Well, I did it!  I successfully prepared and planned for a month of cooking even in the midst of waiting for this little angel to enter the breathing world =0)  It is such a relief to know that we have a plan for food for the month, and a freezer of mostly prepped ingredients ready to go so I don’t have to do that part of the thinking too after giving birth.  Honestly, I just adore Once a Month Cooking.

If you have not yet checked out or looked into Once a Month Cooking, you are missing out.  Not only have I lowered our monthly food bill by about $200 (or more, depending on what I decide to make), I have drastically reduced my daily meal stress.  Planning definitely pays!  Here’s a previous series I did for Once a Month Cooking.

**I have found that I really like the chicken dishes for OAMC because they are so super easy to prep.  It literally takes me minutes to put together 12+ chicken meals on prep day so they are a great addition to the rotation to help speed things along!**

Day 12 Family Life: OAMC Menu For October

You may be wondering how I figure out a menu for the month, so I figured I would try to show you a glimpse of the system that I have figured out and works well for our family.  Here’s a snapshot:

As you can see, it is not anything fancy, but I have four sheets of paper altogether on the refrigerator, and I have each marked for weeks 1-4.  This is just the top page.  Here’s a picture of week 2:

These should be large enough to easily read the print, so if you compare the two pictures you will see that I have rotated several meals, especially breakfasts, lunches, and snacks to be the same each week, but the dinners change.  I have kept weeks 1 and 3 the same for dinners, and weeks 2 and 4 the same.  This makes things much easier for me with meal prep, plus helps keep costs down if I don’t want to get 46 chicken breasts, for example.

So, here are the meals that I have planned for dinners, as well as the number of times I have them rotated into the plan:

Crockpot Lasagna (2 meals) – In order to keep this THM approved, I will be using lean ground turkey and gluten-free brown rice noodles with low fat cheeses.  YUMMY!!!!  I planned this as our Sunday meal so I can get everything together easily in the morning and know we have a delicious meal waiting for us at night, vice going out to eat, which tends to be easiest usually.  I will prepare the meat and vegetables in advance to make the morning go smoothly.

Slow Cooker Marinara Chicken & Vegetables (2 meals) – This was such a delicious meal (we ate one already).  I kept it simple with some gluten free spiral pasta, and we all enjoyed it!  YUM!  Bonus, my 8 year old daughter took lead on getting it all together.  She loved helping and it was easy enough to make for that to be allowed.

Balsamic Grilled Chicken (2) – I have come to enjoy this meal quite a bit and it is a regular in our OAMC rotations.  It is simple, quick, and delicious on all accounts.  I reduce the oil content of the dish to help keep it more in E territory for THM.  The balsamic vinegar and spices are definitely what make the meal anyway!

Crockpot Lentil Soup (4) – I chose this recipe for its simplicity and ingredients that I always have on hand.  It is a frugal addition to our rotation to help keep costs down, which is why it is a weekly meal.  Plus, I love lentil soup, and nothing says fall like a warm soup at the end of the day!

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas (2) – These looked like a nice and easy meal addition, so we will be giving them a go this time.  Plus, it is easy to bulk up this kind of meal with black beans and brown rice to help stretch it even further.

 Crockpot White Chicken Chili (2) – A simple addition to our frugal rotation.

Garlic Ranch Chicken (2) – I just cook this in the oven at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or on 275F for an hour plus.  I also do not drain the marinade…yummmm!!!!!

Hearty (Cheapo) Chili (2) – SUPER frugal meal rotation, in addition to being super yummy.  I just love chili, and for fall, it’s even better!

Spaghetti Pie (2) – Does this not just sound heavenly?!?!  Again, I am keeping this THM-friendly with brown rice noodles, low fat cheeses, and lean ground turkey.

Dijon Chicken (OAMC) (2) – Another regular rotation for our family.  Very yummy meal.

Easy Meatloaf (2) – To keep this THM-friendly, I am substituting the breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup coconut flour.  This is such a delicious meal to pare with mashed cauliflower.  Another yum…I know it’s repetitive, but I just can’t help myself!

No Dough Pizza (2) – This recipe came from a THM member, so I am currently trying to get a link for it officially.  The link provided is just my Evernote copy.  Looks delicious!

Crockpot Spaghetti (2) – I have a few extras of this sauce in the freezer, so I wanted to make sure it goes into the rotation.  I will use both Gluten-free and Dreamfield’s pasta so that everyone enjoys the meal as best.  Dreamfield’s, though not IDEAL, is a great occasional treat for the THM mama =0)

Other recipes that I am making throughout the month for other meals include:

Muskgo Casserole

Overnight Baked Oatmeal – Use the THM version for the most health-friendly version, in my opinion. =0)

Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal

Italian Chicken Casserole – To make this work for our entire family I am going to use spaghetti squash in place of the noodles.  If we did not have gluten free kids, I would definitely use Dreamfield’s pasta and be in heaven!

There you have it!

And, that’s the month’s plan for our OAMC agenda!  I hope it helps to inspire you, too.

What About You?

Feel inspired yet?  I find that OAMC is the best way to regulate and ensure the best use of all the food we have in the house, so instead of people just randomly foraging, a plan provides structure for everyone and keeps the food well stocked and rotated.  Even if you work in only a few pre-planned meals, I think you will really enjoy the blessings that come along with it!  Willing to give it a try yet?

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