Saturday Set-Up: Revised

Please note: I'm revising this post 6/9/15 to reflect some changes.  Changes marked by the color Green.

January 4, 2013

Today's Set-Up begins with menu planning.  I don't typically leave this until Saturday. I generally try to work on my menu and grocery list on Friday afternoons.  This week, while on break, life is a little different.  I'm planning at will and we're a little more lax on our menu, even.  I decided to try a few new things for breakfast this week.  But, read on to see my *normal* life, that, strangely, does often revolve around food.

I keep my weekly menu on a google document.  I can access it easily from any computer and I can share it easily as well.  I print it weekly and it hangs on the fridge so I and my kitchen helpers can know The Plan. Once it's printed, it's a lovely thing that works for me without anymore brain power needed.

My menu stays very much the same on the weeks we are not on a break from school.  Even then, my days are themed and I can generally switch out a new week's meals pretty fast.

Breakfast is always Continental style during the week. Saturdays lend to something with more effort like pancakes or veggie scrambles. Sundays we can head out for church easily with Baked Oatmeal in our bellies.

That leaves lunches and dinners, which I *theme* because, well, it helps my brain and makes life a little like the circus it really is. As you can see from my menu, I round out the themes with sides and fruit desserts.  Knowing the main dish is what I really need to keep the bit of sanity I still cling to.

Lunch and Dinner Themes

Sunday:
Must-Go's (leftovers), crockpot, and no-cook foods for a day of rest

Monday:
Lunch - taco salad
Dinner - Pasta

Tuesday:
Lunch - Lentils
Dinner - Stir fry OR Potatoes

Wednesday:
Lunch - Wraps
Dinner - Must-Goes with bread

Thursday:
Lunch - Veggie Rice/ Pack-a-lunch (usually pb&j, cut veggies, hummus, coconut yogurt)
Dinner - Soup & Bread

Friday:
Lunch - Cabbage/Must-Goes
Dinner - New Recipe!/Potato Bar

Saturday:
Lunch - Must-Goes & Salad/Soup (doubled for serving as sauce on following Monday Pasta Night)
Dinner - Falafels/Bean burgers & roasted roots

I keep a link for my weekly menu posted on the left side of this blog. You can click here to go there directly, if you'd like.

*Note:  For my weight-loss efforts, I (and my husband) don't eat the same or all the foods listed on this menu.  We are both following the Eat to Live 6 Week plan until we meet our ideal weight goals. That means that I typically drink a Chocolate Green Smoothie each morning for breakfast (he eats a large fruit salad with flax seed).  NOTE: I now eat a Breakfast Salad most every morning in place of the smoothie. (Stay tuned for a post on my famous Breakfast Salad coming soon!) For lunch we have a head of romaine, each, topped with fresh cut vegetables and, usually, whatever beans are being served at lunch time.  For dinner, we eat what the family is eating, often cutting back or skipping the grains. (I.e. on Pasta Night, we have our sauce over steamed broccoli and skip the pasta)

I hope this is helpful.  Saturdays are usually my Kitchen Day.  I have a list of foods that need prepping for the week, and I've been building that list while I work on my menu and grocery list.  Stay tuned for details on how all that comes together. For now, I'm off to don my Supermom Cape, aka Apron, and scale tall stock pots with a single bound!