Menu Making

Hi Friends...things are slowly returning to normal in my world and I am feeling a bit better yet.

Today I am working on my menus for the upcoming month or 2. I normally try to do them toward the end of the month for the month after, but with being down since Christmas and financially not being able to do a "big" shopping trip, I have just been making do with what we have. Thank goodness for Honey and his imaginative cooking brain!

I had a bit of a surprise influx of money and my tax refund should be here soon, so I'm planning ahead (finally). Do any of you have a menu or meal plan? I like to do a month at a time so I can plan meals around our schedule and I don't have to think about what's for dinner in a hurry.

I start with my calendar and my Meal Planner. I jot down everything we have going on for the week on the appropriate day on the meal planner. This way, I know if I will need a quick meal or can spend more time in the kitchen or maybe a crockpot meal. It really helps!

 After I have added all the weekly events to the meal planner, I decide what kind of meal I will need to make for each day and write it down Then I write down all the ingredients I will be needing on the "Shopping List" on the left hand side.  I may not have to buy each and every ingredient, but I do need to know what I need. How much time I can spend on prep, do we have an activity that evening, will kids be home or will it be just Honey and I?  Everything plays a part in how I decide what to make for the day.

I keep a list of "favorite meals" handy so I don't have to stress too much and they come in handy on those nights where I forget to take out what I need for that night's meal. They are old favorites that my kids love and some of them are easy peasy like Mac and Cheese, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. I make sure to throw a few of these in each week, but I also try to make a few new meals too.

I have a file folder that I keep new recipes in. These are not the tried and true favorites, but ones I've clipped from magazines or printed from the web that I want to try. If I choose one for the week, I staple it to the back of the meal plan so it is handy.

When I am listing the ingredients on the right side of the meal plan, I make sure to list any spices, oils, butter, etc. that the recipe calls for or that I may need for the meal. It ensures that I won't forget to check for it when I compare the meal plan with my pantry.

I also think about what sort of sweet treats or desserts I would like to make for the week and add those to the menu plan as well, along with the ingredients.

Once I have meals assigned to each day, the shopping list complete and the recipes stapled, I do an inventory and compare the shopping list to what I have in my cupboards. I mark off the list or circle what I need. Then I add what I need to the shopping list.

I will talk about actually doing the shopping later (coupons and such you know...). But for now, I have a month of meal ideas and it is all organized and easy to use.

I hope this helps some of you who struggle with meal planning. I know that it helps at our place! :)