Menu Planning: Help is here!!

One thing I've learned over the last few years is that my weeks go MUCH better when I take 10 minutes on Sunday and plan the menu out for the work week. Weekdays are usually a bit hectic and dinner is complete chaos when I walk in the door at 5:30 with hungry children and absolutley no plan! Especially this week - all the preparation for Thanksgiving, houseguests and travel you're sure to be rushed. Don't stress out over it ... let us help!

MONDAY: Ease into your week with this very simple, no hassle Scampi with Broccoli Florets.
You can walk in the door at 5:30, decompress for 10 minutes and still have dinner on the table before 6pm. And this is a PERFECT way to start the week off with seafood!


TUESDAY: As you know, we like to celebrate Veggie Tuesday to encourage ourselves to live a little healthier and take it easy on the environment when we can. In the spirit of that, why not try the Poorman's Blackbean Chili? It's unbelievably simple, yummy and SUPER affordable (the entire meal will cost less than $6 to feed a family of 4.)


WEDNESDAY: Tomorrow's Thanksgiving so definitely give yourself a break on the cooking tonight! This delish Almost Lasagna is simple, perfect for your houseguests and gives you a nice alternative to all the Turkey and American Goodness you'll be eating tomorrow!


THURSDAY: Happy Thanksgiving!! We're sure you've already got a huge menu and family celebration planned; however, if you find yourself in need of a little help check out our Thanksgiving recipes. And if you find yourself trying to fight off the turkey induced coma later in the day, take a few minutes and take our Facebook Quiz: What Type of Cook Are You? Gobble, gobble!



FRIDAY: We know you enjoyed your fabulous feast yesterday and don't want to have repeat of the same meal, but you've got lots of leftover turkey. No worries! Whip up this simple Turkey Tortellini Soup. It's yummy, easy and can easily feed all the houseguests still lingering around! Not in the mood for soup? Put your leftovers to use with one of these simple recipes.


Now go tackle your week and worry about the big stuff ... not the cooking.

We hope this helps make your week a little simpler and stress-free! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the dishes - were they yummy? Were they easy? We're also interested in hearing your stories about how planning helps you avert a crisis (like a 3-year old hunger meltdown!)

NOTE: You can find these meal plans under "Menu Plannng" on our blog.