Free Meal Plan and Shopping List from Dine Without Whine
Want to try meal planning, but afraid it will take too much time? Or not sure how to get started creating your first meal plan?
Well, you’re in luck, because the folks at Dine Without Whine have created a weeks worth of meals and a shopping list for you… And they’re free!
I’m not sure how long these will be available, so grab your free sample menu and sample shopping list now.
Menu Plan Monday - It’s Hot!
We are experiencing record high temps (and humidity!) this week in the midwest, so this weeks menu plan will include lots of salads and lots of grilling.
Monday - grilled chicken breasts (marinated in Caesar Italian dressing) and salad
Tuesday - hamburgers on the grill, corn on the cob
Wednesday - leftovers (have tons of stuff in the freezer to choose from)
Thursday - taco soup, tortilla chips
Friday - steak, baked potatoes, salad
Saturday - either red beans and rice or shrimp creole (I’ve been craving both lately)
Sunday - bbq ribs, beans, potato salad
Don’t forget to head over to Meal Plan Monday for even more meal and recipe ideas!
Adopting a Frugal Lifestyle
In these days, being frugal is important.
Unemployment is higher than it’s been in a long time, and many companies are downsizing or going out of business, which means job security is almost non-existent.
Combine that with the concern that prices will be going up soon, and you’ve got some very good reasons to watch your spending.
Here are some tips on how you can adopt a frugal lifestyle from my friend Cara Mirabella:
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Having trouble making ends meet? Have more month left than money? Many people struggle with this issue. One of the best ways to save money and truly stretch your dollars all the way to the end of the month is to live a more frugal lifestyle.
Menu Plan Monday - May 25 (Late)
I’m late posting my menu plan this week, but here it is…
Monday - pork chops, potatoes, green beans, rolls
Tuesday - hamburgers on the grill, mac & cheese
Wednesday - tacos, homemade spanish rice
Thursday - date night! going out to eat 
Friday - steak, baked potatoes, salad
Saturday - grilling out, probably a whole chicken and typical bbq fixin’s
Sunday - brisket (didn’t make last week), bbq beans
Don’t forget to head over to Meal Plan Monday for even more meal and recipe ideas!
Frugal Dinner Ideas
photo credit: Ken Wilcox.
You shouldn’t have to break the piggy bank just to put food on the table, but sometimes it sure feels that way. Especially with the price of food going up these days…
Here are some tips on how to have a frugal dinner any night of the week:
1. Cut down on the meat. If a recipe calls for a pound of ground beef, use 3/4 or even 1/2 pound instead. I generally will buy ground beef in bulk (especially when it’s on sale), and then will partition it into 1/2 and 3/4 pound portions. Thanks to my trusty food saver, the ground beef stays fresh for much longer.
2. Eat more veggies. Watch for veggies that are in season, on sale or you can use frozen veggies. I actually like cooking with frozen vegetables better than fresh veggies for certain recipes.
Menu Plan Monday - May 18 Edition
This week is full of graduations and graduation parties, so I only have to plan dinner for a few nights this week 
Anyway… here’s my Menu Plan Monday for the week:
Monday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, hot rolls
Tuesday - hamburgers on the grill, grilled veggies
Wednesday - graduation ceremony, will either eat out or eat leftovers
Thursday - dh’s birthday, plan is to go out to his favorite steakhouse
Friday - steak, baked potatoes, salad
Saturday - graduation party, will be eating at sil’s house
Sunday - brisket (yum!), homemade mac & cheese, corn on the cob
Hope everyone has a great week. Don’t forget to head over to Meal Plan Monday for more great meal ideas!
Quick Healthy Dinner Recipes
One of the challenges of meal planning is having dinner recipes on hand that your family will enjoy and eat.
Here are some of my favorite places to find quick healthy dinner recipes:
FoodNetwork.com - not only do I love watching the Food Network, I love trying out the recipes too. You can find all of the recipes from your favorite shows and more on the Food Network website.
AllRecipes.com - this is my go-to website when I need dinner ideas or if I’m looking for a recipe. There are thousands of recipes and ideas on this site. One of my favorite sections is Budget Friendly Meals.
CookingLight.com - a great site to find healthy recipes for those who are dieting or just trying to eat better. Check out the Vegetarian section, or my favorite, the In Season section.
Menu Plan Monday - May 4 Edition
I can’t believe it’s time for Menu Plan Monday already! Where did last week go?
Anyway… here’s my Menu Plan Monday for the week:
Monday - steak, stuffed pasta shells, salad
Tuesday - spicy beef sandwiches, french fries
Wednesday - leftovers! we (still) have tons of stuff in the freezer, so it will be a buffet leftover night
Thursday - salad, grilled chicken breasts, fresh green beans
Friday - pizza (still haven’t gotten the Papa Murphy’s we’ve been craving)
Saturday - ribs on the grill, corn on the cob, baked beans
Sunday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls (my favorite Sunday night dinner)
For more menu planning ideas, head over to Meal Plan Monday. Have a great week!
Make Meal Planning Fun
Image via Wikipedia
Meal planning can help you save time, money and energy, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with a fresh new meal plan each week.
One way to keep the meals fresh and fun is to get the kids involved. Ask your kids what some of their top choices are for dinner for the week and choose one or two. Your kids will be happy because they’re getting some of their favorites and you’re happy because you’ve got some dinner ideas for the week.
Another idea to make meal planning fun is to have theme nights or theme dinners. Have a Mexican night one week with all the fixin’s for a taco bar or burrito bar, and have a Chinese “take-in” night the next week where you prepare your own stir fry at home. You can make these nights even more fun by decorating or using fun plates for your theme nights, or including entertainment such as a movie or book that fits your theme for the night.
Menu Plan Monday - April 27 Edition
Here’s my Menu Plan Monday for the week…
Hubby has been itching to do some grilling, so I’ll let him cook a couple of nights this week
Here’s the menu plan for this week:
Monday - tacos, spanish rice and refried beans
Tuesday - chicken on the grill, will probably do a whole chicken and have mashed potatoes, green beans and some type of bread to go with
Wednesday - leftovers! we have tons of stuff in the freezer, so it will be a buffet leftover night
Thursday - steak (got on sale last week and froze several), potatoe casserole, salad
Friday - pizza (from Papa Murphy’s - didn’t get it last week, so going to try again this week)
Saturday - ribs on the grill
Sunday - not sure yet, will probably do meatloaf or maybe spicy beef sandwiches from the slow cooker