On the Menu this September

I have a confession to make: I am absolutely terrible at menu planning lately. I used to love jotting down ideas of what we'd eat for the next few weeks and putting it into execution but ever since we moved to Germany, it's been kind of a chore. I think a big part of it emanates from the fact that even if I had a menu all etched out, I probably would not follow through. Truth is: although I love cooking, it's not been exactly enjoyable in my small uninviting and ill-equipped kitchen (I sometimes wish I had always had the same kitchen and didn't know any better!). Add to the equation little Zahavah and Adrian who seemingly purposely choose this very hour to bicker and instead of a recipe for dinner, we have a recipe for disaster. 

What's for Lunch? - September Menu is Out!

In the end, I decided to change the schedules from last year to allow me to be somewhat "free" an hour before dinner" (4:30-5:30) so I could feed my family more properly for the only meal of the day we all get to share together but also because I am starting to feel the need for some "relaxing" time. Yes, relaxing = cooking! :)

Excited about this new twist, I quickly prepared a menu for the entire month of September minus the week-ends because it's usually a last minute decision as we tend to be out and about. This menu is a lunch menu BUT, what you see listed there is what we ate for dinner the previous day. That's right! Making fresh lunches everyday is time consuming considering everyone in my household expects a "5 star warm meal" and as such, we usually have leftovers from the night before unless of course, there has been miscalculations on my part (read too many second helpings!!!) and we end up having to have the soup of the week or sandwiches. Has there been any complaint about my system? Nope unless the meal from the previous night was previously disliked of course! :)

As you've noticed, our meals always include a protein, and two sides of vegetables unless veggies are included in the dish. In the cases where a grain such as pasta or bread is not listed or part of the dish, slices of whole wheat bread are readily available. For drinks, fat-free milk is served. For dessert, as you can see, fresh fruit is what we prepare. Fruit is, by definition, sweet and my kids love their fruit dessert. They do occasionally have a treat of course but they still need to gobble up their fruit first! :)

I am more than happy to share my menu with all of you interested in having a copy of it. I actually tried to upload my file to a server where everyone could simply download it but without much success I'm afraid. I'm not sure my format will/would download right for non-Macintosh users either honestly. I'm working with a .rtf type of document but I've also scanned it to a friendly jpeg. Of course, my scan didn't grab the fine lines in my table (Technology just loves me, doesn't it?) So anyhow, send me an -mail (sortingsprinkles at gmail dot com) and I'll e-mail you an .rtf or jpeg of the menu if you're interested! By the way, if you are intrigued by some recipes, don't hesitate to ask: I do share! :)

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Today, I'm happily linking up to

 Show-and-Share Saturday, TGIF, Share it Saturday, Mom's Library, The Sunday Showcase, Stress-Free Sunday , Serenity Saturday, Kids in the Kitchen.

If you would like me to link up with you, please don't hesitate to ask, it might take me a week or two, but I generally do!