Well, the first week went really well. We stuck to the meal plan and had delicious meals at home.

Mark didn't care for the potato soup too much, so I'm afraid that is not going to be finished. That recipe makes a lot of soup. If we were going to eat it, I was going to freeze the extra. That's what I'm going to do with the chili. Mark is the one who makes chili at our house, and he always makes a lot. He makes it different every time, but it's always delicious.

Next week, we have some special events going on. On Monday, we are meeting up with some good friends for tacos. Wednesday is community group, as usual, but it's also my birthday. Sunday will mark 10 years since Mark and I began dating. We've been married almost 4 years now :) Anyway, the meal plan is a little easier this week.

Here it is:
Monday: Tacos at K & R's
Tuesday: Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, peas
Wednesday: Pot Luck at Community Group- bring birthday cake
Thursday: Left over meat loaf & potatoes
Friday: Enchiladas
Saturday: Date Night
Sunday: Easy Chicken Bake

I started meal planning fairly regularly last year. I've tried a couple of different methods and think I've found some good ideas to help me get organized pretty quickly. The biggest help for me is the spreadsheet I created for meal planning. It lists a bunch of our favorite meals along with a side, the main ingredient, and a note of where to find the recipe (link included for internet recipes). When it's time to start planning, I can open it up and pick out some ideas based on what I know I have on hand and what we feel like eating that week.