Menu Plan and Lunch Plans

Things are weird at our house right now. The hubs has gone off to work in Wisconsin after being home for quite a while. Lindsey is back home after being away at music camp for a week. Both boys will be home this week, so no camps for anyone! But I made a trip to Costco Saturday and stocked the fridge and freezer so we should have plenty of food! I have been doing quite a bit of reading about budgets and meal planning...for instance, once a month shopping, once a month cooking/prep, etc. I really want to be less stressed by the time school starts so lets start now. There are normally just a couple of meals that we normally eat....some that we eat when the hubs is home to cook, and some we slide by with when the hubs is away. But I need to step is up and do a better job in the cooking department so we're going to give some meals and desserts a try for yay or nays for school rotations.

• Monday: Homemade Mac 'n Cheese Variation, with hamburger and tomatoes; Leftover Birthday Cake for dessert
• Tuesday: Roast Beef Sandwiches on Deli Rolls with Au Jus Sauce; Sliced strawberries with ice cream
• Wednesday: BLT Sandwiches; Fruit Salad
• Thursday: Frozen P.F. Chang's meal with Brown Rice; Frozen Coffee for dessert 
• Friday: Spinach and Mozzarella Ravioli with Marinara Sauce; Salad; Ice Cream for dessert
• Saturday: Homemade Pizza with pepperoni, sausage and ham and cheese; Homemade Frozen Treats
• Sunday: Croissants with Chicken Salad or Pimento Cheese; Ice Cream for Dessert

I just picked up 2 new lunchboxes from Costco that came with small bento boxes (which I use frequently for Jonah's lunches). Now is also a good time to practice new lunch for the boys. Keep in mind, lunches will not be heated up. Some school districts require lunches to meet

• Monday lunch: leftover meatloaf cupcake with mashed potato icing, green beans, crackers, small piece of leftover cake.
• Tuesday lunch: leftover mama helper in thermos, sliced apples, leftover cake
• Wednesday lunch: rolled up roast beef with A-1 sauce, brown rice, strawberries, honey graham crackers
• Thursday lunch: Since Jonah doesn't like bacon, lettuce, tomatoes or sandwiches, this meal will fall back on something well still have leftovers on. So this could be a pasta meal, some chicken, or if all else fails, a pack of tuna. One of these meals that has to be fine tuned.
• Friday lunch: brown rice with chicken strips, (we bake chicken breasts now frequently to use as food and treats for our new puppy...but the way we cook it is the same as the way we cook it for Jonah) banana

Last year, we were lucky if Jonah would eat 2 out of the 3 things I would pack him. But it is really hard when it's just "allergy -free" foods. Occasionally, the kids will tease Jonah and the food he brings to eat. It's not nice, but it happens. That's why practicing with new recipes during the summer helps so much.

Do you have any recipes to share both for the week and for school lunches?