Menu Plan Monday: Feb 22nd

This week I want to make a few items from my OAMM menu plan to tweak seasoning, test shortcuts, and confirm cooking times before I submit the grocery list and instructions for the contest. (I'm a finalist! You can vote for the menu you like best at OnceAMonthMom.com)

Let's see when I'll have time to cook:

• Monday: Baked Ziti with Mini Meatballs from The Sopranos Family Cookbook--my friend and I are getting together for a mini Freezer Cooking day to put this together. We'll each get two: one to eat and one to freeze. It's labor intensive to make all those mini meatballs, but I love them so much! I can't wait.
• Tuesday: Tweaking and confirming cook time for one of the menu plan recipes, see here for the update
• Wednesday: Homemade Beef with Broccoli over brown rice
• Thursday: Lentil Rice Casserole
• Friday: Out and About (possibly dinner out)
• Saturday: Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
• Sunday: Friends over for Dinner...need to prepare vegetarian menu plan
• Monday: Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs with green beans

Soup of the Week: Basic Marinara Sauce (is spaghetti sauce considered soup? If not, then I'm bending the rules for Soup of the Week)

I am finding it extremely helpful to compile this menu plan each week (This is my fourth week keeping up with a menu plan). It helps me to consider when I already have on hand and factor in the evenings when I am not going to have a lot of time to cook. I don't always make everything as planned, because life happens. I just move the recipes to a later date and we eat leftovers!