Menu Planning

And I really do LOVE menu planning. Last week I had my meals selected, shopping list written and headed to the store. Then my spirits were crushed when I realized I accidentally grabbed a note paper with 5 items written on it instead of my page and half shopping list. Oops! I was a little frazzled in the produce section. I don't seem to retain much info these days so trying to remember my meals let alone what went in them - no way! I can't even keep track of what is in my pantry & fridge. I live by my shopping list, it's my guide at the grocery store and keeps me on track and focused. So I grabbed a soup packet and used a recipe on the back for a pot roast and grabbed the essentials to hold us over for the weekend.

This morning I happily shopped, list in hand - keeping me focused on what I needed & what I didn't {NO ice-cream this week, we have enough sugar with all of the candy in the house}. Because I'm so list oriented I don't assign days to my meals. This gives me the freedom to be flexible. And by flexible I mean it's okay if I forget to thaw out some meat or start the crock pot because I can just choose another meal. Though I have several crock pot meals on the menu for this week. Whereas if I assigned days I would feel stuck to that day - even though that thought process makes.no.sense.

• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole {hit with the family}
• Beef w/ apples & sweet potatoes {new recipe in my crock pot cookbook}
• Creamy chicken & spinach lasagna {new recipe in my crock pot cookbook}
• Easy Parmesan Chicken {new recipe in my crock pot cookbook}
• Southwest white chili {crock pot}
• Chicken n Dumplings {a favorite that my mom used to make}
• Easy beef stew {new recipe in my crock pot cookbook}

So with six recipes in my pantry plus whatever I do with the chicken in my crock pot right now I'm hoping for easy dinners over the next two weeks {leftovers rock!}.

Menu planning + crock pot = kitchen bliss!

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