Changing up the Menu

So, ever since I can remember I've been really great about making a weekly menu and shopping list. And we're really good at sticking to the list as well - which is great for our budget!

But we get in to ruts with our weekly menu - all new recipes one week, we forget about ones we've liked in the past and don't make them again, too meat heavy, too veggie heavy.

So I decided I needed to come up with something that would make the weekly menu planning a little more fun and the weekly eating a little more exciting too.

I came up with a new "schedule" for our weekly menu. The hubs loved it and agreed it's a great way to bring back old favorites, try new things and may help us decrease (even more) the amount of eating out we do - because right now, we usually only eat out once or twice a month.

Sundays: Sit Down Sundays: We'll have a nice full meal that will provide some leftovers for lunches or another repurposed dinner during the week. Roasts, stews, something nice and that takes longer to make.

Mondays: Meatless Monday: A national trend now, we do already follow meatless nights in the house, but moving it to always having one on Monday is a good way to come down off the weekend and prep the gut for the week.

Tuesdays: Tried and True Tuesdays: We'll revert back and pick out some of our favorite meals from the past that perhaps we've forgotten about.

Wednesday: What's New Wednesdays: We'll try a new recipe or a new ingredient. This can still be meat free (although the hubs declares Meatless Mondays are more than enough - I say 7 meals in a week, more than 1 can be meatless).

Thursdays: Take Out/In Thursday: Instead of spending the $ eating out, and consuming more calories, fat and sodium than we healthfully need - we'll be making some of our favorites at home. Tacos, Chinese, Thai, Sushi, Steaks, whatever we're craving. The hope is by having something "restaurant like" at home on Thursdays it will help curb our desire to eat out over the weekend.

Fridays: Fast Fridays: Fridays will be a quick meal or leftovers, since this is the night we do our weekly grocery shopping, we like a quick meal to eat, get to the market, and get home by 8 to enjoy the weekend. Seriously, if you never shopped Friday nights and you're like us and are typically home anyways, try it - there are NO LINES, it's quiet, you can get in and out very quickly and then you're done for the weekend!

Saturdays: Splurge Saturdays: We will make something that's more of a splurge - albeit calorie wise or $ wise. Lobsters from the docks, good steaks from the butcher, a creamy delicous pasta, something sinful and delicious!

So that's the plan! It's now on a sticky note on our fridge next to my menu planning calendar and grocery list - and I can't wait to make my menu tomorrow night and get creative!

I think we're both most excited about Tried and True Tuesdays. So often we make something we LOVE but then we forget to ever make it again. This is a great way each week to throw back to some favorites! I'm also really looking forward to starting to make some mock takeout recipes and restaurant recipes. It will be good for me to learn how to make things I like eating when we go out but do it with lower fat and sodium and calories!