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Planning out 3 months of meals - UPDATE: I did 2 months


Ginevra
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I buy meat whenever it is on sale in bulk. Once I got in the habit of doing this there were plenty of options in my freezer for the next month or two. So I basically shop for everything else on my weekly or monthly list now, and buy whatever meat is on sale, because I already have a stockpile. So if my menu calls for ground beef, chicken, and pork chops that week, I don't have to buy those because they were already in the freezer.

 

Instead while out shopping for the other parts of those meals and my weekly produce, I do buy instead a couple of Chuck roasts that were on sale. Now those can then go into the freezer for the next weekly or monthly rotation. I couldn't survive without my deep freezer! It saves me a ton of money. It was tricky the first month or two, because you do need some surplus cash to stockpile sales. Once you get in the habit you always have a lot of choices for good prices in the freezer, without having to base your menu on what is currently on sale.

 

I can still shop seasonally for produce and change that up each week based on what I feel like also, so this doesn't make me feel all hemmed in. I keep basic cooking vegetables on hand either fresh or frozen, like carrots,celery, peppers and onions. So staples and meat are on hand, I and just choose fresh, seasonal sides or salad stuff. Meal prep becomes cheaper and simpler for me. That is when I bother to do all this. Like I said, I am a strange mix. I will do this for a while and then float for a while. I like to plan and I also often like to ditch my plans. I am quite contrary by nature.

Edited by CaliforniaDreaming
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On the above URL it says: "In the galley, the leading culinary specialist and the supply officer are responsible for food planning. The menu follows a three-week cycle, similar to that of a cafeteria calendar. “All the subs pretty much run off that three-week menu,†said Morava. But there is some leeway with what they can prepare. “Certain meals are made on crew preference. Like it will say, ‘chicken,’ and you can make what you want with chicken on that day.â€

 

So, if you want to plan ahead, plan all the meals for 3 weeks and then repeat those meals, until she leaves...

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I never look at the circulars. They are so confusing and cluttered!

 

I know I would save money if I comparison-shopped, but I don't have the time or the energy to make detailed store-by-store lists. I generally shop at whichever store is near me when I realize I need something, and I figure that the total amount I spend will balance out well enough in the end, because one store will have some things I need on sale and another store will have other things I need on sale, so if I get everything at one store, I still get some things on sale without having to waste time going from one store to another. I know I don't save as much as I could, and I don't use coupons, either, so basically I'm just a lousy grocery shopper.

 

But I have already mentioned that I'm not a big meal planner, so I tend to wander around the store and plan my meals as I shop. I don't do detailed lists unless I know I'll be buying a lot of items that I don't normally get and I'm afraid I'll forget them if I don't write them down.

 

 

See, I feel the way about grocery stores as you do about the circulars. There's so much and the noise/lines/lights bug me so I like to get in and get out. That said, I only read the parts of the circular that apply to me.  I'm not in the market for Lucky Charms or cake mixes or canned peas so I just don't read most of the circular.  The first page, the inside of the first page and the last page tend to tell me all I need to know about what is on sale in the meat, fish and produce departments.  Kinda like "shopping the outside edges of the store" but in paper form.  The middle of the circular is mostly the processed foods.    

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I buy meat whenever it is on sale in bulk. Once I got in the habit of doing this there were plenty of options in my freezer for the next month or two. So I basically shop for everything else on my weekly or monthly list now, and buy whatever meat is on sale, because I already have a stockpile. So if my menu calls for ground beef, chicken, and pork chops that week, I don't have to buy those because they were already in the freezer.

 

Instead while out shopping for the other parts of those meals and my weekly produce, I do buy instead a couple of Chuck roasts that were on sale. Now those can then go into the freezer for the next weekly or monthly rotation. I couldn't survive without my deep freezer! It saves me a ton of money. It was tricky the first month or two, because you do need some surplus cash to stockpile sales. Once you get in the habit you always have a lot of choices for good prices in the freezer, without having to base your menu on what is currently on sale.

 

I can still shop seasonally for produce and change that up each week based on what I feel like also, so this doesn't make me feel all hemmed in. I keep basic cooking vegetables on hand either fresh or frozen, like carrots,celery, peppers and onions. So staples and meat are on hand, I and just choose fresh, seasonal sides or salad stuff. Meal prep becomes cheaper and simpler for me. That is when I bother to do all this. Like I said, I am a strange mix. I will do this for a while and then float for a while. I like to plan and I also often like to ditch my plans. I am quite contrary by nature.

I have a large freezer also and keep things on hand, buying them when the price is lower. Originally, we bought the freezer because I had nieces and nephews in 4h and we would buy a 1/4 or 1/2 steer. I did love having all those frozen 1 lb. packages of beef handy for a year or so. The main disadvantage was parts I did not want. I still have several packages of beef liver. I had a heart and a tongue for ages...I am not sure what I ever did with those, lol. I think I cooked them up for stock and then threw them away.

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See, I feel the way about grocery stores as you do about the circulars. There's so much and the noise/lines/lights bug me so I like to get in and get out. That said, I only read the parts of the circular that apply to me. I'm not in the market for Lucky Charms or cake mixes or canned peas so I just don't read most of the circular. The first page, the inside of the first page and the last page tend to tell me all I need to know about what is on sale in the meat, fish and produce departments. Kinda like "shopping the outside edges of the store" but in paper form. The middle of the circular is mostly the processed foods.

My reason for not using circulars often is different, but I do still have one. I don't get a physical paper delivered; I live down a long driveway and this never panned out in the past. So, I can pick up a paper while I'm at the store, but then (obviously) I don't have the paper in advance of that shopping trip. And then there's the issue that I go to all these different stores, so it gets tedious if I start to say, "Well, if I go to Aldi, they have a great deal on GF pasta, but Harris Teeter has grapes for 1.69/lb." And so on.

 

I did do the circular for a while during a time when I was doing some Extreme Couponing, but that aldo did not suit me very well for a similar reason. I ended up dithering endlessly, trying to figure out if it was worthwhile to buy Charmin, which I hate, or if it's actually better to buy the unassuming generic TP that is already well-priced.

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My reason for not using circulars often is different, but I do still have one. I don't get a physical paper delivered; I live down a long driveway and this never panned out in the past. So, I can pick up a paper while I'm at the store, but then (obviously) I don't have the paper in advance of that shopping trip. And then there's the issue that I go to all these different stores, so it gets tedious if I start to say, "Well, if I go to Aldi, they have a great deal on GF pasta, but Harris Teeter has grapes for 1.69/lb." And so on.

 

I did do the circular for a while during a time when I was doing some Extreme Couponing, but that aldo did not suit me very well for a similar reason. I ended up dithering endlessly, trying to figure out if it was worthwhile to buy Charmin, which I hate, or if it's actually better to buy the unassuming generic TP that is already well-priced.

 

Here, all of the circulars come in the mail regardless of if I look at them or not.  

 

I don't coupon, never found it worth my time and it's not how we eat.  

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Sometimes I feel like a doofus, because I don't think I really know what people mean by "meal planning".  I'm pretty sure I *do meal plan... I mean, I figure out what we're probably going to eat, and then I buy the stuff, plus extras of what's on sale.  Technically, I think that's a plan!

 

I've never done it for 3 months, but I'd probably benefit from a long list of our favorites for when I'm feeling uninspired.

 

When we had guests for about 2 months, I only planned a week at a time, but I paid attention to what they appeared to enjoy most so that I could repeat those meals or variations on those meals.

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Since you say you don't mind some degree of repetition, why not do this: 12 - 16 weekday dinners, 5 weekend dinners, 1 dinner for Mondays after a three day weekend or birthdays or holidays or whatever. Then you cycle through, but you never repeat an exact week. (Edit: Or if you count Fridays as part of the weekend, then you'd do 9 - 12 weekday meals, 8 weekend meals, 1 meal for extras.)

 

This isn't that much harder than doing a simple two week schedule, but it isn't a two week schedule, which you wanted to avoid.

 

Personally, though, I wouldn't do it.

Edited by Tanaqui
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I make a monthly calendar and just keep pretty much the same month to month. Actually, I do almost the same by week. Every Monday is fish with starch and veggie. Every Tuesday is Mexican and I have a simple variety of dishes for that. Wednesdays are Pasta nights, Thursdays alternate with chicken stir fry type dishes and fish burger. Friday's always pizza etc. then I have an idea each week of what I'm doing. Small details can change based on what I have and such. This has been working well since the beginning of the school year.

 

I also do the same for breakfasts.

 

ETA: I put it on a monthly format and tapes to fridge. So one Wednesday might say spaghetti and meatballs and another ravioli and another lasagna. I don't feel the need to stick to the specific, but I can glance and see the Italian night options. At the very bottom I added in extra dinner ideas just to have in a pinch. It's the first thing that's worked this long that I've tried. And I love the simplicity of it.

Edited by matrips
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It is a horrible idea and one that is counterproductive to good dining and bad for the pocketbook.

 

The key to eating well is purchasing food at the peak of freshness. That is often the least expensive way to cook as well, as foods that are abundant and fresh are often on sale.

 

So best to see what looks good and dream up something to do with the great fresh and well-priced ingredients.

 

Plus, what a rut of non-creative drudgery one would be creating by locking in a menu months in advance. 

 

Bad. Bad. Bad.

 

Bill

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I make a monthly calendar and just keep pretty much the same month to month. Actually, I do almost the same by week. Every Monday is fish with starch and veggie. Every Tuesday is Mexican and I have a simple variety of dishes for that. Wednesdays are Pasta nights, Thursdays alternate with chicken stir fry type dishes and fish burger. Friday's always pizza etc. then I have an idea each week of what I'm doing. Small details can change based on what I have and such. This has been working well since the beginning of the school year.

 

I also do the same for breakfasts.

 

ETA: I put it on a monthly format and tapes to fridge. So one Wednesday might say spaghetti and meatballs and another ravioli and another lasagna. I don't feel the need to stick to the specific, but I can glance and see the Italian night options. At the very bottom I added in extra dinner ideas just to have in a pinch. It's the first thing that's worked this long that I've tried. And I love the simplicity of it.

I love this! Thanks for posting!

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My reason for not using circulars often is different, but I do still have one. I don't get a physical paper delivered; I live down a long driveway and this never panned out in the past. So, I can pick up a paper while I'm at the store, but then (obviously) I don't have the paper in advance of that shopping trip. And then there's the issue that I go to all these different stores, so it gets tedious if I start to say, "Well, if I go to Aldi, they have a great deal on GF pasta, but Harris Teeter has grapes for 1.69/lb." And so on.

 

I did do the circular for a while during a time when I was doing some Extreme Couponing, but that aldo did not suit me very well for a similar reason. I ended up dithering endlessly, trying to figure out if it was worthwhile to buy Charmin, which I hate, or if it's actually better to buy the unassuming generic TP that is already well-priced.

 

 

Most grocery stores have their flyers online now.  I used to do the store hopping when I was couponing, but now I go to Aldi's for most things and fill in with items from Publix.   The only grocery flyer I check is that one, otherwise I'd be chasing TP deals across town :-) 

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It is a horrible idea and one that is counterproductive to good dining and bad for the pocketbook.

 

The key to eating well is purchasing food at the peak of freshness. That is often the least expensive way to cook as well, as foods that are abundant and fresh are often on sale.

 

So best to see what looks good and dream up something to do with the great fresh and well-priced ingredients.

 

Plus, what a rut of non-creative drudgery one would be creating by locking in a menu months in advance.

 

Bad. Bad. Bad.

 

Bill

Here's Bill's always-nuanced, subtle suggestion.

 

If I lived blocks away from an open-air market on the Mediterranean, I would do this. (Maybe.) it could be part of my exercise program - walk to market, buy fresh food, walk home - Voila! A marvelous meal.

 

My reality is: what I did today. Drive to a town 15 minutes away, buy onions, grapes, blueberries, cooking wine, beef broth (canned), hoagie spread and some hygiene goods. Get in the car; drive another 15 minutes up to Costco.* Buy salmon, chicken breasts, sausage, ground beef, oreos, brussels sprouts, cream and a pretty ridiculous amount of milk. Get in line with nine thousand other people who do this on any given Sunday, especially when snow is in the forecast. Come home irritable. This food is the badis for most of our meals.

 

It isn't Barefoot Contessa, entertaining in her New England cottage by the sea, but it's what I've got to work with at the moment. ðŸ˜

 

*In reality, I also went to the gas station, the Home Goods store for things for MIL's room, the Staples, and the Home Depot for seed starting mix, a rake, and a bulb for the lizard's heat lamp.

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Plus, y know, I've been responsible for breakfast/lunch/dinner for a family every single day for over a decade - I need a break from being creative in the kitchen, I'm tired out dangit! And it's a plan, not a cop, I'm sure if inspiration hits you're allowed to veer!

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I keep a running list of meals we like on my phone. There are one dish meals like jambalaya and shepherds pie, and traditional meat, veg, starch meals. When a particular combo is a hit, I put it on the list. That way, I don't have to think so much when I'm busy visiting with my guests, but I can shop for a few meals at once or send my guest out to the store for ingredients for one particular meal. My guests are great--always looking for ways to help out lol

 

It's sort of flexible planning.

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I've thought about making a 2 to 3-month rotation.  Just the other day I sat down and made a list of all the meals we enjoy, separated by type (pasta dish, Middle Eastern/Mexican/Indian, basic chicken dishes, basic meat dishes).  Next I plan to put them in a long list, cause too many weeks I end up eating two meals that are similar in flavor/origin.  I wanted to have a more balanced week (instead of beef 2-3x, eeesh, adding some chicken or vegetarian and spreading it all out).

 

Anyway, that's as far as I plan to go.  Then I'll just pick the next 4-5 meals from the list each week, and plan around that when grocery shopping.

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I've thought about making a 2 to 3-month rotation. Just the other day I sat down and made a list of all the meals we enjoy, separated by type (pasta dish, Middle Eastern/Mexican/Indian, basic chicken dishes, basic meat dishes). Next I plan to put them in a long list, cause too many weeks I end up eating two meals that are similar in flavor/origin. I wanted to have a more balanced week (instead of beef 2-3x, eeesh, adding some chicken or vegetarian and spreading it all out).

 

Anyway, that's as far as I plan to go. Then I'll just pick the next 4-5 meals from the list each week, and plan around that when grocery shopping.

That's very similar to what I do. It's surprising how much easier it is just having it written down.

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That's very similar to what I do. It's surprising how much easier it is just having it written down.

 

Yep.  I was surprised by how long my list of meals was.  So many weeks, I am grocery planning and can't think of anything to make.  Well, I have no excuse!  We have a long list of favorite meals. :p

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It is a horrible idea and one that is counterproductive to good dining and bad for the pocketbook.

 

The key to eating well is purchasing food at the peak of freshness. That is often the least expensive way to cook as well, as foods that are abundant and fresh are often on sale.

 

So best to see what looks good and dream up something to do with the great fresh and well-priced ingredients.

 

Plus, what a rut of non-creative drudgery one would be creating by locking in a menu months in advance. 

 

Bad. Bad. Bad.

 

Bill

So much of my schedule will change/get interrupted over a 3 month period that it would be avarice to even consider such a thing.

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I have a two-month rotation we've been using for a year with occasional substitutions. Every Saturday before I go to the store, I just transfer the next week from my master plan onto the fridge list for this week and make the shopping list accordingly. Just be sure you cross-check with your calendar.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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So am I the only one that likes to vary my menus taking the weather into account? Some days are cold and call for stew or chili, some weather requires hot starchy things, etc. For example I spent part of last week in Florida and eating out. I came home wanting salads and grilled meats. But I got home just in time to hit the empty grocery stores before the blizzard. No more salad cravings.

 

Theoretically I can vary things within a weekly plan but lately our weather has been all over the place.

Edited by Sandragood1
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So am I the only one that likes to vary my menus taking the weather into account? Some days are cold and call for stew or chili, some weather requires hot starchy things, etc. For example I spent part of last week in Florida and eating out. I came home wanting salads and grilled meats. But I got home just in time to hit the empty grocery stores before the blizzard. No more salad cravings.

 

Theoretically I can vary things within a weekly plan but lately our weather has been all over the place.

I do this some times; I also vary things more in the summer due to fresh produce.

 

But I'm not really averse to having, say, chicken pot pie when it's warm.

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So my update is that I have set up two months' worth of meals, based on my initial brainstorming session of meals we eat and make with some regularity and which is liked by the reasonable majority of the household. I would post it here, but I'm not sure how to efficiently do that in a legible format.

 

I put an empty space at every Wednesday. For the next several weeks, I am not home on Wed nights, but even if that changes, I can adjust the plan to fit the night I will not be home. On those nights, DH can cook, or the family can eat some combination of left-overs, or they can go sandwich/grilled cheese kind of night. My intention is to adjust my plan at the beginning of each week before grocery shopping; that way, it's less work than coming up with a whole week out of the blue, but I can adjust things that I know will not work that week if necessary. I also have a notation on each meal as to whether it is a rice-based dish, a pasta-based dish, or neither, so I am not repeatedly serving rice dishes. I haven't done this yet, but I also want to plan intentional times when I will make some soup and make a treat like cookies, because MIL will like those things but if I don't plan it, I probably won't keep it up.

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So my update is that I have set up two months' worth of meals, based on my initial brainstorming session of meals we eat and make with some regularity and which is liked by the reasonable majority of the household. I would post it here, but I'm not sure how to efficiently do that in a legible format.

 

I put an empty space at every Wednesday. For the next several weeks, I am not home on Wed nights, but even if that changes, I can adjust the plan to fit the night I will not be home. On those nights, DH can cook, or the family can eat some combination of left-overs, or they can go sandwich/grilled cheese kind of night. My intention is to adjust my plan at the beginning of each week before grocery shopping; that way, it's less work than coming up with a whole week out of the blue, but I can adjust things that I know will not work that week if necessary. I also have a notation on each meal as to whether it is a rice-based dish, a pasta-based dish, or neither, so I am not repeatedly serving rice dishes. I haven't done this yet, but I also want to plan intentional times when I will make some soup and make a treat like cookies, because MIL will like those things but if I don't plan it, I probably won't keep it up.

Good for you! It doesn't seem to be the popular choice on this thread but I say if it gives you peace of mind and one less stressful decision to make each day with MIL around, then it is worth the effort up front. Right now, I have a good system for weekly menu planning but I have planned out 2 month menus in the past during busy times and it worked pretty well.

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I have a two-month rotation we've been using for a year with occasional substitutions. Every Saturday before I go to the store, I just transfer the next week from my master plan onto the fridge list for this week and make the shopping list accordingly. Just be sure you cross-check with your calendar.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is basically what I worked out and how I plan to continue going forward. :)

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So am I the only one that likes to vary my menus taking the weather into account? Some days are cold and call for stew or chili, some weather requires hot starchy things, etc. For example I spent part of last week in Florida and eating out. I came home wanting salads and grilled meats. But I got home just in time to hit the empty grocery stores before the blizzard. No more salad cravings.

 

Theoretically I can vary things within a weekly plan but lately our weather has been all over the place.

 

I hear you. We had 70s in February, and now it suddenly dropped into the 20s. So, this week's meals will be stews and chili - because it feels like it. Leafy salads and hummus don't warm you up.

Edited by regentrude
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So my update is that I have set up two months' worth of meals, based on my initial brainstorming session of meals we eat and make with some regularity and which is liked by the reasonable majority of the household. I would post it here, but I'm not sure how to efficiently do that in a legible format.

 

I put an empty space at every Wednesday. For the next several weeks, I am not home on Wed nights, but even if that changes, I can adjust the plan to fit the night I will not be home. On those nights, DH can cook, or the family can eat some combination of left-overs, or they can go sandwich/grilled cheese kind of night. My intention is to adjust my plan at the beginning of each week before grocery shopping; that way, it's less work than coming up with a whole week out of the blue, but I can adjust things that I know will not work that week if necessary. I also have a notation on each meal as to whether it is a rice-based dish, a pasta-based dish, or neither, so I am not repeatedly serving rice dishes. I haven't done this yet, but I also want to plan intentional times when I will make some soup and make a treat like cookies, because MIL will like those things but if I don't plan it, I probably won't keep it up.

 

Any chance you'd be willing to share by PM or email?  I'm really hungry now.  ;)

 

And may I say, you sound a lot less stressed now that you have something worked out.  Great idea about leaving one day blank, too.

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Any chance you'd be willing to share by PM or email? I'm really hungry now. ;)

 

And may I say, you sound a lot less stressed now that you have something worked out. Great idea about leaving one day blank, too.

Sure. I don't have it on my computer yet; it's still on a notepad, but if you want to PM me your email, I'll send it in the next few days.

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Bill, it occurs to me that reasonable people might have different, equally valid approaches to meal planning.

 

I entirely disagree. I think meal planning two months out (or three months out) is a way to miss out on the bounty of nature, is a way to ignore the seasonal nature of fresh foods, is a way of locking oneself into shopping at places that focus on packaged and convenience foods, is a way to drive up food costs (while driving down quality) and—beyond doubt‚ i s a way to end up in a food rut that saps any and all joy from cooking and food creation.

 

The more valid approach is to pick out fresh, wholesome, and delicious ingredients (that are often economical for being in season) and working meals plans "backwards" by creating dished based on what's fresh, delicious, and cheap as opposed to buying items based on a predetermined agenda.

 

These are not equally valid approaches if one places a value on food quality, cost, or keeping cooking a creative process instead of a dreaded drudgery.

 

To say that the two approaches are equally valid is to deny that the concept of "validity" has any meaning. 

 

Planning months worst of meals in advance is the worst approach one could take toward home meal preparation.

 

Sorry. But that's the actual case.

 

Bill

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Quill, do whatever works, when you're doing live-in elder care while homeschooling and working...there are only so many hours in the day for the woman of the house who is shouldering all of these caregiving and nuturing relationships! If a framework for meals gives you some peace of mind, that's a GOOD thing. You are feeding your family wholesome, home cooked foods. There is nothing to criticize here.

 

You can still be flexible. Unless your plans (foolishly) rely entirely upon overripe produce that must be used that day, or unless you're only willing to serve poultry that was clucking in the barnyard four hours previous, you can pivot a little if your plans or wishes change. You have a refrigerator, a freezer, and a pantry.

 

(For myself, I wouldn't lay out the menus, exactly. Instead, I would stock up on the freezer and pantry elements for many meal options, buy produce-meat-dairy on a weekly basis, and just have somebody stop at the store for additional fresh foods as needed.)

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I entirely disagree. I think meal planning two months out (or three months out) is a way to miss out on the bounty of nature, is a way to ignore the seasonal nature of fresh foods, is a way of locking oneself into shopping at places that focus on packaged and convenience foods, is a way to drive up food costs (while driving down quality) and—beyond doubt‚ i s a way to end up in a food rut that saps any and all joy from cooking and food creation.

 

The more valid approach is to pick out fresh, wholesome, and delicious ingredients (that are often economical for being in season) and working meals plans "backwards" by creating dished based on what's fresh, delicious, and cheap as opposed to buying items based on a predetermined agenda.

 

These are not equally valid approaches if one places a value on food quality, cost, or keeping cooking a creative process instead of a dreaded drudgery.

 

To say that the two approaches are equally valid is to deny that the concept of "validity" has any meaning. 

 

Planning months worst of meals in advance is the worst approach one could take toward home meal preparation.

 

Sorry. But that's the actual case.

 

Bill

 

I would bet that Quill does actually know that it is XYZ season in her area in the next 2 months and not ABC season and thus plans accordingly.

 

I doubt she's making roasted pumpkin over the next 2 months...and if her family eats strawbs and spring peas, they're on the menu.

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I, too, am sure that Quill knows what is in season every month over the next few months.

 

I also am sure that you can eat out of season without only eating convenience foods - for example, even if the food is in season, unless you pick it yourself out of your own garden it's still fresher if it's been frozen, because they freeze it immediately. Frozen vegetables are not exactly what I call "convenience foods".

 

Finally, I am absolutely certain that you need to get out of your own rut of black-and-white thinking and be a little less judgmental.

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The whole seasonal food thing really doesn't work for me. Right now and in the middle of summer, green peppers are $1 here. And trucked in from Mexico. I'd have to go to the Farmer's Market in the summer (only open one day a week and I can't afford to feed 7 people with Farmer's Market food) or grow my own (not happening) to get local produce. Or live off of corn. So much corn.

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I entirely disagree. I think meal planning two months out (or three months out) is a way to miss out on the bounty of nature, is a way to ignore the seasonal nature of fresh foods, is a way of locking oneself into shopping at places that focus on packaged and convenience foods, is a way to drive up food costs (while driving down quality) and—beyond doubt‚ i s a way to end up in a food rut that saps any and all joy from cooking and food creation.

 

The more valid approach is to pick out fresh, wholesome, and delicious ingredients (that are often economical for being in season) and working meals plans "backwards" by creating dished based on what's fresh, delicious, and cheap as opposed to buying items based on a predetermined agenda.

 

These are not equally valid approaches if one places a value on food quality, cost, or keeping cooking a creative process instead of a dreaded drudgery.

 

To say that the two approaches are equally valid is to deny that the concept of "validity" has any meaning.

 

Planning months worst of meals in advance is the worst approach one could take toward home meal preparation.

 

Sorry. But that's the actual case.

 

Bill

No, Bill, it's your actual opinion.

 

I'm not sure why you refuse to accept the idea that your approach may be wonderful for you, but that it may not be the best approach for everyone else on this forum.

 

I'm not an advance meal planner -- based on what you have posted, it sounds like you and I are quite similar in our approaches -- but Quill wants to do things differently and I completely respect that. I'm not sure why you insist on berating her and telling her that she's sapping all of the joy out of cooking. Maybe she doesn't even care about deriving great joy out of "food creation." Maybe she just wants to get a meal on the table for her family. Or maybe she's able to enjoy cooking precisely because she has an advance plan and it gives her a sense of accomplishment.

 

Quill is a very bright and kind woman, and if she says that planning a few months of meals in advance will make her happy, that's all that should matter.

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I entirely disagree. I think meal planning two months out (or three months out) is a way to miss out on the bounty of nature, is a way to ignore the seasonal nature of fresh foods, is a way of locking oneself into shopping at places that focus on packaged and convenience foods, is a way to drive up food costs (while driving down quality) and—beyond doubt‚ i s a way to end up in a food rut that saps any and all joy from cooking and food creation.

 

The more valid approach is to pick out fresh, wholesome, and delicious ingredients (that are often economical for being in season) and working meals plans "backwards" by creating dished based on what's fresh, delicious, and cheap as opposed to buying items based on a predetermined agenda.

 

These are not equally valid approaches if one places a value on food quality, cost, or keeping cooking a creative process instead of a dreaded drudgery.

 

To say that the two approaches are equally valid is to deny that the concept of "validity" has any meaning.

 

Planning months worst of meals in advance is the worst approach one could take toward home meal preparation.

 

Sorry. But that's the actual case.

 

Bill

No Bill, it's not the actual case. Don't patronise us.

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Quill, do whatever works, when you're doing live-in elder care while homeschooling and working...there are only so many hours in the day for the woman of the house who is shouldering all of these caregiving and nuturing relationships! If a framework for meals gives you some peace of mind, that's a GOOD thing. You are feeding your family wholesome, home cooked foods. There is nothing to criticize here.

 

You can still be flexible. Unless your plans (foolishly) rely entirely upon overripe produce that must be used that day, or unless you're only willing to serve poultry that was clucking in the barnyard four hours previous, you can pivot a little if your plans or wishes change. You have a refrigerator, a freezer, and a pantry.

 

(For myself, I wouldn't lay out the menus, exactly. Instead, I would stock up on the freezer and pantry elements for many meal options, buy produce-meat-dairy on a weekly basis, and just have somebody stop at the store for additional fresh foods as needed.)

 

Yup. It's this...only so many hours in the day, and I don't live in a central enough location that picking up food to eat one day at a time makes any sense at all. It would not make sense to waste gas driving here and there, making it up as I go along; "Oh, look! Brie! And raspberries! So, maybe I'll drive by the fishmonger and see if there is a white fish that I can make into some fish-brie-raspberry meal!" 

 

My plan is flexible. I do have a freezer and pantry stocked with elements for all the meals we usually make. The meal plan is mostly so that I remember this is the week I need hamburger buns, or fresh spinach, or ingredients for cookies, not to mention to remind myself I need to thaw sausages or chicken thighs. I already feel that some of my anxiety is averted, which is what usually happens when I form a plan. 

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Various things one can prioritize in selecting meals:

-Freshness

-Variety

-Cost efficiency

-Family favorites

-Simplicity, lack of stress

 

IF your highest value is getting bargains, shop first. Sure. If your highest value is reducing stress, and figuring out meals is stressful for you, it makes sense to just do it once and be done with it, even if you end up spending a little more or missing the freshest thing in store.

 

I serve veggies as a side and don't include them in my meal plans, anyway. I just pull something out of the fridge or freezer. We buy months worth of meat at one time and we always have all of the types in stock, so it doesn't matter whether I eat chicken this week and beef next week or vice versa. I already have both.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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People are different. I can't plan meals on the fly, depending on whatever I happen to have available on a given day. I can only go to the grocery on certain days. I have a lot of people to feed, a tricky schedule to work around, and not a lot of personal creativity in the kitchen. I do better when I follow recipes.

 

My family eats better when I plan things out. And that's a fact. ;)

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So am I the only one that likes to vary my menus taking the weather into account? Some days are cold and call for stew or chili, 

 

I do this all the time, especially living in Florida. I love soup and can eat it every day but dh and ds don't like soup when it's hot out. We get so little cold weather that as soon as I hear of a cold snap coming, I'm digging through the fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what soup or stew I can make. For as long as the cold lasts (and it's never very long) we're having soup, stew, and chili. That's what happened this week. We thought we were done with cold weather and suddenly we're having lows in the 30s and 40s with highs around 60. This is winter weather to us. And I've put all previous meal plans on hold so we can have cold weather meals. 

Edited by Lady Florida.
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Here's Bill's always-nuanced, subtle suggestion.

 

If I lived blocks away from an open-air market on the Mediterranean, I would do this. (Maybe.) it could be part of my exercise program - walk to market, buy fresh food, walk home - Voila! A marvelous meal.

 

My reality is: what I did today. Drive to a town 15 minutes away, buy onions, grapes, blueberries, cooking wine, beef broth (canned), hoagie spread and some hygiene goods. Get in the car; drive another 15 minutes up to Costco.* Buy salmon, chicken breasts, sausage, ground beef, oreos, brussels sprouts, cream and a pretty ridiculous amount of milk. Get in line with nine thousand other people who do this on any given Sunday, especially when snow is in the forecast. Come home irritable. This food is the badis for most of our meals.

 

It isn't Barefoot Contessa, entertaining in her New England cottage by the sea, but it's what I've got to work with at the moment. ðŸ˜

 

 

 

Yep. Not everyone has locally grown produce, fresh caught fish, farm fresh eggs, etc. available to them. Those who do seem unable to grasp that many of us don't.

 

 

 

Finally, I am absolutely certain that you need to get out of your own rut of black-and-white thinking and be a little less judgmental.

 

 

No, Bill, it's your actual opinion.

 

I'm not sure why you refuse to accept the idea that your approach may be wonderful for you, but that it may not be the best approach for everyone else on this forum.

 

 

 

Bill, sometimes you remind me of my mother. She believed there were always two ways of doing things. Her way and the wrong way. 

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It's taken awhile, but I've found a mostly-working system for us.  Each day is a category (Monday is soup, Tuesday is meat and potatoes, Wednesday is chicken and rice, etc), and have found four meals in each category that my family will eat about once a month.  Under the regular chart, I have a smaller chart with extras under the day/category where they fit.  We like chicken makhani every once in a while, so sometimes it gets thrown in on a chicken-and-rice night instead of orange chicken or chicken curry.  Friday nights are a catch-all for recipes that don't fall into the other categories, and I can try new recipes that night too.

 

We buy a portion of cow each year, and buy the rest of our meat on sale (I freeze it in meal-sized portions).  I have simplified breakfast and lunches too, serving the same thing each day of the week.  Thursday is muffin morning, but it could be pumpkin muffins, or almond poppyseed, or apple cinnamon, etc.  (I work very early mornings, so breakfast has to be easy enough for kiddos to get it without any help).  Grocery shopping is much simpler than it used to be, since we pretty much get the same things all the time.  There is enough variety (and flexibility) that it works without getting boring.

 

And, as a side benefit, I find it hilarious to have my four-year-old come to the table at night, see dinner, and say, "Hooray!  Chicken and rice means it's AWANA night!"

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It's taken awhile, but I've found a mostly-working system for us. Each day is a category (Monday is soup, Tuesday is meat and potatoes, Wednesday is chicken and rice, etc), and have found four meals in each category that my family will eat about once a month. Under the regular chart, I have a smaller chart with extras under the day/category where they fit. We like chicken makhani every once in a while, so sometimes it gets thrown in on a chicken-and-rice night instead of orange chicken or chicken curry. Friday nights are a catch-all for recipes that don't fall into the other categories, and I can try new recipes that night too.

 

We buy a portion of cow each year, and buy the rest of our meat on sale (I freeze it in meal-sized portions). I have simplified breakfast and lunches too, serving the same thing each day of the week. Thursday is muffin morning, but it could be pumpkin muffins, or almond poppyseed, or apple cinnamon, etc. (I work very early mornings, so breakfast has to be easy enough for kiddos to get it without any help). Grocery shopping is much simpler than it used to be, since we pretty much get the same things all the time. There is enough variety (and flexibility) that it works without getting boring.

 

And, as a side benefit, I find it hilarious to have my four-year-old come to the table at night, see dinner, and say, "Hooray! Chicken and rice means it's AWANA night!"

That's so cute! And it sounds like you have a very bright four year-old! :hurray:

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Bill, not everyone is looking to find joy and creativity in cooking. Some of us have seasons where we are just trying to make sure no one starves. The joy comes from reduced stress and reduced thinking about it, and in the free time that the planning buys us. 

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Bill, not everyone is looking to find joy and creativity in cooking. Some of us have seasons where we are just trying to make sure no one starves. The joy comes from reduced stress and reduced thinking about it, and in the free time that the planning buys us. 

 

Perhaps, but when you care about people (like I think Quill is adorable) it is deeply saddening to see such a potentially rewarding part of life turned into a joyless drudgery.

 

Life shouldn't be like that. Especially when the job isn't going away. Meal planning for months in advance won't buy free time.

 

The better answer is strategic shopping.

 

Bill

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