Meatloaf on Monday or Making Do

Yes. I'm going to preface again. This may be a huge "duh moment" or maybe you'll think "why aren't I doing that." Maybe you'll think I'm really pathetic. Sometimes my ideas and expectations are a lot bigger than my energy level, money, or undivided attention. Sometimes things are just harder for our family--I don't want to miss out on anything because of that. If there is a way that I can save money or make do I am all over it!!

I like the idea of Menu planning and KNOW that it will save me money in the long run. I like the *idea* of Once a Month Cooking and LOVE the book Dinners in the Freezer,it just doesn't work for us, right now. I read about a family in Family Fun magazine and I'd like to adapt their adaption :) Remember this Planner I have been raving about where she suggests you double a recipe a week before the holidays. With all that swirling in my head...

Here is what works for me:
What I WANT to do: Once a month or so our whole family takes a Saturday morning or a free evening and makes a BUNCH of one of our favorite dishes...We use the food processor to chop a ton of onions. We're all chopping and mixing and joking and making meatloaf and then for the next few months we make meatloaf once a week. Then we get together and make meatballs. Then....I have run out of meals :) My daughter and I don't eat dairy, my son follows the Feingold diet and doesn't eat tomatoes. We don't eat a lot of casseroles....ANY SUGGESTIONS?

My other dilemma has been the money up front to make more than one meal a day. We were recently given a gift card to a store that had this
on sale. I stocked up on the ingredients for how I make meatloaf :) Not sure if I recommend it but what I do is half ground turkey/half ground beef, oatmeal, spicy mustard, egg, and water.

We quit using Teflon and I have yet to replace all of our baking dishes. I gathered what we have:

and I mixed the meatloaf in my trusty Tupperware freezer containers for better transfer later :) I baked them for 45 minutes and then took out the extra three to cool. I left tonight's dinner (including baked potatoes) to cook another 15 minutes.

I didn't exactly have the time to do this tonight. We had a death in the family and I cant believe I'm planning a trip to ANOTHER funeral (I was on the phone alot) my children didn't do their normal chore and my two year old cried and then ran around outside like a Banchee....but this will give me more time later for training on meatloaf nights...RIGHT??