So, I found this fun new meme that I thought I'd try out. It's run by a mom over at orgjunkie.com. The concept is that if you plan your menu for the week ahead of time, you will save money and enjoy healthier meals. She lists 13 reasons why she does a weekly menu plan, and it makes a lot of sense. It's something that I actually do already, although not necessarily on Mondays. But I should find it fairly easy to adapt. My local grocery store emails me the specials on Sunday night, so I'll be ready to roll Monday morning.

First a disclaimer: Although we do have a family of five, they are all currently 5 years and younger. Which means, we usually end up with a bunch of leftovers. Which also means I do not have to cook every night. Yay! Don't get me wrong, I love to cook. But with three little ones, it's easier to have some leftover nights. So, I generally plan on having leftovers unless I know that a meal will not be large enough to carry over. Also, I don't actually plan breakfast and lunch menus, although I probably should. Two of my kids are in school and my husband is at work. So, it's just me & the baby at lunch-time. I don't really need a plan for that right now. He's into baby and finger food - and I like pretty much the same thing every day. :)

I reference everything on the menu with a link to the recipe, unless it's something that doesn't require one. If the link directs you to another website, it means that I have not tried the recipe, and therefore have no idea whether it is good or not. :) If the link leads to a posted recipe here on my blog, it means that it is a tried & true family recipe that we love. I will also try to revisit some of the recipes I link to and leave comments about how they turned out for us!

So, here's what we have on the menu this week...

Dinner Menu :: June 8th - 14th 2009

Monday
Cold Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken (but instead of the cucumber garnish, I'll be making cucumbers as a side dish).
Creamed Cucumbers

Tuesday
Leftovers from Monday, throwing in some peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the kids.

Wednesday
Gavin's graduation from pre-school! Going to a restaurant after the ceremony. Five Guys or Red Robin. :)

Thursday
Beef Enchiladas
Mexican Bean Salad
Lime Jell-O

Friday
Leftovers from Thursday.

Saturday
The kids are gonna love this... breakfast for dinner!
French Toast
Fried Eggs
Fried Bacon
Cantaloupe

Sunday
Clean out the refrigerator, throwing in some baked chicken nuggets for the kids.

If you try anything listed here, I'd love to know how it turns out for you! For more menu ideas, or to submit your own plan, visit orgjunkie.com.

I make this several times every summer. Alternating with my "Iced Summer Cucumbers" of which I'll share sometime. The kids gobble these up. I love to pile the leftovers on sandwiches. Yum!

Creamed Cucumbers

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
4 large cucumbers, peeled, scored and sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. dill weed
1 tsp. celery seed
dash pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, salt, dill weed, celery seed and pepper. Add the cucumbers. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

We are so excited (and honored) to have been picked as an upcoming "Cuddle of the Week" at the brand new www.truecuddles.com website. True Cuddles features unique, hard to find items for babies, kids and moms - all made or founded by 'mompreneurs' like myself. They've got sweet deals on uncommon goods every week. It is kind of like Woot! for babies (except it's weekly instead of daily). They have only a limited amount of product on hand and offer it at a discounted price until it sells out. When it's gone, it's gone! Its a cool way for busy moms to find the most hip, one-of-a-kind stuff for their kids. If you haven't already, sign up to be on their mailing list to be one of the first to know what the "Cuddle of the Week" is every Monday, so you can grab it before it's gone. While you're there, you should scroll down through the pages to see the chronological progression of this website and concept. The owners, Julie Baron and Sarah Milne, celebrate the creative 'mompreneurs' that they partner with. Twice a month, there will be inspiring stories of moms who successfully juggle family and business. Currently, there's a great interview with a mom who designs must-have shoes for toddlers learning to walk, and owns the company named for her son called See Kai Run. True Cuddles is giving away a free pair of these shoes this week to one of their subscribers, so sign up now! Soon, some of our very own Snugfits™ will be featured on True Cuddles. We can't wait, and we'll let ya know when we're "on".