Happy first day of May! I hope you’re enjoying the warm spring weather as much as I am. There’s just something about the sunshine, green grass, and budding trees that brings new life to my soul. And now that some of our daily activities are coming to a close, I have more time to spend in the kitchen preparing nutritious-yet-frugal meals for my family. So, without further ado, I give you the monthly menu plan for May 2013.

Week One – This week, I’m bringing out the Easter ham leftovers I froze last month, not so much because I’m dying to eat ham soup but because I’ve been looking for a reason to make my no-knead bread. Nothing goes better with the bread than a nice pot of soup!

May 1 – Fried Chicken
May 2 – Ham Soup with No-Knead Bread
May 3 – Calzones
May 4 – Biscuits & Gravy

Week Two – I’m celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year with plain-old boring tacos. What can I say? It’s a meal everybody likes, and it’s quick and easy to make. Asian, American, and Italian cuisine round out the week.

May 5 – Tacos
May 6 – Kung Pao Chicken with Rice
May 7 – Easy Beef Stroganoff
May 8 – Spaghetti & Meatballs
May 9 – Sloppy Joes and Potato Chips
May 10 – Roasted Chicken
May 11 – Homemade Pizza

Week Three – With summer softball games ramping up, I’m turning back to the Crock Pot this week, introducing a quick and easy way to make chicken fajitas. Watch for the recipe coming soon!

May 12 – Poppyseed Chicken
May 13 – Spaghetti and Meatballs
May 14 – Crock-Pot Chicken Fajitas
May 15 – Fried Fish & Potatoes
May 16 – Creamy Beef & Noodles
May 17 – Tacos
May 18 – Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Week Four – I’m bringing back my favorite three-in-one meat dish this week: Rotisserie-Style Roasted Chicken. It will turn into Chicken & Wild Rice Soup on Monday and Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake on Thursday. (I love saving money!)

May 19 – Roasted Chicken
May 20 – Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
May 21 – Hearty Steak Pie
May 22 – Jambalaya with Yeast Rolls
May 23 – Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
May 24 – Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
May 25 – Brats

Week Five – This week, I’m trying out a new Crock-Pot recipe, only this time, I’ll be mixing up all the ingredients and freezing them way ahead of time. That way, all I have to do is thaw the mixture 24 hours before cooking, plop it in the Crock Pot, and dinner is done!

May 26 – Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
May 27 – Fried Chicken
May 28 – Chicken Fajitas
May 29 – Slow-Cooker Creamy Pork Chops & Potatoes
May 30 – Macaroni and Cheese with Hot Dogs
May 31 – Spaghetti & Meatballs