If you are like me and want to avoid the grocery store as much as possible, try to buy food that will last throughout the length of your menu. For example, buying lettuce for your salad you plan on having in two weeks, probably won't work out well for you. Of course, if you like using fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, ect. in your meals, making the extra trip to the store may be what you must do to make your menu work for you. Planning is really key here.
I cook for a rather small family but with my boys, I have to make sure there is plenty of food on the table. I also like to freeze or save leftovers for Roman's lunch on the weekends or Jason's lunches for work. Grocery stores make it fairly easy to buy any of the food you plan on using, in the amount you need. Don't buy in bulk unless 1.) You have to. 2). it's cheaper. 3). You can save/freeze/preserve/store the extra food for a dish later down the road. No point in spending money when you don't need to or wasting food for that matter as well.
If you want, menus can also include a breakfast and lunch section. I usually plan what my family has for lunches and buy the proper items for it, without ever having to include it on my menu. For example, Roman eats pb&j sandwiches, bologna and cheese sandwiches, mac-n-cheese, or leftovers, so when I am making my shopping list, I check to see if he is in need of any jelly, peanut butter, bread, cheese, bologna, mayo and mac-n-cheese packs. I know that Jason prefers specific things packed in his work lunches so I check those and if needed, add them to my list. We are simple when it comes to breakfast, as long as I keep the house stocked up with cereal, my boys are fine.
So here is my basic checklist for my menus/shopping lists:
- Check how many days you want to plan for. (I plan for two weeks, so each paycheck)
- Gather a list of meals you want on your menu (if you have too many, save it for your next menu).
- Organize your menu.
- Check your family's work schedule to save time for yourself and your family. If you work late Wednesday evening, you probably don't want a labor intensive meal planned for that night.
- If you plan on buying fresh veggies, fruits, meats, ect. make sure you place them at the somewhat beginning of your menu. This keeps you from making more grocery stops than you want and helps keep you from wasting food.
- Separate your foods on your menu. For example, if you have multiple pasta dishes on your menu, try to spread them out to avoid 'burning yourself out' on a specific type of food.
- Be sure to include any side dishes you plan on having.
- Make sure you add have a menu with the ingredients listed under each meal, that way you can prepare ahead. If you are making a roast, this will help to remind you that you don't only need carrots and onions, but those extra cloves of garlic and sweet potatoes hiding in your pantry closet are suppose to go in your roast as well.
- Transfer your menu ingredients to a shopping list.
- Sticking to my roast example, if you plan on using roast on your menu, include your roaster chicken, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onions, any seasoning you may need and even aluminum foil or leg ties.
- Make sure you include the ingredients needed for any side dishes also.
- I organize my shopping list by catergories such as:
- dry food
- produce
- frozen
- meats
- dairy
- housegoods
- misc
- Go through your kitchen/house and add any extra items to your list.
- Double check your list to make sure you don't have any items you don't need.
I want to share the menu I am using this week. The boys and I took a trip to Denver for a few days so I only needed 10 meals. Here is an example of what my typical menu looks like:
- French Onion Soup
- Salmon w/ roasted green beans and couscous (Salmon is close to the top since I prefer it fresh)
- Brisket sandwiches w/ slaw and sweet potato fries
- Brinner (Breakfast for dinner which includes hashbrowns, eggs, turkey sausage and grilled eggplant)
- Turkey Avocado Club Sandwiches
- Oven baked chicken w/ roasted green beans and carrots
- Spinach and Ricotta dumplings in a red sauce with crustinis
- Turkey meatloaf w/ mixed roasted veggies
- Buffalo Pizza
- Turkey sausage, chicken, and peppers.
Brinner was picked by my boys.
Tonight is Turkey Avocado Club Sandwiches which is a very easy meal. It is planned for tonight since Jason has jujitsu practice. This is a light meal I planned for this particular day.
The oven baked chicken will be made tomorrow. While this meal will take longer than a sandwich, we will have leftovers and that will serve Jason well on Wednesday when he works.
Menus and shopping lists can help you stay organize in your kitchen and with your budget. Running around looking for something to cook your family on a Wednesday night when your son has basketball, your daughter has dance, your husband has work calls to make and you really wanted to fit a bath and glass of wine in before eight....is hectic. It adds to the stress inside your home.
My last point:
Making dinner for yourself or your family is very rewarding but the best part of creating a meal is sitting down to enjoy it. Whether you are eating alone of feeding a family of five that includes rebellious teenagers and maybe a toddler or two, meals should be had at the table. No work talk, no homework talk, no discipline talks....meals should be calm, relaxing and enjoyable for everyone at the table.
If you do have a family, take this time to refocus on them. Make each other laugh, ask about friends, interests, plans, adventures, goals. Avoid talking about anything negative...cause truth be told, that can wait anyways.
If you are eating alone, make your table a beautiful place. Relax, enjoy a glass of wine/beer/spirit of your choice, light a candle, play some soft music in the background...and compliment yourself on your meal well prepared.
The world can always wait for you to eat something delicious.
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