February Meal Plans

Happy Groundhogs day!  I'm sharing this month's meal plans today.  We were pretty bad at meal planning and dinner last month (and by 'we,' I mostly mean me and this pregnant belly!)  I think it was the combination of finishing out the holidays, plus basketball season, plus pregnancy...and yeah, I just really let the ball drop on that one.

But I'm back in full action this month and excited to include our first try at Blue Apron this month (which is covering four nights this month for our meals).  I added it to my 100 small things list because I like the idea of stretching my cooking comfort zones out into foods I don't normally make because it includes weird-to-me ingredients or methods.  Our first delivery actually arrives today and I'll have a full update on our thoughts later this month after we give it a go!

This month also includes lots of our favorite little winter holidays, the start of Lent (meat-less Fridays!), and our Gemma Rose's fourth birthday!  So all of those things needed to be considered in my meal planning to make sure we can work with the plans set for the weeks.

--I meal plan for our weekly dinners at the beginning of each month.  I don't usually plan breakfast or lunch (unless it's a special holiday), nor do I plan for desserts (again, unless it's something special).  I try to do 'real breakfast' (ie. not cereal/toast) at least twice a week and the girls and I try our hand at making dessert once a week (on 'What's cookin' Wednesdays!)  Lunch can usually be covered by left-overs and the weekends sometimes include home-cooking, left-overs, grandmas' cooking, or a special out-to-eat stop!

2/1-2/5
M:  Orange Crockpot Chicken
T: Blue Apron:  hoisin-glazed roast Pork with peanut noodles
W: Slow cooker Potato Soup
R: Ham & Cheese Sliders
F:  Blue Apron: bbq Chicken wings and sweet potato salad
2/8-2/12
M (Lunar New Year): Baked sweet & sour chicken
T (Mardi Gras):  *Kings Cake (breakfast), kid-friendly Jambalya
W (Ash Wednesday): Meatless spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread
R: Long boy burgers
F: Pierogies and fish sticks
S: Valentines day  bacon wrapped salmon (grown-up), hot dog hearts with cheese arrows (kids), and chocolate chip cookie cake
2/15-2/19
M: bacon and pea mac&cheese
T: Slow cooker Chicken & gravy with mashed potatoes
W: Ranch porkchops
R: Korean beef
F: Gemma's Birthday Party! (pizza, salad, cupcakes!)
2/22-2/26
M: Chicken tacos
T: Blue Apron:  Seared chicken and potato salad with sweet sour cabbage
W: Skillet beans and rice with kielbasa
R: Blue Apron: Roast Pork and smashed potatoes
F: Fish Fry at our church!
2/29
M: Sundowner burgers (cheeseburger with a fried egg, mustard, onions, and chili on it...don't judge us, it's a Johnstown thing, heh).

This month, I also found myself really trying to choose meals that I was almost certain that I wouldn't have to negotiate with the kids at dinner.,,even if meant repeating meals that we've had recently.  Granted, the kids aren't too picky- they do at least try, but with studerbaby4 stealing all of my energy (especially obvious and frustrating around dinner time), dealing with food complaints and arguments is something I just don't have the fight in me for at that hour.  So, if you have any yummy kid-approved meals that you can share, I'd really love to hear 'em for next month!!