Menu Plan Monday!

Hi! Happy Monday!  Did you have a great 4th of July weekend??!! I sure hope so!

We had such a FUN couple of days!!  My oldest brother visited us on Friday afternoon, we went to a neighbor's house for a cookout on 4th of July, then, lit sparklers and watched fireworks from our backyard!  On Sunday, we went to church, then went swimming at the pool and ended our day by having a "campout" in our back yard.  

It was a perfect summer weekend!

And now we are starting another week! I have to be totally honest and let you all know, I am still really having to make myself get our meals planned out for the week.  Summer time + Justine = negative motivation for meal planning.  HA!

But- I fought the urge to serve grill cheese every night this week and came up with some super simple meals :)

Here is what's on the menu at our house this week!

Monday: Turkey burgers, mac 'n' cheese and steamed green peas

Tuesday: Hot dogs on the grill, sweet potato french fries and steamed green beans

Wednesday: Turkey meatballs and spiral pasta with marinara sauce + tossed salad

Thursday: Take 'N' Bake Pizza

Friday: Cookout!

Saturday: Oven Baked Nachos

Sunday: Leftover pasta and meatballs

For tonight's dinner, I am taking a pound of lean, 93/7 ground turkey (I get mine at Aldi for 3.29/pound) and making hamburger patties. My husband and girls will add cheese to their's-they love cheeseburgers! :) I will make the girls' favorite mac 'n' cheese (I use the organic, Simply Nature brand from Aldi!) and tonight is my oldest daughter's favorite vegetable- steamed green peas!

Tuesday night we are celebrating my son's first birthday!! His current favorite food is hot dogs- so that is what we are having in honor of our sweet baby boy! We get our hot dogs in bulk from Sam's Club (we love Hebrew National All Beef Hot Dogs)- so we always have them on hand in the freezer! I picked up some sweet potato french fries from Aldi (they are currently in the seasonal items freezer case!) and while those are in the oven, I will steam some green beans.  And of course, we will cake and ice cream after dinner!  

On Wednesday, I am going to pull a pasta dish I made about a week ago, out from the freezer.  I just boiled some whole wheat spiral pasta and then added a jar of Aldi's organic Simply Nature marinara sauce to it.  To make it extra yummy, I added about a 1/3 of a block of light cream cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.  My husband and kids loved it!  I was so happy when we had extra- I love when I can get more than one meal out of a dish!

So- to go along with our pasta, I am going to make some turkey meatballs.  This a great, healthy recipe I like to use!  For our vegetable, I am going to serve green salads.

For Thursday's dinner, I am rocking out the "semi-homemade" mentality! HA!  I got a cheese Take 'N' Bake Pizza from Aldi when I was shopping this past Saturday (you can find them over by the cheeses and lunch meat).  I put it in the freezer right when I got home so it would stay nice and fresh.  Since my husband loves pepperoni and mushrooms, so I am going to add those toppings to one side of the pizza and leave the other side plain cheese for my girls.  15 minutes in the oven and I have dinner ready to go!  This pizza is HUGE and there is always plenty to feed my crew.  I don't eat pizza since cheese and I don't get along 

:( so I will have a big tossed salad with a couple turkey meatballs leftover from dinner the night before :)

On Friday night, we will be going to a cookout! YAY! I plan on bringing brownies- which FYI:  I am going to share my "go-to" recipe for the yummiest, most fudgy brownies next week- so be on the look out for that!! :)  I am also going to a make a vanilla based Mix and Match Mama bundt cake- I just haven't decided on which flavor!

Saturday's dinner is one of my husband's favorite meals: Nachos!  I put a layer of chips (we love Aldi's organic multi-grain tortilla chips!) down on a foil, lined cookie sheet and then pile them high with seasoned ground turkey crumbles, black refried beans, and cheese.  I pop the loaded chips under the broiler for about 5 minutes and then serve them with a side of sour cream and salsa!  My girls love these chips too!  Super easy, casual, fun dinner for a chill Saturday night! :)

Sunday, the girls and I will be at my parents' house- so my hubby will be having leftovers for dinner :)  I am going to put a portion of our pasta and meatballs (from Wednesday's dinner) into a tupperware container and put it in the freezer.  Before I leave for my parents' house, I will take the container out of the freezer and just leave it on the counter.  That way, by the time he is ready to eat- the meal will be defrosted and all he has to do is warm it up!  

I will tell him he needs to have a salad with his dinner, but knowing Aaron, the accompaniment to his pasta is going to be a cold Coors light- HA!  

Soooo...as you can see...we aren't eating anything special at our house- but at least I have a plan for the week!  It never fails, when 5:00 pm rolls around and the baby is tired, the girls are nutty and my husband is on his way home from work, very hungry:), I am ALWAYS glad I have a plan for dinner!  It makes life in a hectic moment so much easier for me!  

What is on the menu at your house this week?  

Hope you have an awesome day!!

I am linking up with Laura today!