My husband starts his vacation part way through this week and continues through the first part of next week. The mid-week to mid-week time off makes it all seem a little crazy. On top of it all, we're doing another staycation. We're hoping to have some fun, do some work around the house, and maybe even relax a little.
To cope with the chaos of the next couple of weeks, I'll be keeping our menu simple and fluid. I don't want anything set in stone, but I do need to have several meals that I can easily fix. We'll likely eat out at least one meal each day, so that takes some of the menu planning pressure off of me.
We'll also occasionally think of something that sounds really good to us (like a steak on the grill), and we'll head out to the grocery store for the fixings for that particular meal. It might not fit into a normal grocery budget, but it's lots cheaper than going out to eat. It works for vacation week.
I'll try to stay just one meal ahead. I might not know the plan for every single day, but it helps to know if I need to cook the pinto beans for tomorrows dinner or start the pot of chili while we're all getting showered and dressed in the morning. Of course, I also have a few meals that can be easily thrown together without any prep.
Oh.....and if I feel like Mom also needs a vacation, we'll order a pizza. Hey, it's vacation!
Here's this week's staycation menu plan:
Breakfasts around our house tend to be a fend-for-yourself affair (especially during vacation). I try to keep a wide enough selection of items on hand that the kids can either fix for themselves or can fix with minimal help.
BREAKFAST
Leftover pancakes
Homemade granola
Pumpkin muffins
Blueberry muffins
Cereal
Oatmeal
Eggs
Homemade bread
Toast
Yogurt
Fruit
MEAL IDEAS
Tacos
Beans and Rice
Pasta with meat sauce
Pasta with Tomatoes
Chili and cornbread
Spaghetti with chili and cheese
Hot dogs with chili and cheese
Chipotle pinto beans in rice bowls
Chicken nuggets, corn, salad
I'll also keep my list of easy meals handy for those days when we just need to make something for the kids to eat.
How do you cope with an unusual week? Do you have any favorite staycation meals? Share them in the comments!
Be sure to check out more menu ideas over at Menu Plan Monday.
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