In the quest to accomplish the basics, and do them well, I am striving to come up with a more solid system for menu planning – while at the same time attempting to shop wisely and be as thrifty as possible with my grocery needs. I have been attempting to implement the (excellent, in my opinion) advice of Leila, of Like Mother, Like Daughter, and have gotten as far as making a rough Master Menu. Now, it’s certainly not finished, but I have attempted to list the meals in rough order of expense (at least putting the less expensive toward the top of the list, and the more costly toward the bottom) though I am certain that the cost of each meal may vary based on what is seasonally available. But for now – the list:

Green Spaghetti
Bread/toast

Ozark Nachos (Chips, Cottage Cheese and Jalapeños)
Carrot Sticks

Grits and Cheese
Cabbage
Toast

Baked Potatoes
Cheese
Chili or ham

Hot Dogs
Baked Beans
Chips/Fries

Macaroni and Cheese
Carrot and broccoli sticks OR
Tomato slices

Chuckwagon Beans
Corn bread

Spaghetti
Salad
Garlic Bread

Chili Dogs
Corn Chips

EasyHamburger Quiche
French Fried Potatoes
Green Salad

Philly Steak and Cheese
Chips
Cottage Cheese

Chips and Salsa
Avocados

Sub sandwiches
Chips
Cottage Cheese

Tacos

Burritos

Lazy Enchiladas

Hamburgers
Baked Beans
Chips or Fries

Stir Fry
Rice

Egg Rolls
Rice

Homemade Pizza
Salad

Foccacia Bread
Tomato Soup

Linguine with Lemon and Cream – CaH
Bread, Dipping oil
Tomatos and capers

Red Grape Foccacia – CaH
Cheese Fondu

Bricked Cornish Game Hen – CaH
Succotash

Saturday Strata – CaH
Fruit

Chicken Teryaki
Rice

Chicken Cordon Blue
Asparagus or Corn on the Cob
Rolls or Bread

Chili
Cheese
Rice, Corn Chips, or Corn Bread

Blackened Tilapia
Rice
Lemonade

Tamale Corn Cakes – CaH
Carnita
Jalapeño sour cream

Shish Kabobs
Rice

Bread and Cheese
Sliced fruit
Wine

Hot Wings
Celery and Carrots

Twice baked potatoes
Salad

MM’s Second Fav. Sandwich – PW
Baked Beans
Chips

Chipolte Chicken Tostados – CaH

Shrimp Gumbo
Rice

Steak Bites
Lemon Pasta
Green Beans

Chicken Salad
7 Grain Bread

Asian Noodle Salad

Olive Cheese Bread
Fruit

Chicken Spaghetti
Bread

Tapas

Pot Roast – CaH

Steak
Artichokes
Sautéed Mushrooms

Grilled Salmon
Salad Nicoise

Pan Roasted Oyster Stew – CaH
Crackers or Bread

Asian Pork Tenderloin – CaH
Potatoes
Squash

Pork Roast – PW
Tortillas
Avocados

This may change as the needs of our family changes, and I may continue to change the order around as I shop and learn the real costs of each meal. For now though, this will have to do.