Diary of a Recipe Addict: May Menu Plan

Here is my May menu plan, a bit early! I am home today with a sick kiddo, so I am taking the opportunity to get ahead. As always, when I do my monthly plan, it is fairly general. I tend to cover all the main dishes for the month and a few extras. I am basically getting the "big" job done & I typically can get my main dishes shopped for. If I think of other things, I add them in to my weekly menu plan that I make before my weekly 'quick' trip to the store. This is when I generally decide on our veggies and side dishes since I generally like to get what looks good & fresh and what is on sale.

People are always surprised/impressed that I do this monthly plan, but the truth is, it makes my life very simple throughout the month. I generally have what I need in my house to make 1 months worth of meals (aside from perishables shopped for weekly). Therefore, I am never left stuck at 5 o'clock realizing I have no clue what to make and I don't have the ingredients I need anyway. This is a guide, I often change things up depending on how much time I have on a particular day for dinner preparation and what we are in the mood for or skip it all together if I feel we have too many leftovers that need to be eaten. I then just carry some of the meals over into the next month.

Many of these recipes are linked to places outside of my own personal blog. Some of the recipes I will follow exactly and others are mainly inspiration and I will change the recipe up according to our tastes and desires. As I go, I try to get my favorites up on my blog along with any changes I made.

1st: Chicken Makhani, Naan, Basmati Rice

2nd: Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

3rd: Mixed Fajitas with Peppers & Onions & Cilantro Lime Rice

4th: Skillet Chicken Breast Aglio e Olio over Rice & Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

5th: Grilled Salmon

6th: My Very Favorite Homemade Pizza Crust & Assorted Toppings

7th: Jalapeno Poppers, Best Steak Marinade in Existence, Steaks, & Oven Baked Parmesan Fries

8th: Killer Club Sandwich & Salt & Vinegar Chips

9th: Chicken and Black Bean Green Enchilada Rice Bake

10th: Kicked Up Ramen Noodles

11th: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

12th: Marinated Grilled Shrimp