Okay, so admittedly, I am a terrible menu planner. I don't enjoy cooking unless it's for a special occasion. Don't get me wrong - I'm not necessarily a terrible cook, but with my small kitchen and very little counter space, it's just not that fun to me.
So, to motivate myself throughout the week to cook a meal takes a lot out of me. I have noticed that if I get it all together in the morning hours, it's much easier for me to simply throw it in the oven an hour before dinner time.
So, here's my plea for all of you fabulous menu planners out there... (You know who you are!) Please give me some tips that work for you. Hopefully, if there's anyone like me reading, you too will be encouraged by the comments that come in.
So, please, please, tell me what works for you as you plan your weekly menu. How do find time and motivate yourself to get it all together by dinner time. Maybe you have a system of cooking multiple meals at a time? Maybe you rotate your menus to make it simple? I'd love to know what works for you!
7 Comments:
I choose one cookbook. Then I spend an evening choosing several recipes from that book. I make my grocery list based on those recipes, and also on the sales of anything I want. Some things I want won't have coupons or be on sale, but I just cannot make my menu around only buying on sale and using coupons. That just doesn't work for me. I do manage to save some money using coupons I have, or ones I can find, but if I can't find any for an item, I don't worry about it. That is stressful for me to spend a lot of time searching for coupons. I find that by shopping for a few weeks worth at a time saves money anyway. My last grocery bill was 230$ after coupons. That was 2 weeks ago. And I still have a good week and half left of food to prepare.
I will shop for about 3 weeks of dinners at a time. (knowing I won't cook everyday) I don't have to cook everyday because there are always leftovers. I maybe cook three times a week. As large of quantity of the prepared dinner that I can get.
All I have to return to the grocery store for is for milk, bread, OJ, lunch meats,and other items that have come up for sale that I know I will want.
I prepare dinner in the afternoon while baby sleeps. Refrigerate it if necessary, and then cook it up at dinner time while the kids play. If I am using rice in a lot of recipes, I will cook a LOT of it at once. Then refrigerate it until I need it.
Having a menu plan is a sanity saver, and we have a variety of dinners over several weeks.
My motivation is that I know I don't want the stress of coming up with something to cook. I can take an hour and make the menu, then another day, I will take a few minutes and gather coupons I will need based on my list. I keep all my coupons in a hanging file folder on my desk. I write my shopping list my category: diary, frozen, etc..and paper clip the coupons I am using onto my shopping list.
I am very much a meal planner! I know what we are having for dinner 3 weeks out - and when someone throws a monkey wrench in my plans, well, it doesn't go over well! I make the majority of my dinners in advance and freeze them - even items that will go in the crock pot to cook all day. I will make vegetable soup just as if I were putting it in the crock pot, then freeze it uncooked and flat in freezer bags. I take the bag out of the freezer the night before, then throw it in the crock pot to cook on low all day.
I also bulk cook. If you don't know what it is, it goes like this. Lets say you are making spaghetti for dinner one night, why not go ahead and cook enough hamburger for vegetable soup another night? OR, go all out and cook double or triple the amount you need and freeze it in portions that are appropriate for whatever dish you will be making for your families in the future. When I make spaghetti sauce, I make enough to freeze half of it for another meal. When I cook casseroles, I cook two of them and freeze one. You get the idea. If you will take one afternoon and bulk cook, you will be set for a couple of weeks. Then all you have to do is add a salad and veggie to your main course.
This is one thing I've definitely mastered - now I need to become at pro at couponing!
Hope that helps a bit!
I'm not one of those fabulous menu planners, but I find my life is much easier if I take the time to figure out the week's dinners.
I put a monthly calendar in front of me and pick a theme dinner for each week. Some are easy like St. Patrick's Day or Cinqo de Mayo. Others require more effort like Snowball Party or Picnic Night. Sometimes I get my 3yo son to help with decorations or, if he's able, part of the meal preparation.
Once my theme dinners are in place, I can plan one week at a time using leftovers from that dinner and grocery store loss leaders.
Hi Stephanie!! Thank you for stopping by my blog. Wow, you have a great blog - so organized and easy to read! I love it that you have a weekly schedule for the blog.
I am very disorganized & scatter mined (yes, I have ADD). Thus, having structure in my life is extremely important - a menu plan is a lifeline for me.
I always keep a little notebook handy. So I can take memos whenever I find great recipes & refer back to them when I menu plan.
Cooking websites - such as http://www.foodnetwork.com,
http://www.marthastewart.com/food,
http://allrecipes.com/
http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus are also great. I just type whatever ingredients I have in my refrigerator or on sale at nearby stores in a search box & they instantly provide a list of great recipes.
Also my rule is to make a menu plan in one sitting - otherwise I'll lose what I'd already planned.
I have used e-mealz for almost 3 years and I love it!! Recommended by Dave Ramsey. For $1.25 a week, they plan my 7 dinners for the week and give me a grocery list and simple recipe instructions and the best part is they coordinate the menu items with the sales at Publix. You can tailor your menu to your family desires...low-fat, weight watchers, family of 6, family of 2, etc... The only time I spend on it go to login and print my 2 sheets of paper (grocery list and recipes), and cross out which meal(s) I may not cook that week. For us, feeding 5, I spend $65-$85 a week. And we're big eaters.
I hope this link works.
Thanks Steph, for all of your help and time you put into helping us.
Amy Johnston
http://www.e-mealz.com/
I'm inspired by magazine, food websites and cookbooks. Sometimes I get request from the husband and son. I also try to have a balanced menu plan.
We have a $700 food budget so I can purchase things like organic fruits, veggies, and meats.
That's what works for us.
Yes, I am one of those people. I plan at least 3 weeks out. First, I get out a notepad and write in a column... S, M, T, W, R (everyday for all three weeks - you get the point). I then check the calendar to see if we have anything going on during those days that may require a really quick meal or a slow cooker meal. I make a note of that on the notepad.
I have lots of cookbooks and I just really go through and look for recipes I like. I also ask Ryan and the kiddos if they have any special requests. I also try to use up perishable ingredients during the 3 weeks. Like if I have to get sour cream for one recipe, I will pick other recipes that require sour cream. This way I can buy in bulk and save money.
I also always have chicken and ground turkey in my freezer and that helps a lot. Again I buy in bulk and save money there.
After I have planned out the menu for the three weeks, I pick three or four more meals that I can make super quick - just in case something comes up!! Like tomatoe soup and grill cheese, chicken stir-fry, etc. I put that list on the upper corner of the notepad in its own special box - I told you I can be OCD at times. :)
As we go through the days, I mark through the recipes we have made. That way, if something comes up - we go out to eat or use a quick meal - I am not thrown for a loop.
I put my list on the refrigerator so I can look at it every night and put whatever meat I need, to thaw in the refrig.
Okay, those are my thougts. I am sure the couponing thing will throw a wrench in there somewhere - I am still trying to get the swing of couponing!!!
Hope this helps!
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