Monday, April 16, 2007

Menu Plan Monday


Have you found dinner-as-as-family each night to be a challenge? We have. It seems that no matter how I prioritize it, schedule it, look forward to it, and agree with those "family table" ads on Nickelodeon, it's still difficult to pull off some weeks. As a homeschooling family, the kids are home during the day and we eat lunch together most days, and breakfast together some (sometimes they straggle in or are at different points in their morning routines, so we don't always see each other at breakfast!) But dinner is when Dad is home, when all four of us can finally sit together and we don't want to miss it! But, neither do we want to miss gymnastics, golf, or guitar class. Sometimes I have homeschool association meetings or prayer groups, or other meetings which I really enjoy. I was thinking about this as I was looking at my nice, neat, Menu-Plan-Monday all typed up, ready to go. It looks so... simple, like it's going to happen at the same time each night. But, it doesn't.

For instance, tonight each of the kids has an activity from 6:00-7:00. We'll all be home by 7:30 so we'll probably eat then. (I'll cook it before we leave.) Some evenings when we have an activity, I'll have dinner on the table right at 5:00, so when my cute husband walks in the back door he sees our faces sitting at the table waiting for him. That way we have about 45 minutes for dinner before one of us takes a child somewhere. Sunday nights after we're finished with Awana, we don't eat until around 8:30. I've found it takes some doing, but the benefits of dinner as a family are worth it. It's working so far! I'd love to know what works for some of you, too.

Here's what we're having this week:

Monday: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas
Tuesday: Leftovers (Isn't cold fried chicken just the best??)
Thursday: Quick Cheeseburger Bake, baked sweet potato fries
Friday: Leftovers or order pizza
Weekend: sandwiches, leftovers, out-to-eat after church

Visit Laura's to read more menu ideas or to link your own. Thanks so much, Laura, for hosting MPM each week. Have a yummy week!


15 comments:

Annie said...

Your menu looks great!
Blessings~~
♥ Annie
My Life as Annie!

Anonymous said...

Nice menu! I think I may try the Orange-glazed Pork Chops recipe using chicken. TY for sharing!

MJ

Terri said...

The Orange-glazed Pork Chops does sound good!

I hate when we have activities at night, it really messes with my menu planning! :)

Have a great Monday, Cyndi!

Blessings~

jennyr said...

when u mentioned pizza, i have to edit my menu since I remember I just got a pizza (frozen) oh well, at least it's stl a dinner,hehehe! Great menu!

Joyful Days said...

I'll have to try that Cheeseburger Bake--we do their Cheeseburger Pie and I think maybe this would be a nice change.

We eat really late most nights. Running here too.

My biggest problem is clearing the BOOKS off the table and getting things put away. I hate eating on tv trays because, invariably someone turns the tv on.

Now, off to clean up so maybe we can sit down together tonight--I was gone all weekend and there are book piles all over from last week. Ugh.

Jennifer said...

You sound like a very busy family. But your menu looks great! Have a great week.

Posh Mama said...

I love cold fried chicken! Do you have a particular recipe you use for Fried Chicken?

Tricia said...

The Orange Glazed Pork Chops look great. I am always on the look out for yummy recipes that don't have any diary. I'll have to try that next week.
I am trying a new chicken recipe this week. I can only handle one new thing a week. :o)

Christi said...

Yummy, sounds great!

Have a great week!

Robin Green said...

Yes, having dinner as a family is challenging for us--especially right now. My daughters and husband are in a community musical and practice keeps them from home 2 nights a week. We try--but until May--it will prove to be very difficult. Your menu looks great--especially the cheeseburger bake.

Linda said...

Great menu again Cyndi. I think the older the kids get, the more difficult it becomes to have dinner together. We used to eat quite early because my husband is a diabetic and missed meals aren't a good thing. So that usually made it possible for all of us to eat together. I think you're doing a great job.

Chris @ Come to the Table said...

Cyndi,
My oldest is a freshmen in high school, so the reality of how quickly the time as gone by has really hit home for me. In just a few short years our table could have one less if she chooses to attend college away from home. So, gathering at the table is sooo very important to us and eating at various times so that we all can be together as worked well. We have dinner together most nights amazingly, but it is also a priority, so that helps. Like you, some nights it is right at 5:00pm and others it is much later. When my daughter was training for competition in gymnastics, some nights we ate at 4pm so that she could be with us.

Blessings,
Chris

Terri | Sugar Free Glow said...

Hi Cyndi,
That "terri" was me. That was one of my many blogger accounts and I couldn't remember my password. Again. *sigh*

Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife said...

I am soo with you on the flexible dinner time..We had spaghetti at 9 pm after ballgames tonight...Thankfully we are on spring break!!

:)

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

I'll have to try that skillet lo mein. YUM!