Menu Planning

I know I have been gone for a while and more it it's time to start blogging again. I installed an so on my phone to hopefully get me writing more posts.

Instead of trying to pick up where we left off I am going to just jump in.

Menu Planning!

Do you do it?

I HAVE to. If I don't we don't eat. It isn't because we don't have food, it it's because I just stare at our cupboards unable to pick out anything.

We used to eat a lot of pasta, but recently we learned I have a gluten allergy. (Well, I have denied it for years time to suck it up and be an adult...)

Now, menu planning keeps me from cheating.

On the internet there are lots of blogs telling you how to menu plan and why. So what makes this post so unique?

Because I wrote it!

Yes- but more honestly, because menu planning is more than just a plan for what you're going to eat that week or month, how ever long you plan for. It is a great way to organize your week and dinner preparations.

Here is how it goes in our house. Sometime, usually Saturday or Sunday, I sit down and go to all my sources of recipes and pick out 5 to 6 for the week. And I write then down with page numbers or website links to recipes. (Usually this happens in a Google doc, but this week all my meals are coming from my new cookbook! So I actually write them down!)

After I have done our menu I then go back and make a grocery list, well at the same time.

Then I walk through the kitchen making sure we have everything and adding anything we might be out of.

One thing that I really like to add to my menu is a plan ahead type of note to each day. It isn't in my picture, but I like to add things like to pull out items from the freezer to defrost the night before or to soak beans to cook the next morning.

I think that last thing is the most important to keeping my week organized. It also helps prevent the "Oh no! I forgot to xyz for dinner... now what?" moments.

I hope that helps you get organized at least around dinner!

This week's menu