Do you enjoy cooking or consider it a chore?

[DawnM]

I like cooking.

 

I hate, hate, hate cleaning up afterwards.

 

Dawn

[Tami]

. The sites you mentioned for menu planning sound very interesting. Do you find you spend more on groceries when you are using them? I usually shop the specials and prepare simple meals that don't require a lot of ingredients. Basically these are generally my old standbys....checken on the grill, hamburgers, roast chicken, stir fry, pasta and sauce, etc.

Karen

 

I hope you don't mind if I chime in here. We love to try new cuisine, new foods, and new recipes. I get really, really uninspired with the same old, same old, and I HATE staring into my freezer at 5:30 trying to decide what to make, so menu planning services are great for me!

 

The most economical way to use a pre-done menu is to buy the book for $10, rather than having to subscribe by the month, which is more expensive. I don't think you can go wrong having a menu plan and grocery list for your family for an entire year for $10! I like Saving Dinner Low Carb, as the meals are very restaurant style - almost gourmet. Plus, it's helping me trim down. Saving Dinner (regular) is a bit more family style - home cooking. There are also vegetarian books and very basic (for people who don't know how to cook at all) books.

 

As I say, I don't hate to cook, I hate to scramble around trying to decide what to make and discovering I have missing ingredients for every recipe that comes to mind. Menu planning makes cooking a joy.

 

Oh, and I don't wash dishes, my husband or daughter does that. I only wash dishes if I don't cook. Meal prep and clean up should be everyone's job, imo. Plus, it is a valuable skill to have for adult life.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Tami
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