Menu Planning Monday: starting my Advocare 24 Day Challenge!

This week I had to put a LOT of planning into my meal planning.  I’m starting the Advocare 24 Day Challenge  You can find out more about that here-> Join me in the Advocare 24 Day Challenge

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I’ve learned that one of the biggest things that will make or break weight loss is being PREPARED!  So, I planned out my breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and even snacks for the whole week!  You can see my full menu here-> Advocare 24 Day Challenge Menu

See my menu plans from previous weeks here–> Menu Planning Monday

You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com

Do you like what you see here?  Make sure you also check out my favorite recipes board on Pinterest:

Melissa’s Bargains favorite recipes on Pinterest

MONDAY:  Lasagne – This is one of my favorite foods and is not “holiday” or BBQ related at all, but it’s what I wanted as my last mean so to speak before I start the 24 Day Challenge!  I just use the recipe on the back of the Barilla Oven Ready noodles.

italian-green-bean-and-chicken-bake

TUESDAY:  Italian Green Beans & Chicken Bake – I’m modifying this and using Fat Free Zesty Italian dressing instead of a dry seasoning packet and butter and I’m also using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes

WEDNESDAY:  Balsamic Chicken with Green beans – I found this when I was searching for Advocare friendly 24 Day Challenge recipes

melt-in-your-mouth-meatloaf

THURSDAY:  Slow Cooker Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf – I’m going to modify this and use oats instead of bread crumbs and Splenda brown sugar for the sauce.  We always use turkey already!

FRIDAY:  Turkey Meatballs – I have actually tried this recipe before and it’s yummy!

SATURDAY:  Fajitas – It’s my birthday and I wanted something yummy and figured this was a safe bet!  I’ll have lots of veggies and/or a great salad with it!  I also found some 50 calorie whole wheat tortillas if I decide I want to splurge and have a tortilla!

Menu Planning Monday: my menu plan for the week of 8/25

This is my kids first week of school.  I’ve been back to work for two weeks now, but still trying to get into a “groove”  This week’s menu plan is all tried and true recipes and many of them are “quick fix” recipes, too!

See my menu plans from previous weeks here–> Menu Planning Monday

You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com

Do you like what you see here?  Make sure you also check out my favorite recipes board on Pinterest:

Melissa’s Bargains favorite recipes on Pinterest

country-style-macaroni-and-cheese
SUNDAY: Country Style Macaroni and Cheese – If I had to pick the one meal my kids love the most, I think it would be this one. It has been their top pick for our Back to School Dinner for several years now and it has even been a pick for birthday dinners a few times! It’s SUPER easy to make, which is an added bonus for me!

Cheesy-Baked-Ravioli
MONDAY: Cheesy Baked Ravioli – It’s the first day of school here and between getting up well before the crack of dawn this morning, getting kids ready for the first day, and experiencing the first day of school myself since I work in education, I know I’m going to be beat. This is a family favorite and a quick fix, too! How can you go wrong?

fabulous-baked-chicken-chimichangas

TUESDAY:  Fabulous Baked Chicken Chimichangas – I made these for the first time a few weeks ago and they were a hit!  My kids have been begging me to make them again and the slow cooker does most of the work, it’s totally “doable” for me, even on a school night!

melt-in-your-mouth-meatloaf

WEDNESDAY:  Slow Cooker Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf – I know you may be thinking kids and meatloaf don’t mix, but you’re thinking wrong. My kids love this meatloaf recipe and it’s super easy to throw together!  Your slow cooker does all the work!

sweet-sour-pork

THURSDAY: Easy Sweet & Sour Pork – I’m all about doing what’s EASY this week and this sweet & sour pork recipe is super easy!

FRIDAY:  Dinner out  – I figure after a long week of work, taking the night off from cooking has been earned!  Plus, we’re starting a new chore chart and rewards system with my kids and if they get all of their points this week, they get to choose where we eat!

sweet-potato-foil-pack-tacos

SATURDAY:  Sweet Potato Foil Pack Tacos – Before discovering this recipe, when I would hear “sweet potatoes” I thought of Thanksgiving or baby food and neither one was a very pleasant image.  This recipe is SO good, though, and my kids love it, too!  You’ve got to give it a chance!

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Menu Planning Monday: My menu plan for the week of 8/4

I go back to work this week (where or where did my summer go?) and my in-laws are coming into town this week, so if I’m actually able to stick with this menu plan, it will probably be a bit of a miracle!  I tried to pick easy, tried and true recipes although there are a few new recipes thrown in, too!

See my menu plans from previous weeks here–> Menu Planning Monday

You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com

Make sure you also check out my favorite recipes board on Pinterest:

Melissa’s Bargains favorite recipes on Pinterest

 

SUNDAY: Tacos – It amazes me sometimes how excited my kids get when I make some of the most basic things. Having just plain old tacos generated a lot of enthusiasm among my kids last night and made me wonder….Am I doing it wrong? Maybe I need to stick to basics more often!

MONDAY: Cheesy Chicken Tator Tot Casserole – I’m always looking for new kid friendly recipes and I figured I couldn’t go wrong with this one. It’s cheese and tator tots and bacon!

TUESDAY: Tex Mex Macaroni And Cheese – My kids LOVE Macaroni & Cheese, and I’m always looking for new ideas to mix things up. This recipe is my “inspiration” but I already have some twists planned.

WEDNESDAY: Crispy Honey Chicken – If you’re a PF Chang’s fan, you might want to check this one out, too! This is my first time making this recipe, but it looks YUMMY!

Cheesy-Baked-Ravioli

THURSDAY:  Cheesy Baked Ravioli – This is SO easy to make and it’s completely kid friendly, too!  You can’t go wrong!

fabulous-baked-chicken-chimichangas

FRIDAY:  Fabulous Baked Chimichangas – My kids have not stopped talking about these since I made them a few weeks ago and have been asking for me to making them again basically ever since then.

bourbon-chicken

SATURDAY:  Bourbon Chicken – This is a family favorite and there’s not actually any bourbon in the chicken, so it’s totally kid friendly!

Menu Planning Monday: my menu plan for the week of 7/28

I go back to work in a week and a half, so I’m really trying to get BACK on the menu planning train because I’ve kind of fallen off these past couple of weeks with multiple vacations and other things going on!

See my menu plans from previous weeks here–> Menu Planning Monday

You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com

Make sure you also check out my favorite recipes board on Pinterest:

Melissa’s Bargains favorite recipes on Pinterest

 

easy-chicken-enchilada-casserole

SUNDAY:  Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole – My sister came up with this recipe several years ago and it’s become a family favorite!  I’ve adapted it so you can make most of it in the slow cooker, which makes it even easier!

MONDAY:  Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken – I haven’t tried this one yet, but I’ve had it pinned for a long time.  I’ll be making mine in the slow cooker because it’s a busy, busy day today!

Cheesy-Baked-Ravioli

TUESDAY:  Cheesy Baked Ravioli – This is SO easy to make and it’s completely kid friendly, too!  You can’t go wrong!

italian-green-bean-and-chicken-bake

WEDNESDAY:  Italian Green Beans and Chicken Bake  – This is one of those recipes that I pinned on Pinterest, had pinned FOREVER and finally got around to trying!  It is SO easy to make, it’s relatively healthy (especially if you cut the butter) and my entire family loved it!  This time I’m going to try to make it with fat free bottled Italian dressing to cut the butter.

THURSDAY: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole – I just pinned this recipe this week!  It looks interesting and we have all of the ingredients on hand, so I figured it was worth checking out!

fabulous-baked-chicken-chimichangas

FRIDAY:  Fabulous Baked Chimichangas – My kids have not stopped talking about these since I made them a few weeks ago and have been asking for me to making them again basically ever since then.

SATURDAY:  Three Cheese & Bacon Macaroni & Cheese – My kids LOVE Macaroni & Cheese and I’m always looking for new recipes.  I can’t wait to check this one out!

Menu Planning Monday: my menu plan for the week of 6/30

I finished up my July budget this morning and I’m inspired to save and meal plan.  This week will be busy because we have family in town, so I’m mainly sticking with tried and true recipes.

See my menu plans from previous weeks here–> Menu Planning Monday

You can also view hundreds of meal plans each week at Orgjunkie.com

Make sure you also check out my favorite recipes board on Pinterest:

Melissa’s Bargains favorite recipes on Pinterest

In case you missed it last week, my most popular recipe post was this recipe for Baked Chicken Chimichangas!  It was seriously yummy, so add this one to your list or pin it to try another week:

fabulous-baked-chicken-chimichangasHere’s this week’s menu:

creamy-chicken-enchiladas-2

SUNDAY:  Creamy Chicken Enchiladas I just made this for Father’s Day, but my brother is in town visiting for the 4th of July and this is a family favorite, so I had to make it again!

Cheesy-Baked-Ravioli

MONDAY:  Cheesy Baked Ravioli – Super easy to make and kid friendly, too!

TUESDAY: Chicken Tortilla Bake – This is a new recipe for us.  We can never get enough of a Mexican food “fix” around our house!

sweet-sour-pork

WEDNESDAY: Sweet & Sour Pork – Another recipe that’s quick and easy to throw together!  Yummy and kid friendly, too!

THURSDAY:  4TH of July BBQ – I’m taking pasta salad and 7 layer dip! (recipes to come)

melt-in-your-mouth-meatloaf

FRIDAY:  Slow Cooker Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf Yes, it’s meatloaf and I know it may seem weird, but my family loves it!

SATURDAY:  Taco Pasta Bake 

ReadySetEat