With not posting meal plans each week last month, I decided to take a different approach to February and make a monthly meal plan. I use to create a monthly meal plan and then shop twice a month, it worked! Staying out of the stores helped me spend less and stay more focused on sticking to my family meal plan.
I always try to create the base of my meals based upon what I have in my pantry and freezer and then what is on sale that week. I still do the same when I creating a monthly meal plan, just in a more round about way. I stay flexible on the fruits and veggies and swamp them out based upon what is on sale while I shop.
Planning out lunches doesn’t always work for me as we usually make do with what I have on hand or leftovers. Rarely do I cook a full meal for lunch these days with homeschooling or I would spend more time in the kitchen than I would with the kids. They are easy to please and happy with simple lunches. I will soon share some of our typical lunches for ideas however.
For February, these are the meals that we have planned. I had a frozen turkey in the freezer that I will be roasting and using for 8-9 meals this month as well as a couple of pork loins that I will be cutting and using for pork chops. My freezer is still stocked with frozen veggies and berries that I will be trying to use in the next two months so I can get ready to refill it with fresh produce and a portion of a meat share from a local pasture raised farm, Falling Sky Farms. If you are local, they are worth checking out.
February Meal Plans
Breakfasts:
- Baked peanut butter oatmeal, clementines x 2
- Blueberry muffins, fruit
- Pancakes, fruit x 6
- Scrambled eggs and hashbrowns, fruit x 3
- Egg and hashbrown burritos x 3
- Cinnamon Streusel muffins, oranges
- Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, fruit
- Cinnamon Toast, eggs, fruit
- Bagels
- Biscuits and gravy, fruit
- Biscuits and jam
- Homemade breakfast sandwiches
- Banana bread
- Applesauce bread
- Oatmeal with fruit
- Eggs and sausage, fruit
- Cereal x 2
- French Toast, fruit
- Nut butter toast, sausage, fruit
Dinners:
- Roasted turkey, new potatoes, corn, salad
- Turkey and dumplings
- Homemade Lo Mein
- Venison stew, no knead herb bread
- Bean and rice burritos
- Bean burritos with homemade refried beans
- BBQ pizza and veggie sticks
- Spaghetti, spinach salad, homemade rolls x 2
- Pork roast, rice with gravy, green beans
- Slow cooker sloppy joes, sweet potato fries, veggies
- White bean chili with crackers
- Turkey enchiladas, salad, olives
- Black beans and rice bowls
- Stovetop tamale pie, veggie sticks
- Crockpot Sante Fe Chicken over Rice (made with turkey)
- Orange chicken and fried rice
- Navy beans and ham, biscuits and honey x 2
- Taco soup and tortilla chips
- Crockpot pork chops and brussel sprouts
- Baked fish, rice, salad
- Chicken noodle soup, garlic bread
- Pretzel hotdogs or homemade corndogs, veggie sticks, bean dip
- Calzones, salad
- Leftovers x 4
Whew! After taking a request from each family member for their choice of breakfast and dinner I rounded out the month with leftovers. It usually is Sunday evening, but sometimes mid-week we will eat leftovers if it is has been a long day or we just have an abundance in the refrigerator. I have several new recipes to try this month in addition that I hoping to add to our menu if they turn out.
Now off to finish my grocery list to fill in the blanks of what I still need. I am excited to share with you a tool that I use to help me. Be sure to head over and check out this post to download a free printable meal plan sheet.