4 Week Menu

As mothers, sometimes it takes extra time to make life easier, but it is so worth it! Yesterday I took about an hour and made myself a new 4 Week Menu, as I prepare to go shopping for the month. (Once a month-- this should be exciting!)

Let me share my thought process behind all of this. I have ten children, and sometimes getting them all fed is a big job! My four oldest children now do most of the cooking, and so I have simplified most of our meals to facilitate and teach them, while giving them the best chance to be successful in cooking. (And making the meals more edible for us all! LOL!)

Each week, I have Breakfast and Lunch already decided, with room for variation and personal tastes. It just makes it easy when kids ask what they should fix: "Mom? What should I make for breakfast?"

(Insert whine HERE.)

My response usually goes something like this: "Well, it's Tuesday, so you can make pancakes or waffles. Would you like help making a special syrup (like strawberry or peach)?"

Sometimes my comments are followed with wailing and gnashing of teeth, and sometimes with skipping to the kitchen, but either way, breakfast eventually gets made.

It's all about choice and simplicity, people!

Just for fun, I thought I'd share our family's newest 4 Week Menu, in the hopes that it will inspire and/or motivate you in your meal planning. (I use a spreadsheet to make life easier.)

Below is my 4 Week Menu (as a Google Document) and the accompanying shopping list. (I won't give amounts, because I'm too concerned about putting my sweet readers into anaphylactic shock. Sam's Club loves us-- need I say more?!)

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rnEGLYKqbFyTv1Q7iImNeJg

Staples to Replenish, as Needed:

• wheat*
• oil
• salt
• yeast
• sugar
• oats
• baking powder
• baking soda
• popcorn
• Mapeleine
• brown sugar
• rice
• chicken boullion
• beef boullion
• honey
• grits
• raisins
• chocolate chips
  

Canned Goods:

• peaches
• pears
• fruit cocktail
• applesauce
• refried beans
• tomato sauce
• pineapple chunks
• tuna
• cream of chicken soup
• olives
• black beans

In the Dairy Section:

• cheddar cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• butter
• eggs
• cottage cheese
• sour cream
• milk

Meats:

• pepperoni
• chicken
• ham
• hot dogs
• beef roast
• hamburger
• bacon
• ground sausage

Frozen Foods:

• frozen fruit
• corn
• broccoli
• hashbrowns
• mixed veggies

Breads and Pasta:

• flour tortillas
• corn tortillas
• spaghetti noodles
• macaroni noodles
• Ramen noodles
• tortilla chips
  

Condiments:

• peanut butter
• jam
• ketchup
• mustard
• mayonnaise
• pickles
• soy sauce

Fresh Produce:

• tomatoes
• carrots
• lettuce
• green onions
• bananas
• potatoes
• fruit in season
• other veggies in season

*(I'm planning on making our own bread, rather than buying it. My eldest daughter is game, and my husband is willing to teach her, so why not?)


Feel free to copy, change, adjust, or reject. *grin* I'll post some of my recipes soon.

Please post any questions or recipe requests in the comments section. I look forward to hearing from you! :-)