I'm a planner. I can't help it. I think it's in my blood. I've been a planner since I was a wee one. And now I see it's hereditary. My kids are planners.
As a planner I plan my meals for the week.
This post may be dreadfully boring for some of you - so skip it.
BUT - I've been asked on numerous occasions to share my menu planning tips. So here you go. I'm also including a link to the recipes I'm cooking on the side-bar. You're getting it all today!
1) I sit down on Friday afternoon with my pen, paper, and weekly flyers. I check out the grocery sales for the week. I take inventory (mentally) of what I have in the fridge, freezer and pantry. I consult my Google calendar for extracurricular events and meetings for the coming week.
2) Once I've done ALL that I make a menu for the week - considering sale items and what we currently have in the house. Most weeks I include breakfast, lunch and dinner in the menu. I find that I waste less food and spend less money if I plan out all of our eating. (I told you I'm a planner!).
3) Next step is obvious - I make my grocery shopping list, do my groceries and then my least favorite task, putting away the groceries - I wish I could hire someone to do that for me.
Now - this was probably a bad week to post start my weekly menu posts since we have a holiday and a birthday thrown in there. But here you go, our menu for the week.
Monday:
dinner at the Kuikens (told you it was a weird week to do this!)
Tuesday:
Crock Pot Chicken (threw a whole chicken and two extra breasts in the crockpot with some salt, pepper, paprika and fresh rosemary - on high for 1 hour, on low for another 6 hours)
Crasher Hot Potatoes (loved this one - keeping it in rotation)
Edemamas and Corn
Wednesday:
Rainbow Trout (grilled)
Spinach Tomato Tortellini
Thursday:
New Years Party
Cowboy Nachos - complete with the beef brisket, pinto beans and pico de galio
(all the recipes can be linked to from the Cowboy Nacho link)
Friday:
Eden's birthday
Pizza and Caesar Salad
Saturday:
Chicken Pot Pie in Bread Bowls
(already made the filling with the left-over chicken and broth from tonight's crock pot chicken)
Sunday:
Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Leek and Coconut Milk Soup
Homemade Bread (I'll double the bread bowl recipe and make mini-loaves of bread for Sunday's meal)
Plus I'm counting on having loads of left-overs from the beef brisket used for the Cowboy nachos. I'll freeze some and use some for lunches.
Breakfast and lunch menu are kind of boring since it's mostly cereal or muffins for breakfast and french toast or quesadillas and a smoothie for lunch. I'll let you imagine that I feed my family hot breakfast and three course lunches when the truth is that I tell them what their options are and they fend for themselves.
Happy cooking! I truly love menu planning - so if you want a little advice let me know.
5 comments:
I too am a planner, although I've not been so good the last month or 2.
I typically sit down and do up a supper schedule for each month.
We sit down with the family calendar and each of the kids picks 2 or 3 meals each, and yes some nights we eat home made mac and cheese, or eggs, bacon and toast. Makes them each feel like they get to make some decisions around here.
I fill in the rest, and then make a grocery list. I still have to make a couple extra trips during the month for more fruit, milk etc.
I also keep in mind that sometimes things come up and we may switch a meal or 2 around.
Yeah for planning! Nothing annoys me more than searching thru the cupboards at 5pm figuring out what is for supper!
Oohh, chicken pot pie in a bread bowl? I'll have to try that!! I can totally relate to your system - flyers are my best friend! I love menu planning, makes things so much easier, and you try so many more new recipes because you are planning to have all of the necessary ingredients on hand and there's no last minute quick meals being thrown in as a means to an end! :)
Thanks for posting this! Once you have kids - ESPECIALLY after the second one (I think..) you really need to buckle down and take the time to plan.
Two questions....
How do you fit it all in your fridge??? And what mixing machine do you have - ?? (mmm, those cinnamon pinwheels were delicious!)
CUTE apron Miss. Glamorous housewife!!
Nice apron!
And great planning ideas too. Thanks for sharing.
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