Menu Plan Monday: 3/15/10 edition

Breakfasts and lunches have been problematic for me in the past. We like expensive breakfast foods. I kept trying to cut breakfasts costs because I thought I should, but we always ended up with foods we didn't really like. I'm attempting to accept our expensive breakfast tastes and pare down our food budget in other areas (eating less meat in our suppers, for example). We'll see how it goes.

As for lunches, the problem isn't with JunkMale's lunches (I just send him with leftovers from our suppers), it's with mine. I like more variety in my food than he does, and I also am notorious for not liking my own cooking. I like hot meals, and I don't have a ton of time to cook with Pearl underfoot. In other words, I'm spoiled. ;-) But I am trying to make things work. By actually planning what I'm going to eat during the week, instead of hoping that I'll like the leftovers, it's a huge step forward for me. And I also am giving myself some room here. If my mac & cheese is nothing more than Annie's cheesy bunnies, then at least I'm making progress towards eating lunch rather than eating a granola bar or crackers, right? Right?? I enjoyed eating my mushroom soup last week, although it wasn't as filling as I'd hoped. Next time I need to plan for something to help bulk up the soup, like a slice of pizza, biscuits, or a sandwich.

All this means that we've had to increase our food budget slightly ($5 to $10 a week, depending on how it pans out), but JunkMale unexpectedly got a raise this year that should cover it.

Breakfasts:
cereal and milk, eggs and toast for the weekends

Lunches:
leftovers for JunkMale
macaroni & cheese and butter bean "soup" for Harmony
whatever Pearl will consent to eat

Suppers:

Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - Indian curry chicken and palak paneer with brown rice
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - cheese pizza
Saturday - Thai red curry
Sunday - Thai coconut soup + leftovers