Are you a Meal Planner?

[love3es]

After 12 years of shift work (evenings or midnights with rotating days off) my dh is moving to M-F days! Yea! However, I'm in real need of some meal ideas. The kids and I usually just ate sandwiches/soup in the evenings because he was working.

 

I love to cook, but I'm drawing a blank on meal planning. I'm looking for ideas about meals as well as how you organize your meal planning.

 

Can you help me out?

[Hoggirl]

I usually do meal planning once a week, looking at what our schedule is like for that week - some weeks are busier than others. When deciding what to prepare I look at how hectic each day is. Do I need something in the crockpot? Do I need something that can be made ahead? Will I have time in the morning to prep something for later? Or do I have time to prep dinner right before? I also try to (obviously) vary the type of meals we have. I also ask myself if I need to plan for leftoevers or not.

 

I know some people are far better at planning than I am, but I can't look ahead more than one week, b/c we seem to have so much variety in the busyness of our weeks. So mostly I plan by prep time/type of cooking I need for each day.

 

HTH.

[littlebug42]

I do pretty much as above. I have tried to plan more than one week at a time before and it never turns out well.

 

One other thing that I have instituted is that each girl gets a night of the week to plan the menu. I have given them kids type cookbooks etc and they each get to plan and then help cook the meal on their assigned evening. I talk to them about what the meal must include particularly vegetables and they can pick it. They love doing it and for me, that is two nights that I don't have to plan. I just make sure I have the ingredients.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

We used to have a 2-3 week cycle of meals that I planned on -- with a quick ad easy meal "in reserve" in case the day got super crazy. Normal weeks are pretty -- well, normal, so it was easy to plan around scouts and sports. I buy meat when it is on sale, and generally have a good stock in my freezer of basic cuts for whatever we need.

 

But then, life got crazy for a couple years, and I have just been throwing stuff on the table. But, I've got my groove back and am ready to try plannning again with a similar system as above.

[BeckyFL]

Look at Plan To Eat. It has helped me so much. I put all of my recipes in and then just drag and drop to the calendar. It prints a grocery list and I can check off the things I have in my pantry before sending it to the printer. Life-changing for me! It's a free trial too. If you do try it, will you use my link? I get $8 for referrals.

http://www.plantoeat.com/jcq5grbcdv

[ScoutTN]

I plan a month at a time, then tweak it weekly, according to what is on sale, changes in our schedule, weather, health etc.

I just print a simple calendar from MS Publisher and write the main dish for dinner on each day. I find that it keep me from making the same things all the time. It helps me to plan along with our routine. For instance, I often make fish on Thursdays b/c it doesn't do so well leftover and DH often eats out for lunch (instead of taking leftovers) on Fridays. I plan at least one meal a week as leftover night and usually one as soup night in the winter, salad night in the summer. It does help me to be more careful at the grocery and spend less too, though I'm not a super-frugal grocery shopper.

 

I usually have at least chx and a meat in my freezer for last minute re-arrangements. Sometimes a casserole or something prepared, like taco meat or spaghetti sauce.

 

I keep my recipes in an accordion file.When I'm bored with what I have, I go online or get a magazine for something new to try.

[Mom-ninja.]

Saving Dinner

 

That's all you need.

[MamaAkins]

Thanks for the link to Plan To Eat, BeckyFL! I just signed up (at least for the 30 day trial) and am currently inputting and importing recipes! This is just what I need. I've been menu planning for years, but I think this will really help me with organization, grocery shopping, meal rotations, etc! I did sign up via your link, so you should get your referral credit!

[love3es]

Look at Plan To Eat. If you do try it, will you use my link? I get $8 for referrals.

http://www.plantoeat.com/jcq5grbcdv

 

I too signed up for the 30-day trial via your link! Thanks... this looks like it could be a great organizational tool!

 

And, I'm also off to check and see if our library has "Saving Dinner." Thank you ladies!

[BeckyFL]

Thanks for the link to Plan To Eat, BeckyFL! I just signed up (at least for the 30 day trial) and am currently inputting and importing recipes! This is just what I need. I've been menu planning for years, but I think this will really help me with organization, grocery shopping, meal rotations, etc! I did sign up via your link, so you should get your referral credit!

 

Thanks! Hope you like it as much as I do! :)

[MamaAkins]

Does anyone who has already joined want to share recipes? I've spent the afternoon inputting and/or importing some of ours, but have a long way to go! My username is MamaAkins.

[Sahamamama]

No, but I am a Meat Eater. Wanna cook for me? :lol::lol:

[BeckyFL]

Does anyone who has already joined want to share recipes? I've spent the afternoon inputting and/or importing some of ours, but have a long way to go! My username is MamaAkins.

Ok.... never used that part of it and I forgot you could do that. I put in your name and you should get an email to share with me. Sounds fun! I have tons of recipes. Did you notice the bulk import feature too? :)

[lynn]

After 12 years of shift work (evenings or midnights with rotating days off) my dh is moving to M-F days! Yea! However, I'm in real need of some meal ideas. The kids and I usually just ate sandwiches/soup in the evenings because he was working.

 

I love to cook, but I'm drawing a blank on meal planning. I'm looking for ideas about meals as well as how you organize your meal planning.

 

Can you help me out?

 

I have several cookbooks, I search food network, allrecipes and get ideas on what to make. I keep a binder of recipes I print out and that my family likes. I always have pinot or black bean and rice on hand for quick meals. I add salad or steamed vegetables to most meals, sometimes homemade rolls, cornbread and make cookies or cake a couple times a week.

A typical 2 week menu looks like this:

Ravlioli Bake

chicken and dumplings

duggar's tater tot cassarole

Rigatini and Sausage

Navy Bean Soup

Macaroni dinner

Chicken Stroganoff

Spaghetti

potato cheese soup

Beef curry

enchilada's and spanish rice

chuck roast, black eye pea salad, corn cassarole

Turkey tettrazini

deep dish pizza bake

beef brocoli stir fry

turkey loaf with homemade mac and cheese

pasta pomodoro

[Rita]

Menu planning has been on my mind for the last few days, and a friend shared this link:

http://www.e-mealz.com

I haven't signed up yet, but am really thinking about it!

 

Rita

[AHASRADA]

Saving Dinner

 

That's all you need.

 

:iagree:

 

I have been using Saving Dinner for years, and it's a life-saver! I have the books, subscribed to their weekly mailer in the past, and ended up buying their one-year download.

 

A year's worth of menus (in whichever format) literally means a year's worth of dinners, no repeats, for the whole year, including stir-fries, crockpot meals, etc. I also love that there are simple side (usually veggie) suggestions. The grocery list is also already made out for you.

 

I used to plan my own weekly meals, spending over an hour digging through my recipe files, making sure we had a variety throughout the week (chicken/meat/fish/vegetarian/soup/casserole/crockpot/etc.), and trying not to repeat too often. Then, once the main dish was chosen, I had to come up with a side veggie! Ack!

 

Now, I have a full year's worth of meals printed, slid into page protectors, in a binder. Every week, I just pull out the next week's menus and look it over. I do tweak some dishes to fit our personal tastes, or substitute a favorite recipe for something we don't care for, but the foundation is there. If I'm too busy, I just follow the plan as-is, and figure, if somebody doesn't like a certain meal, they won't have to eat it again for the rest of the year, so who cares!

 

I also make notes of my successful tweaks, put stars next to particular favorites, etc., so when the next year rolls around, I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

 

There are usually free menus to try on the website, so give it a whirl! It has been a lifesaver in my house!

[Hoggirl]

Look at Plan To Eat. It has helped me so much. I put all of my recipes in and then just drag and drop to the calendar. It prints a grocery list and I can check off the things I have in my pantry before sending it to the printer. Life-changing for me! It's a free trial too. If you do try it, will you use my link? I get $8 for referrals.

http://www.plantoeat.com/jcq5grbcdv

 

I am not very computer savvy. Will I be smart enough to do this? I'm not sure I am getting the pantry stuff. How you temporarily remove items from your grocery list.

 

I would love to try this, but can you reassure me I am smart enough to do it? :D

 

Also, for you to get your referral, do I simply use your link to go to the site and sign up? I would want to make sure you got "credit."

 

Thanks!

[MomOfOneFunOne]

I'm definitely going to check out Saving Dinner but I wanted to post this little thing I like to do.

 

I like to cook a pot of beans on Monday and have it twice more during the week. It is at once good stewardship, frugal, and EASY.

 

These are some ideas I have used

 

M -- Beans, roasted veggies

Th -- bean and cheese enchiladas

s-- chili

 

or

 

M -- beans, kale, cornbread

Th -- Minestrone

s -- bean, tomato, herb, garlic, olive oil toss over polenta or pasta. If we're going mexican, the herb will be cilantro, if we're going for pasta/Italian, it will be basil or parsley, et c.

 

or

 

M -- Red beans and rice with greens and (vegetarian) sausage thingy.

Th -- taco salad (my family prefers this with red beans over black or pinto)

s -- couscous salad with red beans, tomatoes, fresh herb, and grated parm, olive oil, salt and pepper.

 

or

 

M -- lentils (french green), with rice and diced tomatoes (or all mixed together and drizzled with evoo and s/p.

Th -- shepherd's pie

s -- lentil stew.

 

I dont' do that every week but probably two weeks out of the month. On the other days we often have things that make the later meals come together. For example, if we're having bean and cheese enchiladas on Thursday, we'll have homemade tomato soup on Tuesday or Wednesday making enough to have left-overs. Then on Thursday, I will caramelize some onions, add garlic and the left over soup, cook it down just a bit, and pour over the enchiladas. Pop in the oven till melted and Yum!

 

Or, if we're going to have shepherds pie on Saturday (s) then we'll have something with mashed potatoes on Thursday or Friday.

 

If we're going to have polenta for supper one day, I make a large batch of polenta for breakfast one day, then we eat it hot and creamy with milk, syrup and berries. I spread the remainder in a pan, cover and put in the fridge. When we want polenta for supper, I cut the solid polenta into squares, brush with olive oil, and bake or fry till browned, top with cheese to melt, and then top with whatever toppings.

 

It's very easy this way AND saves money (I've experimented with kinds of menu planning and recorded expenditures in a kind of price book) but it takes planning! and lots of it! and that's why I don't do it every week.

 

I should sit down and make out a week's worth of menus like above for 52 weeks instead of doing it new every week.

 

but I don't.

 

:glare:

[threeturn]

I do plan meals in that I will write a list of things to eat. Sometimes I make a list for a week, sometimes two, every once and a while I do it for a month. I try to add a combination of quick and easy, crock pot, meatless, favorites, etc. when I make the list. I make my grocery list from that and do my shopping.

 

Then when the time comes to plan dinner each morning (or night before if I am on the ball) I look at the list and choose the option that will be best for us with our schedule or fits my current mood. That way I am not boxing myself in to roast on Monday, spaghetti on Tuesday, etc, but I still have a "plan".

 

If you do this weekly you can look at the circulars and see what is on sale before you make your list of meals. You can also make a master-list of all the meals your family likes and pull from those -- less thinking that way. Another thing I do to save time is brown hamburger in bulk and freeze in portions or cook chicken, shred it, and freeze in portions. I do the same with dried beans. That REALLY helps.

 

Pam

[dtsmamtj]

MomOfOne -

 

Can you tell me HOW you prepare your beans so your family will eat them? You can PM me if you prefer. Thank you.

 

T

[BeckyFL]

I am not very computer savvy. Will I be smart enough to do this? I'm not sure I am getting the pantry stuff. How you temporarily remove items from your grocery list.

 

I would love to try this, but can you reassure me I am smart enough to do it? :D

 

Also, for you to get your referral, do I simply use your link to go to the site and sign up? I would want to make sure you got "credit."

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, just use the link in my post and I will get it automatically. I think you'll do fine and you can PM me or email them with questions. They are very helpful. Once you get to the grocery list, you just go down through it and click the items you have to add them to your pantry. When you are adding recipes, there are easy ways to do it. It took me a few to figure out the bulk input. If a recipe is online, you just cut and paste the URL into the import from web. If it's in a blog or somewhere that it won't be automatic, you use the bulk import and it's really easy to cut and paste the whole list of ingredients into ingredients and then all the directions into directions. You'll get the hang of it!

Edited January 1, 2011 by BeckyFL

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Sorry, no magic here. They're quite plain and possibly wouldn't be liked by many. Still, we do like them and by using different beans all the time and different follow-up recipes all the time, it stays new . . . new enough.

 

I buy my beans in bulk at Whole Foods. They are much, much better specimens, larger, cleaner, fewer rocks (actually, I don't think I've ever had any hard matter in my WF beans).

 

I run them through my hand a few at a time into a sieve picking out any that don't pass muster. Rinse.

 

Put them into the crockpot. Occasionally I do this at night, pour off the soaking water in the morning, add more cold water, and then put them on. I leave them cooking all day.

 

Nearing supper I pour them into a pot on the stove and add salt and pepper. I boil them slowly till the water thickens but only b/c that's the way we like it. When the broth is thick enough, I serve them with whatever. I only occasionally add any spice or herb to the Monday beans.

 

To use them later, if it's minestrone, black bean soup, or other soupy meal, I just ladle them in. If it's something like enchiladas or a toss for polenta, I rinse them b/f using or heating. I find this wasteful of the broth but, well, I should probably save it for stock or something but I never do.

 

For refried beans, I let them drain a bit but I don't rinse.

 

When the beans come out of the crockpot, they're awful. No one would eat them. I don't know if it's true or not b/c I haven't experimented with it myself but I understand that cooking beans with salt slows down the cooking process and does something else I can't remember. My grandmother said it was true and that's pretty much good enough for me. In fact, if science proved it false, I'd think science made a mistake. That's why I don't season in the crockpot.

 

I'd guess it's another hour on the stove after the crockpot. That might make it seem like a labor intensive method but it isn't. I pour them into the pot, season, turn up the flame to a rapid boil, reduce slightly. I keep an eye on the water. As that cooks, I put on the veggies or whatever.

 

Now, having said all that. This very weekend I'm trying my hand at canning beans. I'm doing quarts and pints and my Monday ritual may be a thing of the past.

 

Gosh, I hadn't thought of it that way . . . :001_huh:

[Ann.without.an.e]

We eat A LOT like this. People are always asking me, "How do you get your kids to eat beans?". They have always like them...I guess b/c we have always eaten them. I do pressure cook my beans.

 

Let me know how the canning goes. I have contemplated that. I met a lady who said she put the beans in the jars uncooked. I want to know how to do it that way? If you come up with something that works, please share :D

 

 

 

Sorry, no magic here. They're quite plain and possibly wouldn't be liked by many. Still, we do like them and by using different beans all the time and different follow-up recipes all the time, it stays new . . . new enough.

 

I buy my beans in bulk at Whole Foods. They are much, much better specimens, larger, cleaner, fewer rocks (actually, I don't think I've ever had any hard matter in my WF beans).

 

I run them through my hand a few at a time into a sieve picking out any that don't pass muster. Rinse.

 

Put them into the crockpot. Occasionally I do this at night, pour off the soaking water in the morning, add more cold water, and then put them on. I leave them cooking all day.

 

Nearing supper I pour them into a pot on the stove and add salt and pepper. I boil them slowly till the water thickens but only b/c that's the way we like it. When the broth is thick enough, I serve them with whatever. I only occasionally add any spice or herb to the Monday beans.

 

To use them later, if it's minestrone, black bean soup, or other soupy meal, I just ladle them in. If it's something like enchiladas or a toss for polenta, I rinse them b/f using or heating. I find this wasteful of the broth but, well, I should probably save it for stock or something but I never do.

 

For refried beans, I let them drain a bit but I don't rinse.

 

When the beans come out of the crockpot, they're awful. No one would eat them. I don't know if it's true or not b/c I haven't experimented with it myself but I understand that cooking beans with salt slows down the cooking process and does something else I can't remember. My grandmother said it was true and that's pretty much good enough for me. In fact, if science proved it false, I'd think science made a mistake. That's why I don't season in the crockpot.

 

I'd guess it's another hour on the stove after the crockpot. That might make it seem like a labor intensive method but it isn't. I pour them into the pot, season, turn up the flame to a rapid boil, reduce slightly. I keep an eye on the water. As that cooks, I put on the veggies or whatever.

 

Now, having said all that. This very weekend I'm trying my hand at canning beans. I'm doing quarts and pints and my Monday ritual may be a thing of the past.

 

Gosh, I hadn't thought of it that way . . . :001_huh:

[Ann.without.an.e]

I have checked into it so many times, but I am afraid of the cost of the meals. How much do you spend on groceries, if you keep track?

 

Thanks :D

 

:iagree:

 

I have been using Saving Dinner for years, and it's a life-saver! I have the books, subscribed to their weekly mailer in the past, and ended up buying their one-year download.

 

A year's worth of menus (in whichever format) literally means a year's worth of dinners, no repeats, for the whole year, including stir-fries, crockpot meals, etc. I also love that there are simple side (usually veggie) suggestions. The grocery list is also already made out for you.

 

I used to plan my own weekly meals, spending over an hour digging through my recipe files, making sure we had a variety throughout the week (chicken/meat/fish/vegetarian/soup/casserole/crockpot/etc.), and trying not to repeat too often. Then, once the main dish was chosen, I had to come up with a side veggie! Ack!

 

Now, I have a full year's worth of meals printed, slid into page protectors, in a binder. Every week, I just pull out the next week's menus and look it over. I do tweak some dishes to fit our personal tastes, or substitute a favorite recipe for something we don't care for, but the foundation is there. If I'm too busy, I just follow the plan as-is, and figure, if somebody doesn't like a certain meal, they won't have to eat it again for the rest of the year, so who cares!

 

I also make notes of my successful tweaks, put stars next to particular favorites, etc., so when the next year rolls around, I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

 

There are usually free menus to try on the website, so give it a whirl! It has been a lifesaver in my house!

[Ferdie]

:iagree:

 

I have been using Saving Dinner for years, and it's a life-saver! I have the books, subscribed to their weekly mailer in the past, and ended up buying their one-year download.

 

A year's worth of menus (in whichever format) literally means a year's worth of dinners, no repeats, for the whole year, including stir-fries, crockpot meals, etc. I also love that there are simple side (usually veggie) suggestions. The grocery list is also already made out for you.

 

I used to plan my own weekly meals, spending over an hour digging through my recipe files, making sure we had a variety throughout the week (chicken/meat/fish/vegetarian/soup/casserole/crockpot/etc.), and trying not to repeat too often. Then, once the main dish was chosen, I had to come up with a side veggie! Ack!

 

Now, I have a full year's worth of meals printed, slid into page protectors, in a binder. Every week, I just pull out the next week's menus and look it over. I do tweak some dishes to fit our personal tastes, or substitute a favorite recipe for something we don't care for, but the foundation is there. If I'm too busy, I just follow the plan as-is, and figure, if somebody doesn't like a certain meal, they won't have to eat it again for the rest of the year, so who cares!

 

I also make notes of my successful tweaks, put stars next to particular favorites, etc., so when the next year rolls around, I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

 

There are usually free menus to try on the website, so give it a whirl! It has been a lifesaver in my house!

 

I have been using a meal planning service for years. I love having a grocery list sent to me each week and I enjoy trying easy and quick new recipes. For me it is worth the $1 a week.

 

I have used savingdinner.com, sixoclcockscramble.com, e-mealz.com. Right now I am using cookingtf.com which was recommended by someone on these boards.

[Desert Strawberry]

DH gets paid every 2 weeks, I shop the next day. I plan 8-12 meals for the 2 weeks.

 

I just make a list, no assigned days. If I have something that needs to be used right away ( like fresh veggies), I do that first. otherwise, I just choose something off the list that sounds good.

 

The extra days, I make something quick-like spaghetti and canned sauce- or we eat leftovers. I cook some things in large batches, and freeze extra.

I use a cookbook. A few recipes from each section gives us a good variety.

 

I spend $100 every 2 weeks on groceries. We rarely eat out. Dh has his own budget, for foods that he takes to work with him. he gets $50 every 2 weeks.

Edited January 1, 2011 by strawberrymama

[myfunnybunch]

We plan meals weekly.

 

We have a dry erase calendar (one month) on the refrigerator. On Sundays we sit down to plan, then write in the meals for each day of the coming week. We also split the top section into "Use Me Up" (leftover ingredients like extra chicken) and "Grocery List" (if we're out of a staple or want something special).

 

Once we have a tentative plan, dh goes grocery shopping. I look at the coupons in the paper and send him with a list and coupons for the closest stores. Dh has a grocery app on his phone that allows him to keep track of his grocery list, average prices for items and can track sales.

 

We keep it simple because we found that we don't use more elaborate systems long-term. It cut way down on impulse buys and those "Gee this looks good" purchases that got forgotten or simply weren't used, and we rarely throw food away.

 

Cat

[Frontier Mom]

I use a Google Calendar that I call Menu Plan. I don't plan breakfast or lunch there, but you could. I just set up a separate calendar and put my recipe or dish in there. Then, in the description portion I can either put in the recipe or, more likely, I put a link from my Allrecipes recipe box there for the dish I am making. I also use delicious to bookmark recipes I like on other sites.

 

I actually joined Allrecipes so I can put in my own recipes there. I find about anything there. They also let you print out a shopping list you can make from your recipes.

 

With your menu in Google calendar, you can just drag them around to another day if you decide to change or copy to another day to reuse. I find it is really easy for me to use. I like it because I keep my regular calendar there and I can easily see our schedule for the week and plan accordingly at one spot.

 

You are welcome to PM me for specific questions if you need more direction.

[katemary63]

I keep a list of meal options organized by meat choice (ground beef, beef, poultry, pork, vegetarian) in my recipe binder because I just can't always think of what to make. Looking over my list gives me ideas. On the list will be meals that require a recipe as well as meals that don't. I also keep all the recipes we really like in a single 3 ring binder printed off the computer from my Master Cooks program. (LOVE Master Cooks)