Happy Sunday, folks! I am just home from church, and shock of all shocks, I don't have to be back at church this afternoon. This means that I get to spend the afternoon doing a few things I've been needing to do at home, maybe work on a blog post or two, and spend time with my family. It also means that I have a bit of time to really sit down and plan out what our dinner meals will look like for the next two weeks.

MBP Founder, Ondria Witt

Planning out our weekly dinner menu is really a time-saver and money-saver for us. When I don't plan our meals out, ahead of time, we often find ourselves grabbing a quick bite out, and that adds up quickly- or, we wind up making several trips to the grocery store in just one week. That's due to poor organization on my part, as the matriarch of this household. I found a cute, free printable worksheet for a weekly meal planner, here.

So, I just sat down and planned out our dinners for the next two weeks. Here's what our dinner menu plan looks like, and I'm sharing it as a guide- or in case you're wanting some ideas to add to your own.

Sunday- 1/19

Steak Fajitas with Tortilla Chips and Salsa/Queso

Monday- 1/20

Hamburger Stroganoff over Egg Noodle w/Peas

Tuesday 1/21

*Mommy's Work Night* Pot Pie

Wednesday 1/22

Cheese Ravioli with Caesar Salad, Texas Toast

Thursday 1/23

Terriyaki Chicken w/White Rice and Steamed Broccoli

Friday 1/24

Pork Cutlets with Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Squash and Onions

Saturday 1/25

Homemade Pizza Night w/Caesar Salad

Sunday 1/26

Homemade Hamburgers w/Pan Fried Potatoes

Monday 1/27

Honey Glazed Ham Steak w/Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Zucchini

Tuesday 1/28

*Mommy's Work Night* -Omlette

Wednesday 1/29

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan w/Salad and Garlic Bread

Thursday 1/30

*Family Night Out for Grammy's Birthday*

Friday 1/31

Tacos w/Rice and Beans

Saturday 2/1

Chicken, Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Crescent Roll Ring

Of course, these meals are based off of what my extremely picky husband and son will eat. I do my super healthy eating during breakfast and lunch- loading up on fruits and veggies, and adding peanut butter snacks here and there for protein. I get my daily workout in before dinner, and take it easy on the portions. We try to eat between 6 - 6:30 every night, so we're not eating heavily at a late hour, and so our son isn't falling asleep at the dinner table. If we feel like a snack in the evening, we go with popcorn that we make ourselves- on the stovetop. No thanks to microwave popcorn- stovetop popped is so much better- and better for you, too!

My tips for easy meal planing are...

Plans meals out 1-2 weeks in advance.

Make a grocery list and check items off the list as you pick them up in the store.

Stick to the meal plan!

Prep what you can ahead of time- i.e., slicing or chopping veggies, marinating meats, throwing a casserole together the night before, etc.

Hopefully, these tips and ideas have given you a bit of inspiration for the next coupld of weeks. Don't forget to grab that free printable meal planner! Happy shopping, saving, cooking and eating!

Catch you all tomorrow...