Menu Planning

In an attempt to once again organize my life, I am putting together a basic menu plan that (in theory) is good for the next month and a half.  This time around I am taking no chances; I got input from Twin A, my pickiest eater, to determine meals that he really likes.  I decided to simply pick a food category for each day of the week and go from there.  Normally I get caught up in making fun titles for each day using alliteration, but I'm too tired, so instead we have chicken on Mondays, make your own pizza on Tuesdays, beef on Wednesdays, vegetarian or breakfast on Thursdays, Shabbat dinner at my parents' or once a month at my synagogue on Fridays, "mish mash" (a.k.a. leftovers) on Saturdays, and Sunday dinners are usually at my in-laws'.  I am going to list a bunch of choices for each category and just pick and choose each week.  Here's the plan:

Mondays -

• Baked Slow Cooker Chicken - So simple, yet it gives us chicken for that night and then lots of leftovers that I can freeze for the next week.
• Chicken Pot Pies - I love this recipe. It makes individual pot pies, one for everyone. Of course, for Twin A, I will simply give him the cooked chicken and the vegetables; there's no point in even giving him the pot pie.
• Orange Chicken - For those rare times I have chicken breasts (like when DH goes grocery shopping and buys them because I said "buy some chicken" - not thinking I needed to specify "make sure it is less that $2 a pound")
• Busy Day Chicken - The recipe says to do this with a whole chicken, which I've never tried, however I can vouch for how well it works with chicken legs and/or thighs.
• Chicken and Apples - Love my slow cooker!

Tuesdays -
Make-Your-Own Pizza
In an effort to be healthy and frugal, I plan on making my own crust using this recipe.  I am going to put out lots of cut up veggies which will hopefully encourage the kids to add them to their pizzas.

Wednesdays -

• Meatloaf
• Make-Your-Own Tacos - Cooked ground beef, chopped tomatoes and lettuce, grated cheese, and taco shells, with sauce on the side so Twin A will eat it.
• Pot Roast - Again, gotta say it, I love my slow cooker!
• Cranberry Roast
• Beef Stew - I love stew.  Twin A can't stand foods that are all mixed together, so when I make stew, I scoop some up in a big pasta spoon, rinse it off in hot water, and then separate the foods on his plate so he doesn't get too overwhelmed.

Thursdays -

• Pancakes
• French Toast Sticks - I cut hot dog roll halves into thirds, dip them in the egg mix, and then fry it just like normal.  I give the kids a little bowl with some syrup in it for dipping.
• Apple-Raisin French Toast Casserole - Twin B's favorite!
• Egg sandwiches - DH has introduced the kids to bacon and the boys LOVE it.  I grew up keeping Kosher, so I still can't quite get myself to buy real bacon, but I have gotten quite good at cooking them turkey bacon.  The boys love these sandwiches with bacon and cheese, and the Princess is thrilled with it as long as it is on a biscuit or english muffin.
• Ravioli - no sauce for Twin A, sauce on the side for the Princess, and lots of sauce all over it for Twin B
• Grilled cheese