Ok, so sue me!  I missed putting up November’s meal plan.  Between the cooking show, half-marathon, and Beth finishing up her ebook for her Master’s class this semester, last month was just incredibly hectic.  That doesn’t mean that we didn’t have a plan; it just means that we didn’t post it.  In fact, it was the quick plan and the overall approach that allowed us to eat something besides takeout every night!

Remember, meal planning is not necessarily about having perfection each month.  When you have a busy month like we did, you might be a little off of your initial plan.  That’s ok!  Just imagine where you would be without a plan in the first place!

This month, we are all about clearing out our freezer and cupboards to get ready for a new start in January.  That means that chicken, shrimp, frozen veggies, and even soup, pasta, and canned goods are all on the table this month.  We’re not talking about terribly fancy food here, but it will be easy, affordable, and yummy food that will fill up the bellies of our babies.

December 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (December 1 – 8)

Yes, I know that Saturday to Saturday is 8 days, but it seemed so silly to have the first week with just one day this month.  We got lucky this week with a couple of Christmas parties.  We have plenty of chicken, meatballs, and pizza dough in the freezer.  That’s pretty much the basis for this week’s dinners.  Add in some fresh produce for salads and veggies for dipping and we’ve got some healthy meals here.

Saturday–Pizza
Sunday–Holiday Pot Luck
Monday–Veggies and Fry Bread with Dipping Sauce
Tuesday–Chicken Casserole
Wednesday–Spaghetti and Meatballs
Thursday–Chicken Fajitas
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Holiday Party

Week 2 (December 9 – 15)

Sophie picked Mac and Cheese for her birthday this week.  I will probably be making this rockin’ Roasted Vegetable Mac & Cheese from gimme some oven that I got to try at Mixed this past weekend.  It’s pretty incredible!  Otherwise, we are just using up some stuff that has been sitting around for a while.

Sunday–Sophie’s Birthday Party with Grandma
Monday–Pasta Fagioli Soup
Tuesday–Sophie’s Birthday Choice–Mac and Cheese
Wednesday–Sausage Tortellini
Thursday–Veggie Nachos
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Pizza

Week 3 (December 16 – 22)

We’ll be getting ready to host my grandmother for the weekend before Christmas.  That means some pretty easy dinners so that we have time to clean up.  The omelet bar will let us give the kids some choices while cleaning out some extras in the fridge.  The stir-fry will take care of the rest.  Since we’ll have a small group for our “pre-Christmas” dinner, we’ll roast up a chicken instead of a huge turkey.

Sunday–Omelet Bar
Monday–Veggie Stir Fry
Tuesday–Pasta Bake
Wednesday–Fried Shrimp
Thursday–Tomato Basil with Bean Soup
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Roast Chicken

Week 4 (December 23 – 29)

Some light meals leading up to Christmas will prepare us for the big feast.  Then we’ll use the leftovers to finish out the week.  We’ll probably have a turkey and a ham for Christmas dinner.  What is the tradition in your home?

Sunday–Chicken Caesar Salad
Monday–Quiche
Tuesday–Christmas Dinner
Wednesday–Turkey Ragout
Thursday–Green Eggs and Ham
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Tuscan Bean Soup

Week 5 (December 30 – January 5)

A nice Sunday dinner and an easy Meatless Monday finish up the month.  Now we just have to decide what diet plan we are going to start and not finish when the new year is upon us.  What will your food resolution be?

Sunday–Chicken Alfredo with Penne Pasta
Monday–Veggie Casserole
Tuesday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Wednesday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Thursday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Friday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Saturday–See January’s Meal Plan!

 

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at [email protected].

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?  Leave us a comment and let us know.