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MelissaClaire
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 4:12pm | IP Logged
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What's your strategy? Do you plan a week/month at a time? Do you have set things like--one night's a crock pot, meatless, beef, chicken, fish, pasta, grill, soup, mexican night, etc--any method to the madness of planning?
Anyone care to share their menus?
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Melissa
Mom to a dd ('02), ds ('03), ds ('05), dd ('07) and baby due 9/01/09
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 11:01pm | IP Logged
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Yes, yes and yes 
I try to plan menus 2 weeks at a time-during the fall/winter and spring. First week is the big shop and I get everything I can(dry, meats, etc.) and the second week I just run in for dairy and produce. I tried monthly but it was just too much for me dealing with putting away and planning. During the summer plans change so much I shop once a week. Some menu items move to the next week since we went out to eat or whatever.
I love Saving Dinner and have tried to use her method of weekly crock-pot(or I substitute leftover's or other quick dinner), fish, pasta, meatless and beef and chicken. When I have a bad week or just don't feel like figuring out a menu I pick a week in her book and get a little break. We have found some favorites in her book and they are pretty easy to put together. I love she puts the side dishes in too!
I am cleaning out my freezer right now so may not follow my "normal" variety of main dishes  but here is a quick look at this week:
-chili(freezer)/rice/cornbread/vegie
-homemade pizza(dough in machine), salad, cut up vegie tray for kids
-Hoisen Chicken from freezer, rice, salad, carrots or ALAZing dinner from freezer
-baked fish, potatoes, broccoli
-zucchini garden chowder, bread, cheese.
-Apricot chicken, cous cous, vegie
Anne
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nissag
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 10:01am | IP Logged
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I have been working on this for our own home for a while now. I knew I needed to organize my meal planning better and tried a few different things. Nothing quite worked, until I snitched an idea off my friend Jen which slotted in perfectly with the plan I already had.
We plan one home-made pizza night a week and an eat-out every other week, we also observe meatless Fridays year-round. I like to marathon cook (putting up lots of meals in the freezer) so that we can take something out and warm it up for dinner. It controls the costs of groceries (saves us about 30% overall) and controls ingredients as well. It sure makes sticking to a dietary change MUCH easier - the portions are pre-determined as well.
We are now making little index menu cards. Each one has a menu for a complete meal on one side, with the shopping list on the reverse. That's the snitchable from Jen. I keep the laminated recipes in a binder so that anyone can make it if I'm indisposed. You can use this system whether or not you marathon cook.
You simply pull out cards from the deck before grocery shopping, making your list from the ingredients lists on the backs of the cards. I have a pre-printed shopping list that I highlight and put the quantity needed. Start by choosing a dozen favorite meals and grow from there. I'm working on adding breakfast menus and luncheon menus as well.
I bake once a week - on a Tuesday - for the entire week. Breads, pastries... Then they go into the freezer to be thawed and eaten as needed.
We also run out for dairy and fresh produce (fruits and salad), but that's all. And soon we may not need to do dairy runs since we're planning to have dairy goats, and our chickens should begin laying in a few weeks.
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Nissa
Deacon's wife, mother of eleven, farmer, teacher, creator, cook.
At Home With the Gadbois Family
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MommyD
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 10:46am | IP Logged
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I don't really meal plan because I "over plan" (my family is happy with baked chicken breast, frozen veg and salad; I'd plan ricotto and spinach stuffed chicken, green beans with onions and almonds and a light pear and blue cheese salad  ).
What works for me is to keep the pantry stocked with food we usually eat.
The absolute BEST thing I've ever done in the kitchen was to make a master grocery list. I went to the grocery store without the kids for a few hours and made a map of the store. I made the list in the order I go around the store so I don't have to back track. I listed each aisle number and then the things in that aisle I normally buy with a few blank lines to write things in during the week. I keep the list on the fridge and I highlight the items I need.
For me, the best way to save $$ is to stay out of the store. When I was just making a list, I would write "milk" and then not buy enough to last until the next planned trip (I shop every 2 weeks). My Master list has the quantities I need to make it through 2 weeks. Now I save time and $$ by not running to the store so often.
This little experiment has been quite successful!!
Melissa
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nissag
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 11:15am | IP Logged
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MommyD wrote:
| I don't really meal plan because I "over plan" (my family is happy with baked chicken breast, frozen veg and salad; I'd plan ricotto and spinach stuffed chicken, green beans with onions and almonds and a light pear and blue cheese salad ) |
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Yummy! That would be a hit at my house! Dittoes on the grocery list. I love mine, too. It makes shopping easy.
Mainstays for my marathon cooking are baked beans (in the fall/winter), soups, and lasagna. And I have a ricotta and spinach stuffed chicken breast (with roasted red peppers) that everyone really loves. I generally serve it with sauteed zucchini and yellow squash with vidalia onions and thyme. Delish! Pear and bleu cheese sounds scrummy!
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Nissa
Deacon's wife, mother of eleven, farmer, teacher, creator, cook.
At Home With the Gadbois Family
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
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I only plan a week at a time--I need to have some wiggle room in our meal schedule, as we often pick up produce from family (my parents have a fruitful garden), and I like to make use of it. Since we are still a small family, many of the meals I make last two days, so I plan leftovers into the schedule as well.
We eat a simple, meatless dish every Friday, and I cook something special on Saturday that will last for Sunday too, since we try to observe a fairly strict "day of rest."
Other than that, I fill the days with whatever meals can be made from seasonal, on-sale foods. I usually do a regular grocery run every other week, and my husband makes a run to Trader Joe's during his lunch hour every other week. I am a very thrifty grocery shopper, so we rely on simple meals that do not require many fancy or pricey ingredients.
The first week's meals after my grocery run include more "new" recipes; the second week includes more stand-by's and pantry- or freezer-dependent meals. My husband is very easy to please food-wise, but I do try to add some variety in for myself. Right now I'm working through some of the recipes in Saving Dinner.
I have only been planning meals for a few months now, but I have to say that it has made such a difference in my ability to serve up timely, healthy meals on a daily basis. And my husband is loving it; he gets a kick out of checking out the weekly schedule on the fridge. I think he feels like he's back in his elementary school cafeteria--but with better food, I hope!
I'm loving all the ideas here--especially the meal card idea, Nissa. Please, ladies, more sharing! 
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Blessings,
Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
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Lori B
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 5:59pm | IP Logged
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I plan my menu, then repeat it every week for about six weeks or so. No meal is assigned to a particular day, I just make whatever I feel like/ have time for each day. I take into account seasonal produce, outdoor temps, etc.
Right now, our weekly dinners are:
1. pasta with meat sauce or meatballs, onions, peppers and zuchini
2. herbed chicken in the crock (whole or pieces, whatever is on sale) with new potatoes and new carrots
3. baked fish or fish cakes with steamed green beans or broccoli
4. pork loin with cold broccoli and cauliflower salad
5. burgers and salad (with chips or fries for a treat)
6. mini pizzas and salad (always on Saturday, because Hubby makes them  )
7. meatless on Friday (usually eggs or a Big Salad with loads of protein-rich add ons like chopped hard-boiled eggs, chick peas and nuts)
Right now these meals fit our schedule and don't heat up the house too much. We are outside as much as possible, so I need low-prep meals, and since we eat seasonally and organic, I need to take advantage of what is available. Near the end of the summer, we'll be putting together another menu that will take us into early Autumn, and that menu will reflect the chilly weather, busy hockey schedules, and difference in available produce.
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 7:16pm | IP Logged
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I'm just making myself commit to easy this year and am implementing Saving Dinner menus. Of course, we'll have to be flexible, but for most weeks, I'll use her lists and menus from the book. Just too easy to resist. Hopefully most of it will be good!
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Topic: Meal planners?
