One of the things I’ve been striving to get back to is planning our meals weekly. I have fallen off that wagon over the last couple of years, but it reduces stress and actually saves us money when we plan ahead.

When my four kiddos were little, hubby and I both worked long hours so it was important that we knew going in to each week what dinner would look like. We always allowed for flexibility, but we knew we didn’t want to be running to the store every night, or ordering take out, but of which have a way of draining the pocketbook.

A couple of years ago when my eldest daughter and her family lived with us, I got spoiled in the area of menu planning because she would help plan meals, shop and even start dinner a few nights each week. She and her family moved to L.A. last year and I feel like I’ve been in a meal planning rut ever since.

I thought I would try to stay accountable in this area of my life by posting my weekly dinner inspiration here. I may include recipes for some, or links, or at least tell you what we enjoy about the meal. Perhaps it will inspire you (and if not, that’s okay).

I plan to do all of my grocery shopping over the weekend. Some menu plans may include Saturday/Sunday, but not all. It depends on how far my brain can think ahead on any given week.

Here is my menu plan for the week of May 24th:

Monday – French Dip sandwiches and French Fries. We love French Dip sandwiches, but roast beef is expensive so we don’t have them too often. I was able to get a couple of pounds of roast beef this weekend at my local Raley’s for $12.99/lb. Expensive, I know. I could have purchased the Raley brand but I wasn’t sure it would have the same flavor. I always get extra meat so that we can eat it on sandwiches during the week.

Tuesday – Shrimp Tacos, Cilantro Lime Rice and Spicy black beans. We love taco Tuesdays. Again, shrimp can be out of our price range, but it’s so good. We love this recipe – Easy Spicy Shrimp Tacos Recipe – Pinch and Swirl Can I tell you though for the slaw most of the time I just buy a blended cabbage mix and toss it with mayonnaise and Siracha sauce. Yummy! I’ve been loving Cilantro Lime Rice and I have my daughter to thank for that. We just cook the rice, fluff it with a fork, toss in some chopped Cilantro and a little lime juice. For the beans, Safeway has a brand of black beans that are seasoned with garlic, onions and spices. I usually stock up on these because they always go out of stock.

Wednesday – Spaghetti and Garlic Bread. Spaghetti is a staple in our home. My husband makes a great sauce, although he starts out with one jar of Organic Tomato/Basil spaghetti sauce and then adds spices, garlic, tomato sauce and/or paste. We also add in fresh mushrooms, ground beef and Italian Sausage. We normally have a side salad, but this week we are being carb heavy and having garlic bread.

Thursday – Pork Loan, Potatoes and Baked Beans. Pork loin is not a favorite of the child left in the home (now almost 18) but we do enjoy it every once in a while. This week we are serving it with Yukon Gold boiled potatoes and canned baked beans.

Friday – OYO or Pizza. Fridays are up in the air as we are never sure who will be home. Sometimes I’m at a friends house of our bi-monthly movie night. Some Fridays we get a pizza (or make a pizza).

I haven’t been able to think ahead to the weekend yet. Hopefully I will include weekend meals from time to time.

Do you plan out your meals weekly? I would love to hear what you are having this week and perhaps gain a little inspiration from you.

Visit Menu Plan Monday for more dinner inspiration!