March is a super changeable month, and this week, as opposed to last week, we have some very spring-like weather! So, this week, I’ve handpicked a springlike, Lenten 7-day meal plan directly from my 1950s menus, taking the guesswork out of your weekly dining. So rediscover the joy of cooking from scratch with these comforting midcentury menus for Meal Plan Monday.
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Vintage Menus For the End of Winter
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These are meals that I make for my own family.
At the end of February, it’s always Lent, and as a Catholic, I fast during Lent. But I have a lot of children who aren’t of age for fasting, you’ll see milk at every meal still. Maria von Trapp talks about how everyone eats fish for every day of Lent, including Sunday, traditionally, so those are the kind of meals I picked for this week. However, Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day, and the traditional exemption for a major feast has been granted, so — bring on the corned beef and cabbage!
Although I love to cook 1950s menus, I usually use 1940s and 1930s recipes because they use far fewer prepared foods and are mostly made from scratch.
Monday Menu
Breakfast
- Pineapple juice
- Oatmeal for the children
- Toast
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Onion soup for the children
- Lettuce sandwiches for the children; toast for fasting
- Stewed fruit for the children
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Avocado cocktail
- Baked fish steaks
- Rice with peas and carrots
- Rye bread and butter
- Tossed green salad
- Sherried fruit
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Tuesday Menu
Breakfast
- Grapefruit juice
- Hot wheat cereal for the children
- Toast
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Bean soup
- Cornbread
- Celery and radishes
- Stuffed prunes
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Chilled pineapple juice
- Broiled white fish fillets
- Cuban yellow rice
- Braised greens
- Hard rolls
- Tropical fruit salad
- Flambeed baked bananas
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Wednesday Menu
Breakfast
- Orange juice
- Oatmeal for children
- Toast
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Macaroni and tomato sauce for children
- Toast for adults
- Celery and carrot sticks for children
- Stewed raisins for children
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Grapefruit cocktail
- Trout meuniere
- Cottage potatoes
- Carrot balls
- Hard rolls
- Coleslaw
- Cherry cobbler
- Coffee for adults; milk for children
Thursday Menu
Breakfast
- Pineapple juice
- Oatmeal for children
- Toast
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Pea soup for children
- Bread and butter for children, toast for adults
- Cherry gelatin
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Frozen tomato cocktail
- Baked white fish with herbs
- Mashed potatoes
- Peas
- Bread and butter
- Tossed green salad
- Frozen fruit cocktail
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Friday Menu (Fish for Fridays, Always)
Breakfast
- Orange juice
- Oatmeal for children
- Toast
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Lunch
- Tuna-fish sandwiches for children
- Raw vegetable sticks for children
- Toast for adults
- Vanilla cake
- Tea for adults, milk for children
Dinner
- Tomato juice cocktail
- Broiled salmon
- Wild rice pilaf
- Broccoli
- Tossed green salad
- Stewed peaches with raspberry sauce
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Saturday Menu
Breakfast
- Grapefruit juice
- Hot wheat cereal for children
- Toast
- Coffee for adults; cocoa for children
Lunch
- Neapolitan pizza for children
- Tossed salad for children
- Milkshakes for children
- Tea and toast for adults
Dinner
- Onion soup
- French-fried shrimp with cocktail sauce
- French fries
- Sauteed spinach
- Cucumber-onion salad
- Peach crisp
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Sunday Menu (St. Patrick’s Day)
Breakfast
- Orange cups
- Dates in wheat cereal with top milk
- Sausage links
- Pancakes with syrup
- Coffee for adults, cocoa for children
Old-Fashioned Sunday Dinner
- Bouillion
- Corned beef with mustard
- Boiled potatoes
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Soda bread
- Clover salad
- Clover-leaf cake (Devil’s food with Swiss meringue)
- Coffee for adults, milk for children
Sunday Supper
- Baked beans
- Brown bread
- Baked apples
- Cocoa for all
If you would like, you can check out the rest of my mid-century dinner menus. And if you make the menus, share a pic on Instagram and tag me! (Are you following me on Instagram? I share a lot of vintage homemaking quick wins over here!)
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