So last week was the first time I tried planning out the whole months menu in advance, and I have to say I really like it. I got several e-mails and comments (which I always love). So I thought I answer a few.
1. Do you always stick to your menu?
- I’ll be the first to admit I don’t always stick to my menu. Nine times out of ten I will, but we all have our days. You know the days… where you forgot to go to the store, turn on the crockpot or you're just to dang tired to actually cook. Yesterday was one of those days, so I went and picked up Papa Murphy’s Pizza. I still had to turn my oven on... and I even made a salad. That counts for something right? ;) So no I’m not perfect and don’t always stick to my menu… but I do try to.
2. That seems like so much work and time.
- I promise it’s not. It will save you HOURS! When I don’t have a menu I waste so much time thinking about what I’m going to make for dinner. Then when I actually think of something I have to run to the store because I don’t have all the ingredients. Trust me it will save you time, energy and money. If you plan it out, you can use the same ingredients for several meals.
For example: When I make salsa, I usually plan a few Mexican dishes back to back. Okay and we use it for a few midnight snacks. :) Another thing I will do is cook up enough meat for several meals in a crockpot. I will throw in 6 chicken breasts and usually divide it out into 3 containers. One for tacos, one for baked ziti and another for BBQ chicken salad. That way I only have to add the seasonings or sauce. Easy peasy! I’m all about finding shortcuts.
3. Where do you find all your recipes?
- Here’s what I did for last months menu. First I wrote down all of my go-to recipes. You know the ones you know by heart and don’t have to think twice about. So that was about ten of them. Then I pulled out my cookbooks. They may have had dust gathered on top of them… but once I dug in I found all kinds of yummy recipes. I’m so used to just pulling recipes online that I hadn’t realized what I was missing out on. In fact I had so many recipes I wanted to try I had to start putting them on next months menu. And let me tell you, I LOVE trying new recipes. Sure sometimes I try a new recipe and it’s a complete fail, but lots of times I find our “new favorite meal”. You know the ones you want to make every single week because they are that good.
So here’s my challenge to you for next month… or even next week. Pull out the calendar and start menu-planning. Add some of your favorite recipes and then try a few new ones. And if you find any good recipes I’d love for you to send them my way. I’m always looking for some new recipes to try!
Thank you to P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? program and Kroger for sponsoring my writing about trying new things and breaking out of my everyday routine. Click here to find great savings on high-performing P&G products at a Kroger store near you. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
I also managed to make a full month's menu for March, and I am loving it! It takes lots of the pressure off... even when making a grocery list for the week I am scrambling to think about what I can make that next week. Now it's already decided, and it didn't take but 25 minutes or so with my favorite cookbooks handy to make my life that much easier! :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom is ALWAYS trying to get me to plan meals. I have in the past and I think I stick to it for a day or two. I get so discouraged when things aren't going right. Like life. But who doesn't have that issue?
ReplyDeleteI'm commiting myself to meal planning for a week. I can't do a month but I week, I can.
Thanks for sharing.
How do you cook your chicken in the crockpot ahead of time? I'm always looking for ways to cut down on prep-time and know how to prepare pre-cooked chicken would definitely help! I'd appreciate it! :)
ReplyDeleteJamielyn-
ReplyDeleteDo you also meal plan breakfast and lunch? Dinner I do weekly, but I can't get it together for the other two...
Hello, if you are looking for a good one, try our family favorite jambalaya. The link to the recipe is here: http://thekellynewlyweds.blogspot.com/2011/03/favorite-family-recipe-jambalaya.html
ReplyDeleteNo photos of the finished product this time, but I will make again in a few weeks and post the photos. Love this one!
This year I've been trying to make at least one new recipe a week. I think its worked so far. Some weeks I make too. I do need to be better at planning meals though, because I make so many grocery store trips
ReplyDeleteYou inspired me, I need to start making a menu! Thanks for all your great tips and tricks I love reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteKrystine
http://lucyluvinyl.blogspot.com/
I have been wanting to do this F.O.R.E.V.E.R.!!! I just don't have the drive to sit down and do it the first time!! I promise, though, I'll give it a good solid try this time!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your sweet comment on my blog too! I just have a cheap Black & Decker jigsaw that my mom got me as a gift about 6 or 7 yrs. ago. Probably cost under $20 and up until now, my hubby has been the only one to use it! I'm officially obsessed, though!
I menu plan for 2 weeks - then I do major grocery shopping twice a month. It works great for us because our fresh food lasts about that long - and I don't have to think for a whole month! But all in all we love menu planning...saves time and money!
ReplyDeleteI have done a months worth of menus for years now...I love it. Like you we have our "pizza" nights and will occasionally switch up the meals on certain nights, but it has been such a saver for me to not have to think about what's for dinner EVERY night...now just to come up with about 60 different dinners to throw into the rotation :)
ReplyDeleteI just started doing a weekly menu and man, does it save me time and $$. I don't waste nearly as much food and I use what's in my pantry. When I get my ad (I only shop @ Sprouts), I plan my menu/recipes around what's on sale and what I already have on hand. With a newborn in the house, it makes cooking dinner and preparing lunches a snap! I might think of doing a monthly meal plan...'cause the week fly's by so fast!
ReplyDeleteLive is so much easier when you have all the meals and ingredients planned out! I did for 7 days and so far we haven't ate out this week which is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI will certainly try the challenge. I totally need to. I don't cook. I am a fast food junkie. They know me by name. How sad is that? Maybe I'll borrow a crock pot from someone and try the precook chicken thing. So clever I don't know what I never thought of it.
ReplyDeleteHere is my issue and maybe some commenter out there can help. I am a huge picky eater. But even I get tired of mac and cheese every week. I am pretty much anti veggie. I have just learned not to force them on myself or I run to the nearest fast food place to make up for it. Any suggestions? Any blogger out there posting recipes for picky eaters?
I am inspired to try this challenge too...it will take a lot of pressure off at the end of each day. Love your Blog!
ReplyDeleteI have been doing monthly menus for a few years now. I must say, it is a time & money saver for us. I don't duplicate a dinner, unless it's a favorite.
ReplyDeleteI have an extremely picky eater, and we make it work. I even let him get involved with planning and preparing (time allowing) the meals. This really helps him want to eat more things.
I am willing to switch days, but I really try for a variety in a week too.
It's something that works for me and my family, and I encourage everyone to try it!
Thanks for sharing your menu...it helps with ideas.
I am so pumped to try this! I usually just have a menu board that lists what I can make with the groceries we have. So, do you buy a month's worth of groceries at a time??
ReplyDelete