penny wise, blessing rich: Once A Month Cooking Plan

This weekend I embark on my once a month cooking adventure! After eating from our pantry and freezer for a month, I'm ready to fill them back up! My list is pretty ambitious, I won't lie. I may not get to it all (compounded by the fact that as of today I have a sick little baby to take into account).

I know the key to my success is to plan ahead, so my first half is actually prep work! I have decided to admit defeat and realize that while I'd like to make from scratch as much as possible, I do plan on purchasing a large package of tortillas at the store tomorrow. Originally on my to-do list, I simply don't have the time to make them. I think it's important to realize that, like balancing family time, cooking isn't an all or nothing thing. Sometimes holding a snotty little baby is more important than slaving over a rolling pin.

One of the things I'm doing differently this time is to specifically make lunch items for both me and Mike. This should make it easier to not only pack his lunch, but make sure that I'm eating nutritiously during the day, too, something I definitely need to work on.

Prep Day #1 (completed this past Tuesday & Friday)

Cook & shred 4 lbs chicken

Cook & shred 3 lbs pork

Bake sandwich bread (4 loaves)

Boil spaghetti, penne and rotini

Prep Day #2- Saturday

Sams Club Shopping Trip

Mix pizza dough (for frozen crust dough and sandwich pockets)

Mix pretzel dough

Cook 4 lbs ground beef

Cook bacon

Cut 2 lbs raw chicken into cubes (for Popcorn Chicken)