Weekly Meal Planning
#11
  Re: (...)
Does anyone have any great tips for weekly meal planning/shopping? I have always been a figure it out the day of kind of gal - and it has worked well until lately. But with the kids much more active/activites, homeschooling , summer fun and activites going on - I am finding that at 4pm I am realizing I don't have anything planed for dinner or defrosted.

I have tried the Mastercook menu planing software and if I could make myself sit down and actually do it - I think it would help. My problem is If I do, do it, the day it comes to that meal - I don't feel like making it. Or I plan too many casseroles, or a week full of difficult time consuming dishes (because those are our favorites!). And it is too overwehlming.

What has worked the best for you? Do you have a plan like Italian night/soup and salad nigh/friday fish day? What have you found that works and keeps things diverse and not overly carb loaded (Lots of casseroles! - dh is not a casserole fan).

Thanks for any tips! Also know that many nights I am cooking two dinners (at different times) We like pretty spicy things and the kids eat pretty early, about 5:45pm. So even though it is harder on me - dh and I usually eat after the kids are in bed - it also gives us time to reconnect for the day.

Sorry so long winded.
Erin
Mom to three wonderful 7th graders!
The time is flying by.
Reply
#12
  Re: Weekly Meal Planning by esgunn (Does anyone have any...)
That is not long winded Erin, it is great! I do understand how you feel about 'set menus', if I have a rigid schedule I find, like you, that just not what I want when it comes to cooking it. I buy all my meat in meal sized portions. I may have twenty different cuts of various meats, and when I get home I trim and prepare them ready for use. Then repack, label, ready for use. I pack as 'flat' as I can for shorter defrosting.

Then all go into one plastic carry bag, and I use them from that bag. Roasts and the larger things I generally buy and refridgerate. Spuds, kumara, onions and the like I buy in large quantities, saves dragging stuff back from the supermarket, same with liquids, (they are heavy) except milk and cream. Fresh greens and fruit are bought every five days or so, using the easiest spoiled first. A vacumn seal thingy is a great help. I don't think this will address your prob. in partic. but I hope it might help.
Reply
#13
  Re: Weekly Meal Planning by esgunn (Does anyone have any...)
Erin, my daughter asked me to help her simplify meal planning and grocery shopping. I wrote a list of their favorite meal plans that she actually uses. We came up with enough for 3 weeks. Under each meal, I listed the ingredients needed.

Next, I made her several copies of a shopping list that is in Microsoft Works. I'll send it to you if you need it.

All she has to do each week is look at her list, decide which meals to make, and check off her shopping list what she knows isn't in her pantry or frig/freezer. To keep track of this, I suggested that she circle the menu plan numbers for the week or write them down on the grocery list.

Now, she takes her list with her to work, and on the way home, BEFORE she picks up the girls, she zooms through the grocery store once a week and knocks out her shopping pretty quickly.

She has been doing this for a month now and says it's working out pretty well. I'm constantly watching for quick and easy meals for her to try, and if they like them, then it goes on the list.

Hope this helps, you sound like a very busy mom.

Maryann
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
Reply
#14
  Re: Re: Weekly Meal Planning by vannin (That is not long win...)
I'm pretty much like you Erin. I tried to plan ahead but it never worked. These days I just have vague ideas of what I want to fix and usually a couple of ideas using the same main ingredients just in case I change my mind. Like tomorrow I plan on a pork chop/potato casserole or something using a pork loin which is thawing as we speak. Definite plans just don't work here usually.
Don't wait too long to tell someone you love them.

Billy
Reply
#15
  Re: Re: Weekly Meal Planning by bjcotton (I'm pretty much like...)
In an effort to simplify (read reduce stress) and still enjoy family meals and home cooking (a family priority), my husband and I menu plan on Friday nights or Saturday mornings for the next week. We have one teenage girl still at home and the boy is home from college for the summer. We ask each of the kids if there is something they'd like to have for dinner that week. Sometimes there's something they're craving, sometimes not. I never say no to the kids' suggestions and I involve them in the preparation of their choice whenever possible.

We look at the calendar for the week - how many games/concerts/work commitments... Check what's on hand... Look through cookbooks... Then between the two of us we choose meals for the week. We don't always decide which meal is for which night, just choices for the week.

Then I check the pantry and make a complete shopping list. (I also keep a notecard on the frig to write down staples that need to be replenished as I notice the need. This is where my daughter also writes what she's interested in having for snacks.) I do one major errand and grocery run for the week and shop from my list.

When we first started this I was so happy that there was less pressure on Mom to come up with all the ideas, and everything needed to make the meal was on hand and defrosted. The bonus was my grocery bill went down by about 25% because there's much less waste and it's become a family/couple activity.

Worked out really, really well at my house. It doesn't take extra time to do this. I think it probably saves time in the long run.
Reply
#16
  Re: Re: Weekly Meal Planning by HomeCulinarian (In an effort to simp...)
Erin, what I've found works for us - but, keep in mind it's just the two of us now - is, I look thru recipes for ideas or reminders of dishes, then I make a list on a tablet for at least 5 dinners. I stick the recipes, or if no recipe, just a note to jar my memory, into the tablet.

That way everything is together and I can make a grocery list from that. But, I would suggest leaving 2 or 3 nites open for grabbing from the frig/freezer/take out for the open nites.

You don't even want to know what I did when the kids were home!! (I'll tell anyway) - Every Sat. a.m. I would cook for Sat., Sun., Mon., Tues, Wed. - then thursday was 'clean the frig' nite. Oh my, the family always felt like they were at a smorgasboard (sp??) on thursdays!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
Reply
#17
  Re: Re: Weekly Meal Planning by cjs (Erin, what I've foun...)
Quote:

Oh my, the family always felt like they were at a smorgasboard (sp??) on thursdays!




When we had all 4 kids at home, we did something similar. Except we called it Smorgas Borgas night.

I didn't cook all weekend for the week, though. Would have missed too many swim meets and baseball games!
Reply
#18
  Re: Re: Weekly Meal Planning by HomeCulinarian ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
Jean, I used to do something similar to your method when I worked. I would spend 3-4 hours once or twice a week making meals for a couple days at a time. Also, I made great use of the crockpot, although Ron would get tired of that, so I would watch how often I used it.

Maryann
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
Reply
#19
  Re: Re: Weekly Meal Planning by Mare749 (Jean, I used to do s...)
At my house, if there were leftovers, I wrapped them in aluminum foil. It was probably Thursday at home, too...lol.

That 'Thursday', I'd heat all those pkgs up and everyone chose the one(s) that they wanted. It was mystery meal night.
Jan

Please spay and neuter your pets.
Reply
#20
  Re: Weekly Meal Planning by esgunn (Does anyone have any...)
I do a rough two week schedule (rotating beef, fish, pork, chicken) figuring to use the oldest items in the freezer first. I leave about 1/3 of the days open for fresh specials that appear in the Sunday paper. I like to use the more expensive cuts of meat fresh rather than freeze them. Menu gets finalized when I know what will be bought that week, often altered based on the fresh veggie(s) of the week. Everything gets bought on special at a significant savings and is either used fresh or frozen. IMHO specials are usually better quality in addition to being a lower price. Everything that goes into the freezer is dated and used in approximate order of purchase. Regarding specific recipes, I have manila folders that have favorites within each category or new recipes that I want to try. I pull the recipes for the week and see if there are any ingredients that I don't have on hand, and buy on my next trip to town. I live 15 miles from town and only go there once a week, so organization is a must. I keep a Penzeys list and order when I have enough items, always comfortably in advance of using the last of them.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)