Two Week Menu Planning with Themed Nights

This ain't a sponsored post, yo. 

Before I had my baby, I daydreamed about how great my life would be as a SAHM. One of the things I was excited about was having the energy to cook every night--HAHA! That was a stretch at first, but slowly I'm getting into the swing of things. What's helped the most has been using the Food Nanny's "Nanny Plan". If you've watched her show on BYUTV or read her cook book you'll be familiar with the Nanny Plan. If not, this is the basics. Sit down, plan out a theme for each night of the week. Then make a two week menu plan and shopping list. Doing it two weeks at a time is much easier actually! I can carry over ingredients and look at patterns of when we have certain meats (like not having chicken too often, it's my fallback).  Anyways, here's what my daily themes are:

Traditional Sunday Dinner
Mexican Mondays
Meatless/Breakfast Tuesdays
Italian Wednesdays
Comfort Food Thursdays
Grillin' Fridays
Date Night Saturdays

First I made a table in a word document. with all my days. Then I started looking through recipes on Pinterest (see above links for the pinboards!). I selected recipes for each day and started making my shopping list in the same document. Then came the shopping trip. It took a little while and the end bill was higher than what I'm used to, but I also got a lot more food. Experts say you save money by shopping bi-weekly too. Here's what my two weeks looked like

Traditional Sunday Dinner

1. Chicken Piccata This was the plan, but plans change! We got invited to dinner both Sundays so I didn't make this, although I plan to. I think it looks delicious!

Mexican Monday

1. Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Rice, using these two recipes combined

2. Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash Tacos (I used sweet potato instead)

Meatless/Breakfast Tuesday

1. Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Skillet

2. Egg Topped Twice Baked Potato  We ended up having leftovers instead. This meal is a great one to plan in, since I didn't have to get any extra ingredients and potatoes keep well!

Italian Wednesday

1. Pastichio (Greek Style Lasagna)

2. Bow Tie and Italian Turkey Sausage Skillet (I used pork sausage)

Comfort Food Thursday

1. Paprika Chicken

2. Alice Sprigs Chicken  and Brussels Sprouts (I used up all the mushrooms in the paprika chicken last week, forgetting I needed some for tonight's chicken. It was still good without the mushrooms) 

Grillin' Fridays

1. Grilled Chicken Thighs (Marinated with this for 2 hours) with Rice Pilaf

2. Tri-Tip Steak with Pappy's Seasoning, Kings Hawaiian Rolls, Cheesy Potatoes

I really think using "The Nanny Plan"/ themed nights has taken a lot of the stress out of "what's for dinner?" I'm on my second round of the Nanny Plan and it's working great! I hope you find some inspiration!

What works for me: 5 favorite cookbooks

I do a lot of menu planning through the Internet, but I always need my cookbooks! I collect these things, and I have a hard time saying no to a new one, no matter how full my recipe cabinet is getting. Handed down, printed out and other loose recipes are staples in my kitchen, but I always find myself turning to these cookbooks to find something new to eat! (Disclosure: affiliate links.)

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How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart by Pam Anderson

I can't remember how I came across this one, but it went right on my wishlist! My wonderful sister-in-law got it for me.

The book teaches you a bunch of different dishes and methods to make meals from what you've got on hand. It's designed to help you memorize the methods, and I haven't quite gotten to that point, but I remember enough that I can wing most of it for several of the dishes I've made most.

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How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

This cookbook showed up in an apartment in college. None of my roommates said it was theirs, and I was the last to move out, so it became mine.

Although sometimes I could take or leave the author's attitude (I'm sorry, you shouldn't make pecan pie with corn syrup because corn syrup by itself isn't delectable?? Do we sit around eating flour or butter or sugar plain??), this book has a ton of reference material. It's especially useful if you're doing a produce co-op and end up with a mystery vegetable or two. It also explains dozens of techniques with useful illustrations. I don't often plan menus from here, but when I need to look something up (in a book), this is my top choice.

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Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

This one is a family tradition. Growing up, we saw Mom make many a recipe from her ring-bound BHG cookbook. As my generation of Wayward Girls grew up and got married, we received our own copies.

Not only is the binding the best adapted to the kitchen of any of the books listed here, but the recipes have every standby you could want. This is one of my top go-tos for regular menu planning. It also has lots of great techniques, tips and tricks in the sidebars.

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EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners Cookbook by Jessie Price, Nicci Micco & the Eating Well editors

I came across Eating Well magazine via Pinterest. A pin led me to their list of 500-calorie meals. Since my husband was dieting at the time, I worked every one that looked good into our menu plan. Most of them were fantastic! I knew I needed a hard copy.

The most awesome thing about this cookbook actually isn't that it's full of tasty, filling, low-calorie meals. It's that each meal isn't just an entree. In the sidebar, each entree is paired with options for side dishes or even desserts, making a complete meal—still under 500 calories! I love this thing!

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Something new!
I use these standbys so much that I always have to keep room in my cabinet for something new. Here are the latest cookbooks I've got my eye on.

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Another useful tip: get a cookbook stand! I use the acrylic one because it helps to keep my pages clean, but there are so many options out there, you're sure to find one for you!


What cookbooks do you use over and over again??

Photo of cookbooks by Tom Taker

What Works for Me: 5 Laundry Tips

A few tips from a laundry lover. Well, at least a laundry-I-don't-hate-you.

1. Get separate hampers/baskets for colors and whites. This saves tons of time for sorting. We have one laundry basket for whites, darks, towels and jeans. It makes life a lot easier. I'm not wasting time sorting and I don't miss one red sock or something.

2. Figure out a laundry schedule. Based on my cleaning schedule, I found a lighter cleaning day and made that laundry day. It's laundry day every week. This makes sure we don't run out of clean clothes and that I'm not guessing when I need to do laundry next. I know it's laundry day all day, so I don't forget about a load of laundry and leave it all day to get mildew-y. Not that I've ever done that before.....

3. Get the right tools. This includes good detergent, stain removers, Oxyclean, fabric softener and dryer sheets. If you have good smelling laundry, you may enjoy it more. Plus you won't have to wash the same things over and over to get a stain out, etc.

4. Organize your dresser and closet. What does this have to do with laundry? You want to put your clothes away, but you may feel discouraged thinking you don't have the space or not sure where to put them. Also, if something is on the floor of a cluttered closet who knows if it's clean or dirty? We've all done the smell test and ended up with a negative result.

5. Try a laundry folder. Clothes folders maximize space and I think they're kinda fun to use. I like breaking it out for the clothes I fold (not very many).

What tips do you have for doing laundry?

What Works for Me: 5 Cleaning Tips

So since I've become a Stay At Home Mom, I've had to figure out my cleaning schedule. Here are some things that have helped me

1. Figuring out why I clean. I actually wrote it out:

When my home is neat and orderly, I feel more at ease and happier. It is easier to enjoy others. It is a welcoming place. It is safer. My husband is happier. I have a sense of accomplishment. A clean home is like salt, it enhances everything. I am the HOME maker. I make our house a home. I create the atmosphere 


2. Creating a cleaning schedule. I figured mine out through trial and error. 

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Downstairs (bathroom, kitchen, tidy and vacuum living room)
Tuesday/Thursday: Upstairs (bathroom, tidy and vacuum bedrooms)

Laundry on Tuesdays

If you need a little encouragement, make a pretty chart for yourself! Here are three I liked:

One, Two, Three

3. Cleaning doesn't take that long. Seriously, I timed myself and saw just how long it takes. I was surprised. I kept putting off chores thinking I didn't have time, but I was surprised what I achieved in just 15 minutes!

4. Cleaning, happily, teaches my daughter that house work (or work in general) isn't a bad thing. I clean throughout the day and I try to sing while I do it. It entertains my baby and makes us both happier. And I make up songs about what I'm doing--it's something I got from my dad, an excellent singer and avid song-writer-on-the-fly. Cleaning doesn't have to be doom and gloom!

5. I clean for me. This is my mantra. I got it from Gretchen Rubin in the Happiness Project. She explains that she wanted "gold stars" for her hard work, like teachers used to give. If she didn't receive recognition from her husband and family about what she had done to clean then she felt disappointed. So she resolved to clean for herself. I did too and now I don't worry about praise for a job well done, because I can find happiness in my accomplishment for me. I deserve it!


What are your best tips for cleaning? Share below!