Menu planning

[Anniet222]

I see that a few of you were posting your menus each week earlier this year. Did that become too much of a pain to continue? It seems like a good idea to me. I have never developed a menu for the week and I can see the benefits of doing that.

[RedBedHead]

Hi Annie! I think that several of us menu planners are either preggo or just had babies. Not a bunch of cooking going on around Home Talkers these days. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of it but feel free to post a meal plan and give me some inspiration!!!

[Anniet222]

Gee, I was hoping someone would inspire me. :) I will see what I can come up with, since I have no little excuses except the dogs.

[Csara]

Yeah, I use to love menu planning (it really helps!!), but I don't cook as often anymore. Especially now that it's summer time and we got a new grill and basically a new backyard, my hubby tends to do A LOT of the cooking these days. :)

[Anniet222]

My husband likes to eat out when it's his turn to cook:) He hates grilling--something I can't quite understand. Personally, I think the clean up is great---much easier than the jen aire.

So we could go out to eat but it seems that whe we do we eat too much or not the right things. So I have been trying to be better about cooking. My biggest problem is that it seems I am always missing a key ingredient of what I want to make---thus the need for menu planning.

I will put my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with.

[Deana]

I meal plan every Thursday (we get those grocery store add thingys every Thursday, so I see what meats, etc are on sale), then grocery shop every Friday. That way, I always have what I need on hand. I usually end up going to the grocery again in the early part of the week to pick up extra produce or milk. I've been doing this for years, and it really works well for my family.
Doing a meal plan keeps me organized, and it keeps us eating realatively healthfully too. It also helps us eat dinner at a 'normal' time... if I am making something that requires extra prep, I do the prep during my daughter's afternoon nap.

I usually have one crock pot meal, one sandwichy meal, one or two chicken casserole type, one pasta, one take out and one grill meals. I plan lunches on the weekends too (even if it's for my dh to pick up subway or whatever).

I used to post my meal plans every week. I'd be glad to start again, though.

[Deana]

Here is a pretty recent meal plan (yes, I'm weird and I save them on my computer). If you see anything that looks good, I'll post the recipe.

Friday pizza and salad

Saturday lunch: tuna melts and baked fries
Dinner: steak, baked potatoes, salad

Sunday lunch: cheddar and spinach strata, roasted potato wedges
Dinner: grilled chicken, rice, roasted brussel sprouts

Monday White bean cassolet with chicken, rolls

Tuesday baked broccoli with turkey, rice, breadsticks

Wednesday springtime quiche, roasted potato wedges, English muffins

Thursday Pasta, beans and greens, broiled shrimp skewers

[meliz]

Geeze, Annie, you have no idea how much your hub sounds like mine! I'll come home from work late and think "surely he will have cooked something" and without fail, he has decided to go out. Not so good on the waistline OR the wallet. Are they lazy or what?

I also used to be really good with cooking... not so much now. We are both so busy... plus when I get home from work I want food instantly... if I don't, then I snack THEN eat dinner, which is bad.

What I try to do though, is cook something on Sundays that can carry us through much of the week... a big pot of chile, jambalaya or something that reheats well. Sunday I made a roast and a ton of veggies. As it turns out, the roast was HUGE so we have been having it since. Usually we have the dregs from Sunday a couple couple nights, then BBQ and salad one night, and canned beans (with molasses) one night (strange, yes, we are both addicts:)). Then invariably we are out one or more nights a week. I am also a fan of soup for supper, which turns dinner into fend for yourself... hub will generally have toast or something, or soup with a line of crackers.:)

[yonksgirl]

My husband likes to eat out when it's his turn to cook:) He hates grilling--something I can't quite understand. Personally, I think the clean up is great---much easier than the jen aire..


LOL! I was just a my BF house last night and her Boyfriend said something that I did not catch.. She rolled her eyes and said no! When we got out side I asked her what he said. She said he asked if he could order out. I asked what was wrong with that she said nothing except for it is his turn to cook and he still did not clean the kitchen since the last time he cooked! LOL! Men are all alike!