menu planning notebook Archives | Heavenly Homemakers

Here we are, beginning Thanksgiving week already! We’ll head to Kansas to spend time with family later this week, thus the abbreviated menu plan below. Since my side of the family won’t be together again at Christmas time, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas all in the same weekend.

Home-canned goodies make great gifts!

Here’s a picture of this week’s grocery store run. See that nine year old boy hiding behind the groceries? He was on sale, and I couldn’t resist.

We’ll be enjoying the special treat of Chex Mix over the holiday.

Our Amazon Subscribe and Save order came this week. I got such good deals – and they are all over my storage room. Not only have I not had time to put them away, it’s freezing in there! I’ll do it….later. ;)

My new Menu Planning Notebook is proving to be soooo much fun – and super helpful too. Do you have yours put together yet? As you can see, I shared my work space with cookie cutters. Malachi and I were getting cookies ready to take to Kansas. :)

Here’s what my menu plan ended up looking like for this week:

Breakfast

Pumpkin Breakfast Cake
Scrambled eggs (with spinach) and Poppy Seed Bread with Orange Glaze (recipe in {Healthy} Make-Ahead Meals & Snacks eBook)
Zucchini Carrot Bread
Poptarts

Lunch

Dinner

Sweet Pepper Fritata
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken (the kids have been requesting this one!)
Italian Pasta Bake
Chicken Noodle Soup

Fruit and Veggie Side Dishes (I serve 1-4 with each meal)

Pears
Applesauce
Peas
Green Beans
Asparagus
Broccoli
Sweet Peppers
Petite Carrots
Clementines
Grapes
Apples
Mixed Greens
Spinach
Romaine
Raspberries
Fresh Pineapple

What are your Thanksgiving plans this week?

If I thought I couldn’t keep up before with all that must be done each day, somehow I am finding it even harder now that our lives are so full of teenage activities. Throw in the fact that our oldest is a senior, and all that goes along with making decisions for next year, applying for scholarships, and taking college level classes. I officially surrender. I am beat.

Except that I’m not, because God is in control (not me!), my family is awesome, and if all else fails, I can buy a pizza.

If you haven’t already, or if you need a reminder about what’s really important,
you should read this post.

This weekend, I find myself with only one kid at home (the rest are enjoying time with Christian friends at a youth rally). No school to teach, barely anyone to feed – I will be using this time to catch up and try to prepare for next week! I’m thankful God is giving me this little window of “down time.” Next weekend, basketball travel begins, then Thanksgiving, then more games, then Christmas…

We have much to be thankful for! Life is never boring, and what would we do without these amazing kids who keep us so busy? (Sleep, maybe? No, no. That was rhetorical.)

I’m writing down my weekend plan here to share with you. On Sunday, I’ll try to share an update on what I’ve accomplished.

Friday after school is (mostly) wrapped up:

Grocery shop to stock up on fresh produce for this week, plus to get remaining food needed to feed 30 teens at Sunday Night Huddle
Finish the Menu Planning Notebook – and upload it to my Shop – finally!
Make Chicken Broth
Clean out the fridge (wow, does it ever need to be wiped out!)
Enjoy one-on-one time with Malachi, the lone child at home this weekend

Saturday:

Make Coconut Fudge Bars to have on hand for snacking
Make 2 Creamy Chicken and Rice Casseroles – one to eat next week, and one for the freezer
Make a big batch of Chili

Doing those tasks, along with getting some writing done and maybe tackling my email inbox (yikes!) should help me keep my head above water next week.

How about you? What will you be doing this weekend?

Menu Plan for the Week – Plus This Week’s Grocery Pictures

What are your Thanksgiving plans this week?

What I’ll Be Doing This Weekend