We tried to fight it, but the flu bug hit our house anyway. :(

I am now quite behind on my work, as well as still very low on energy. And…we have 11 guests coming to stay with us this weekend for York College Homecoming.

All six of us will be working hard to get the house clean and ready for guests, and to get ahead on school work so we can take a couple days off at the end of the week. Papa and Grandma Tacy are the first to arrive on Wednesday night. Others trickle in on Thursday and Friday. We are all so excited! (Um, even if I am typing this from my pitiful little pillow right now.)  ;)

Obviously, food preparation is an important item on my to-do list this week. Thankfully, during the past couple of weeks, I’ve worked here and there to prepare some of the meals – so I already have quite a bit finished and in the freezer. Once again, freezer cooking saves my neck!

I haven’t planned our meals for this week entirely. (Look back at some of my older menu plans if you need some ideas for your menu plan this week!)

But here’s what I’m looking to feed our company this weekend. We’ll have anywhere from 7-20 people at each meal, depending on who is here at the time and who else from town might be able to join us. Here’s my plan, with possibly more information than you ever needed to know…

Thursday, October 11

My dad usually buys donuts for the boys for breakfast when he comes. Once or twice a year eating store bought donuts won’t kill us, right? And it’s a huge treat that the boys love. I’ll be requesting and enjoying a maple long john, thank you very much. And I’ll scramble eggs and get out fruit and milk to go with them. ;)

For lunch, I’ll make Homemade Chicken and Noodles (broth and noodles already in the freezer) with raw veggies and sliced fruit. Dinner will be Lasagna Casserole with Tossed Salad after we get home from our boys soccer games. They are very excited to have grandparents coming in time to watch their games!

Friday, October 12

For breakfast, I will have two Easy Breakfast Casseroles ready to put into the oven, and make big batches of Whole Wheat Pancakes to go with them, with either applesauce or pears.

Many of the men will go golfing at noon, so we’ll pack them a big cooler full of sandwiches and the works. The ladies and the kids will either go out to eat for our traditional lunch out, or we will stay home and make homemade pizzas.

For dinner that evening, I am excited to make a Barbecue Brisket, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, and Cream Cheese Corn. One of our guests will be celebrating her birthday while she’s here, so I believe The Cake Boys have something in mind to make for that evening’s dessert. :)

Saturday, October 13

Our boys have a soccer game at 9:00 a.m. – and we will all be on the run from then on. I have Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Apple Sauce Bread in the freezer for that morning. And yes, I’ll also get out the fruit.

For lunch, I’ll warm up the Sloppy Joe Meat that is already in the freezer, and serve the Joes with Raw Veggies and Kettle Chips.

Dinner that evening is a little iffy, since I don’t know who will be around and who will have other plans for the night. So, I plan to either get out leftovers and offer a “buffet”, or I have a Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole in the freezer that I can get out if I need to.

Desserts

It wouldn’t be Homecoming weekend without desserts. Tacy (my dad’s wife) will bring some of her awesome cookies. Plus, Malachi and I made Cream Cheese Cut-Outs (this recipe, minus the orange juice), Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Cookies, which are in the freezer, waiting for us to get them out and have a sugar rush. Yowza.

Can’t wait until our house is full of so many people that we love. Hopefully I’ll have half a brain in the midst of all the fun to snap some pictures to share!

I know menu planning isn’t for everyone. I also know that many people go about menu planning in different ways. If you’d like a little more insight as to how and why I plan my menus the way I do each week, I’d encourage you to read this post. I also encourage you to check out Plan to Eat as a great source to help you with planning meals for your family.

What I want to share with you today, however, is a very simple method I use as I go about planning the meals our family will eat. When planning our meals in this simple manner, I find that I can really keep our costs low, even while eating a diet of real, whole foods.

Really, planning a meal that is inexpensive, well rounded, nutritious, and delicious isn’t as difficult as it sounds. If this is an area you struggle, how about following these simple steps?

A Simple Way to Plan a Meal:

1. Pick a main dish.
2. Choose one or two side dishes that will compliment the main dish.
3. That’s it. There is no number three.

See? I told you it was simple. :)

I used to go all out for meals, making sure we had bread and dessert all planned out along with a main course and a couple of sides. And sure, for special occasions or when we have company, I typically plan a little extra. But for our day-to-day meal plans? I stick with what is simple.  I figure out what our main dish will be. I think about what vegetables and other side dishes will round out the meal. And that’s it.

Here is an example:

Monday, I decided to make Grilled Barbecue Chicken. (Pick a main dish…check)  Tossed salad and green beans go great with bbq chicken. (Choose one or two side dishes that will compliment the main dish…check)  I was also hungry for sweet corn, had some in the freezer, and decided to make that too. (Flying by the seat of my pants and going with what sounded good at the moment…check)

Now, a few tips as you follow this simple meal planning method:

Tip #1:  Try to always choose at least one green veggie to go with your main dish.

Tip #2:  Fruit is always a great addition to a meal and a perfect way to add nutrients, especially if your family is picky about veggies.

Tip #3:  Avoid serving too many starchy foods with one meal. As in, you probably shouldn’t plan corn, potatoes, noodles, and bread all in one meal. It’s a bit of a carb overload and not nearly healthy as a meal that has green veggies. That is, unless you enjoy experiencing a sugar crash about thirty minutes after you eat. In that case, go for it.

Tip #4:  And speaking of bread, you really don’t need bread at every meal. Unless you’re my dad. And then it is a must, because how else are you supposed to sop up the gravy?

Free Menu Planners for Fall!

And with that, I wanted to remind you that we offer several free downloadable menu planners that are perfect for this fall! And, they come with free coordinating downloadable grocery lists. They are fun. They are free. Print them, put them on your fridge, and use them to your heart’s content. Some have even laminated them so that they can use them over and over!

Download your free fall menu planners and grocery lists here.

What is the easiest way you’ve found to plan meals? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants?  :)

I want to thank you all for making our month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen so much fun!! I’m a little sad that it’s ending. Ah, but there will still be more fun recipes and giveaways and homemaking ideas in the weeks to come. I still have several Crock Pot Recipes that I didn’t have a chance to post in September. Gotta work those in soon!

This is your one last chance to leave a comment for a chance to be entered in our giveway for two $25 and one $50 gift certificates to the Heavenly Homemakers Shop! I will draw three random winners Monday, October 1. Please share what you’ve enjoyed most about our month of the Funky Fresh Kitchen. :)

Here’s our menu for the week:

Sunday, September 30
Oatmeal, fruit
Roast, potatoes, carrots, gravy
High School Huddle at our friend’s house

Monday, October 1
Whole wheat waffles, applesauce
Alphabet soup, cottage cheese and peaches
Grilled barbecue chicken, tossed salad, green beans

Tuesday, October 2
Zucchini bread, bananas
Bean and cheese burritos, pineapple
Shepherd’s pie, tossed salad

Wednesday, October 3
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, applesauce
Easy noodle stir fry with broccoli and carrots
Cheesy salsa enchiladas, tossed salad

Thursday, October 4
Breakfast burritos, creamy orange coolers
Chicken salad on homemade pita bread, green beans
Cheeseburger macaroni, tossed salad, peas

Friday, October 5
No knead whole wheat bread, fruit salad
Chicken patty sandwiches, creamy cole slaw
Homemade pizza, fruit

Saturday, October 6
Flaky cream cheese pastry, grapes
Leftovers
Turkey sausage and red bean stew, fruit

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a gift certificate!

Here’s our menu for the week. Below, you’ll find my sorry little confession about Funky Fresh Kitchen Challenge #4. :(

Sunday, September 23
Oatmeal, fruit
Cheesy beef and rice, green beans, tossed salad
Huddle at our friends house

Monday, September 24
Whole wheat pancakes, blueberries
BLTs, sweet peppers, apples
Alfredo sauce with pasta, steamed broccoli and carrots

Tuesday, September 25
Easy homemade granola, dried fruit
Homemade pizza pockets, peache
Chicken noodle soup, carrots

Wednesday, September 26
Pancake sausage muffins, applesauce
Tuna salad, fresh tomatoes, sweet peppers, crispy cheese crackers
Roast, carrots, potatoes, gravy, green beans

Thursday, September 27
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, apples
Sloppy cornbread muffins, peas
One dish meat and potato casserole, salad

Friday, September 28
Cinnamon apple toast, milk
Creamy mac and cheese, peas
Rice and veggie stir fry with chicken

Saturday, September 29
Scrambled eggs, toast, creamy orange coolers
Leftovers
Calzones, fruit

Well, if you recall, last week our Funky Fresh Kitchen Challenge was to eat more fruits and veggies. So, how did you do?! Did you load up on plenty of servings of broccoli and carrots? Did you try a new variety of fruit? Did you take advantage of all the fresh produce that typically is available this time of year? Did you offer your family a nice variety of fruits and veggies for snacks and meals? Did you make big salads for lunch?

Did you notice that I’m trying to avoid telling you how I did with this challenge? ;)

Um…well. Of all weeks for me to throw out a “eat lots of fruits and vegetables challenge”. 

Not only was it a very busy week full of soccer games that had us on the run each evening, but on Monday I had an appointment with a Natural Doctor, and then began a cleanse of sorts. I’m not sure if you’ve ever done any kind of “de-tox” on your system, but wow, great as it was, this one about knocked me flat. I was pretty much worthless from Monday afternoon until Friday night (at which point I suddenly felt so incredibly good that I made and canned 26 quarts of applesauce – and then, still full of energy, got out a toothbrush to scrub my wooden floors – all while singing folk tunes loudly at a high octave). 

Just kidding about the folk tunes. And the tooth brush. Although I really did make 26 quarts of applesauce. (While jamming with the Newsboys.)  Seriously though – that cleanse did what it was supposed to do because I feel so very good now! 

Well, look at me – still trying to avoid telling you about how I did with the fruit and veggie challenge.

Since I wasn’t feeling the best all week, I had to just slip into “survival mode”. I did bare minimum around the house. I pared down my participation in the boys’ school lessons so that I could put them to work independently – popping my head off the couch occasionally to read History and Bible, and to toss out spelling words. All major projects that might have required me to come up with rubber cement, poster board, or basic brain function were put on hold.

We made great use of the food I had prepped ahead of time and put into the freezer, and I believe we did eat a fruit or a vegetable several times each day. 

But was I intentional about making sure we ate a nice variety of beautifully colored fresh produce? Nope. I actually almost forgot about the challenge in the first place. All I was intentional about this week was drinking plenty of water to keep my body doing what it was supposed to be doing.

And it worked!! Did I mention that once the cleanse had run its course, I felt so good that I ran eight miles, did 30 push-ups, and sorted all of our winter clothing – all while singing folk tunes loudly at a high octave?

Not really. 

But I seriously do feel good. And I plan to play a “re-do” card this week with the fruits and veggies challenge. Feel free to do the same if your week was anything like mine. :)

So, how did you do with the Eat More Fruits and Veggies Challenge? Leave a comment on this post, sharing how the challenge went for you. All comments will be entered in our giveway for two $25 and one $50 gift certificates to the Heavenly Homemakers Shop.

I’ll get right to the point today and share our menu plan. Then later this afternoon, watch for a new Funky Fresh Kitchen Challenge…and that Nutrimill Giveaway we’ve all been waiting for!

Sunday, September 16
Oatmeal, fruit
Lasagna casserole, green beans, tossed salad
Huddle (at our friend’s house)

Monday, September 17
Whole wheat waffles, peach syrup
Hamburger patties, steamed broccoli and carrots
Alfredo sauce with pasta, tossed salad

Tuesday, September 18
Baked oatmeal cups, fruit smoothies
Chicken burritos, peaches, raw veggies
Beefy enchilada bake, tossed salad

Wednesday, September 19
Cheese and veggie omelets, fruit
Pizza pockets, apple slices
Cheeseburger macaroni, green beans

Thursday, September 20
Chocolate chocolate chip muffins, applesauce
Potato soup, carrot sticks
Italian cream cheese chicken, steamed broccoli and carrots, tossed salad

Friday, September 21
Peanut butter honey toast, bananas
Pigs in a blanket, fruit sala
Grilled bbq chicken, corn on the cob, tossed salad

Saturday, September 22
Homemade donuts
Leftovers
Homemade pizza, tossed salad