Today I am participating in Ms. Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday.
Todays letter is the letter "M".
I have tried and tried through the years to have a good meal planning system.
When my boys were little I belonged to a "MOPS" group. It Stands for Mother of preschoolers and we met at a church once a week and the kids got to go in their own class for their age group and us moms got to chat, make crafts, eat and usually they had a guest speaker.
One week the speakers were two ladies that had written a cook book called "Don't Panic! It's in the Freezer"
The book explained how to cook once a week and make triple portions so that you could freeze them and have them later. I did it for a while and really enjoyed it. It was such a great feeling to have a freezer full of meals I could just thaw out and pop in the oven or cook on the stove. I actually still use several recipes I got from this book.
My friend Lindsay over at Bytes Of Memory is a really good meal planner and she posts her meal plan along with recipes every Monday (I think it is). I admire her organization!
My friend Terra over at Sittingonanoak is also a good meal planner. If I remember right she does hers by the month!
I really intend to get better at meal planning this year. I have to admit Mark does a lot of the cooking because I work until 5 or 5:30 several nights a week. I'm pretty lucky to come home and have dinner on the table! If I could make some meals ahead and freeze them it would help him too.
Soooooooo I'm just kind of thinking out loud really but I would love from you if you are a good meal planner or not. What do you do and how do you do it??
12 comments:
I am a terrible meal planner. In fact, I don't plan at all. I decide at the last minute.
I would like to change that.
=)
'Planner', erm...is that a new word? I'm absolutely useless at thinking ahead; it's always last minute and 'what have I got in?' I could undoubtedly save a lot of time and money if I thought ahead a little more!
I'm just awful! I usually think of it about an hour before we eat. To plan a week or a month ahead would be well outside my capabilities!
The only meals I plan are the ones for our two dog children. I know that sounds horrible, but I always cook what we are in the mood for at 6 p.m. The dogs are always in the mood for baked chicken.
I try ... i mean sometimes i try ... it does seem to save money in the long run because if i dont plan i am usually off to the grocery store ... i can plan about 2 weeks in advance but that's as far as i get ...
At 66, now that I'm retired, I rarrely cook anymore. Two sons - 40 and 26, are soon moving and so am I, downsizing to accomodate my retirement and dimished income. I have always had a big upright freezer and cooked in quantity so there would be plenty left over to freeze. Now, I'll get a small apartment and sell my freezer. I need to save money and it will just be me.
I am not a great planner. I try to keep the ingredients to my favorite main dishes in the house and decide what I am making in the afternoon.
I'm not a big meal planner, especially now that my son is grown. I do always freeze portions to take to work for my lunches. I'd starve otherwise because they don't have many vegetarian options at work. Good luck!
oo you can do it! I borrowed a friends cookbook like that one time and loved it.. I might have to get a copy!!
The Owens family and I are planning on a COUNTRY BUFFET breakfast Sunday @ 10:00. Wanna join us?
My weeks run much more smoothly if I do my menu-plans. I got out of the habit last summer but I've been working my way back into it and I need to STICK TO IT! *L*
I need to keep my eye out for that book though, it seems to be pretty handy!
When I'm being good with WW's I am a great meal planner. I sit down twice a week and figure everything out, including snacks.
When I'm not being good with WW's, I stink.
Totally.
Whatever is easy (and probably high-calorie) or I can con my husband into picking up.
That top cookbooks sounds neat!
Thanks for a thought-provoking post.
I really enjoyed my stop here today.
A+
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