2 Week Summer Menu Plan with Grocery list

When I first started this blog I was sooo pumped to make and post all these gourmet, from scratch meals.  I do enjoy cooking and eating like this, but I don't love all the dishes to clean and time it takes to make each.  Recently I have decided I will try a new dish, side or dessert each week that takes a little more time than usual and is unique and all my other meals will be relatively simple to throw together.

Last week I was chatting with my sister in law Heidi (check out her fun new blog: http://dearlylovedmist.blogspot.com - she is a very interesting and creative writer) about meal planning.  We were agreeing that when you take time to plan a menu and come up with a grocery list it makes things run a lot smoother.  I literally LOVE having my meals planned out.  It is so nice to know what I am making and that I have all the ingredients on hand.  It sure beats being stressed out around 4 or 5 pm trying to rack my brain about what I can throw together, while the kids are just starting to get extra ancy...."Oh daddy where are you?! "  I heard a lady speak once at my moms group she said "Ladies there is hope for 5 o'clock!"  It was the first time I realized I am not the only mom who struggles around that time of day.  Anyways, Heidi was telling me she had just come up with a week's worth of meals with a grocery list, so we decided I would come up with a menu too and swap lists.  It worked out great, we only had to come up with 1/2 the meals for a 2 week plan.  I thought I would share some meal ideas with you to just help meal panning easier for your family.

Just so you know the grocery list is for dinner items only.  You will have to figure in breakfast, lunch, dessert & snack items.  Also my sis in law is SO not gluten free--YES she frequently practices BYOG- Bring your own gluten to our family get togethers :)-- so I have modified the list a little to meet our families needs, so feel free to be creative and change for your likes/dislikes/allergies.

There are 12 Meals listed (leaving one night a week for going out or left overs)  You may have some of the items on hand already, be sure to cross them off the list.

Meals:

Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
Chicken Fajitas, Chips, Corn Guacamole
Pancakes, Sausage
Taco Salad
Grilled Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Carrots
Omelettes (Spinach & Mushroom), Fruit
Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Cucumber & Onion Salad, Cantelope
Toast & Fruit
Chicken Penne Alfredo, Broccoli
Hot dogs, Potato Salad, Fruit
Flank Steak, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans
Chicken Quesadillas, Chips, Salsa


Grocery List For a Family of 4 (2 Adults, 2 Small kids):
11 Chicken breasts (About 5 lbs of meat) ( I do 1 breast per adult, 1 per 2 kids for main dish chicken like grilled.  For meals where the chicken is shredded I do 1 breast for 2 people)
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb flank steak
1 Dozen Eggs
1 Package of Hot Dogs
1 Package of Beef or Turkey Sausage
1 Package Spaghetti Brown Rice Noodles
1 Package Penne Brown Rice Noodles
1 Loaf of Gluten-Free Bread
1 Package of Gluten-Free Bagels
1 Package Corn Tortillas
1 Package Hot Dog Buns-If you are doing gluten-free you don't need these :)
Gluten-Free Pancake Mix
Bag of Tortilla Chips
3 Heads of Romaine Package
Bag of fresh Spinach
2 Cucumbers
3 Onions
2 Peppers (Green or Colored)
2 Avacados
Tomatoes
5 lb bag of Potatoes
3 Sweet Potatoes
Bag of baby Carrots
Small container of Mushrooms
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Bag of Oranges or Apples
3 Fresh broccoli crowns
Fresh Garlic
Can Refried Beans
Can of Black Beans
Jar of Spaghetti Sauce (Found one at Whole Foods- 365 brand fat free, has no sugar or soy-bean oil YAY!)
2 tubs of fresh Salsa
Frozen Corn
Frozen Green Beans
2 bags of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Tub of Sour Cream
Grapeseed Oil Mayo
Mustard
Chili Powder
Vinegar
Olive Oil & Grapeseed Oil
Jar of Alfredo Sauce (I make my own, whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic, butter, gf flour, salt)
Peanut Butter
Jam
Honey