goodness canned salmon just for that meal. Usually I just cheat and use canned tuna instead. I like to serve it with some Hollandaise sauce mixed in with creole seasoning. This is my fish meal for the week.
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner!
Yankee Bill will be playing pool on Wednesday night, so it’s just the kids and I for dinner. That means it’s a perfect time to have breakfast for dinner, since it isn’t one of his favorite meals. The kids are going to love eating homemade pancakes with bacon. I’ll probably toss some fruit on the side so I can pretend that it’s healthy. Oh, and since I make the definitions, I’m going to consider this my “meatless” meal for the week. Yes-I realize bacon is a meat, but it’s really more of a garnish in this situation.
Thursday: Garlic Balsamic Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Stir Fried Sugar Snap Peas.
This pork roast uses a LOT of garlic, but it is mellowed out by roasting. I haven’t made it about 2 years, so I figure it’s about time 
I’m planning on mashing potatoes to go with-and having extras left over for later in the week. The pea pods are ones from the garden last summer-I parboiled and then flash froze them. I’m ready for that taste of spring now!
Friday: Pizza
With the Pizza Hut Crust Clone.
Saturday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup
Saturday has both meetings and birthday parties. It will be busy so I’m keeping dinner easy and super simple.
Sunday: Crockpot Chinese Takeout Style Chicken with Rice and Stir Fried Veggies.
I’ll be adapting the Chinese Takeout Style Wings recipe for the crockpot and using chicken breasts. We have a big church meeting/potluck for lunch, so it will be mid afternoon before I get home. Crockpot is the way to go on those sorts of days! I’m pairing the chicken with a pot of rice and some stir fried veggies (frozen of course).
For more great menu plans I usually send you over to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie…but her post isn’t up yet. I’ll come back and edit this later to include her link 
For more info on menu plans check out “Why Should I Plan a Weekly Menu?”
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you (as always) for the inspiration! I have been using Nigella Lawson’s pancake mix recipe; it is outstanding. When I had company over the holidays, I made them with half-and-half instead of milk, and I always add a 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract. Here is the recipe for anyone who is interested: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/homemade-instant-pancake-mix-and-blueberry-syrup-recipe/index.html I double this recipe and keep it in the freezer.
I’m the cook in my household, and I’m comforted to see that I’m not the only one that plans out meals. Although I can’t be quite as “structured,” as my wife is more of an “I need options” girl. So, I make a menu, and have her (or one of my kids) pick which one we’re going to have that evening. Obviously we have more choices at the beginning of the week.
Travis-I’d be completely lost without my menu plan. On the weeks I don’t do one (which happens) I feel totally unorganized and a mess! Although I plan for specific days-and of course take into account scheduling issues, we frequently swap around what day what meal happens on, and sometimes we just scrap a meal and make something different. When it’s your plan you can do that