Menu plan for the week of August 31

Well, my friends, I finally did it.  I took the plunge and wrote out a menu plan for the entire month of September, plus the days before and after, to make it a full 5 weeks.  I even typed it out for y'all.

I did it, but I'm still not convinced it was a good idea.  On the plus side, I'm not going to have to come up with ideas for meals for at least 5 weeks.  Plus, I can save this calendar and use it over and over again.  On the minus side, I've already had to make changes and it's only the 2nd day of the planned meals.  I can plan around our crazy sports/Scouts/church schedule, but the Hubby's work schedule is ... shall we say ... unpredictable.  

There's also my insane innate need for variety.  I keep telling myself it's easier to revise than create, that it's not set in stone.  I think part of my issue, honestly, is that if I'm going to put in the effort to plan a month's worth of meals at one time, I want it to be set in stone.  I don't want there to be changes.  I don't want to have to revise and rearrange.  I want to be able to just do this once and be done and not have to think about it again for another 5 weeks.  

In any case, I'm attempting to withholding judgement until we're at least a few weeks in...

In the meantime, school starts tomorrow.  Nope, not ready.  You?

Here's what's on the menu this week:

{Grilled chicken skewers from Kraft}

Supper:

• Easy beef stroganoff, corn, bread & butter
• Southwest chicken with beans, tortillas, taco toppings
• Wild rice casserole, green beans, applesauce
• Turkey bacon ranch wraps
• Pizza, salad
• Hot dogs & brats, buns, carrots, chips, jello
• Grilled chicken skewers, salad, grilled green veggie

Other: 

• Secret ingredient bakery style cookies
• Caramel sauce (I put the chocolate syrup in a caramel sauce squeeze bottle and now I feel the need to make caramel sauce to put in the lime juice bottle.  Silly Scarlet)
• Taco seasoning

{Easy Caramel Sauce from The Pioneer Woman}

* * * * * * * * *

And here's the current menu for the rest of September (and beyond).  If you care to, you can come back and compare my weekly menu posts.  That would be kind geeky of you, but I won't judge.

Week 2:

• Hamburgers, buns, grilled potato planks, corn, melon or peaches
• Crock pot chicken & rice, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots
• Chicken bundles (similar to this), green beans, applesauce
• Tacos, taco toppings
• Pizza, salad
• Steak with grilled portabellos in red wine sauce, grilled vegetable, garlic toast
• Shepherd's pie (similar to this), bread & butter, applesauce

Week 3:

• Meatballs, beef gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, mandarin oranges
• Chicken chili verde, tortillas, taco toppings
• Rice burgler, pears
• Southwest chicken wraps (using leftover chicken chili verde)
• Pizza, salad
• Basil chicken burgers, buns, carrots, caramel apple salad
• Hot beef sandwiches, buns, applesauce, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots

Week 4:

• Meat sauce with spaghetti or zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, garlic bread, green beans, peaches or berries
• Herbed chicken with wild rice, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots
• Sesame chicken strips, mixed veggies, applesauce
• Nachos, taco toppings, guacamole
• Pork chops, green beans, garlic bread, applesauce
• BLTs, carrots, caramel apple salad
• Grilled bone-in chicken breasts, baked potatoes, grilled green veggie

Week 5:

• Beef & potato casserole (similar to this), green beans, fresh pineapple or peaches
• Slow cooker chicken with pepperoni, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots
• Cheesy mini burgers, brown rice, corn, applesauce
• Carnitas, tortillas, taco toppings
• Pizza, salad
• Sunday night stew, mashed potatoes
• Chicken/broccoli braid, broccoli, applesauce