We have just returned from the most fabulous, relaxing, rejuvenating vacation ever. 5 days in Bermuda to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, and we did nothing but move from restaurant to beach to restaurant to pool to restaurant to beach...you get the idea. I read 10 books, slept 9 hours each night, and occasionally stepped foot in the fitness center. I came home 5 pounds heavier physically but 20 pounds lighter mentally.
On the plane coming home I was a bit bored with my one remaining book, so I did something astounding. I planned a full 6 weeks worth of meals. It was surprisingly simple. Each week I really only need 4 dinner ideas, because we have pizza every Friday night, at least one night each week DH works and the boys and I eat sandwiches or leftovers, and we generally eat out at least one night. So I made a list of 6 each of my family's favorite chicken dinners, beef/pork dinners, pasta dinners, seafood dinners, and soup dinners (the seafood and soups will be alternatives for each other - right now when it's still hot there's nothing better than a light fish dinner, but when cold weather comes soup will hit the spot). Then using those lists I started making menus for each week, playing with the combinations so we had a good balance. (Ahh, the luxury of not flying with small children who require entertainment). And voila! Suddenly I had 6 weeks planned, and there's no reason at the end of the 6 weeks we can't just start right over at the beginning. If I am insanely organized, I can even double some of the recipes when I make them the first time, freeze them, and have them ready to go when their turn circles back around.
Here's this week's menu:
1) Atlanta Mom's Chick Pea Pasta, salad
2) Fish tacos with avocado slices (recipe to follow later!) OR butternut squash soup and cheese toast (this week we are doing the fish tacos, but on the next round we'll likely do the soup)
3) Cheeseburgers with oven fries, corn, salad
4) Roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese, peas.
Friday night pizza will be my favorite pesto and chicken pizza using the leftover chicken for the adults, and the usual pepperoni for the kiddos.
Happy eating!
