Every now and then it’s a good idea to look through your freezer and refrigerator and plan meals that will let you use up food that you’ve been storing. I’ve been good about this all week. We’ve had home cooked dinners, complete with entr
Arrrgh!!!
It's just my state of mind!
Buffy, I do tire of the meal planning, so, I fish for ideas. I have been doing weekly plans (for supper) a week in advance for much of the last year. I have started intentionally leaving space at the bottom of the menu with some bullets for the family to jot suggestions for the next week. Finally, there is 3 meals suggested (well at least the main course, so to build around that is easy).
This “…plan meals…” and “…meal planning…” of which you speak. Is this a new fad? I just don’t keep up. Heck! If I ever planned meals, I don’t know what would happen. Only for holidays do I think that far in advance. I start thinking about a meal, usually, two hours before it’s due on the table. I hate, Hate, HATE that part of the cooking.
When my brother ate his meals at my apartment (one summer, in college), his job was to PLAN and shop for the food (he had a car–when I shopped for food, I was afoot.) I did the cooking and cleanup. He was really good at planning–down to the subsequent use of a partial can of corn that he knew would be left from a dinner! It was fabulous! (I lost 12 pounds in 2 1/2 months. I quit snacking because it wouldn’t have been right for me to eat food that was 1/2 his!)
Desiree, I’ll have to try that. I usually do my meal planning on Sunday, with grocery shopping on Monday. Maybe if I get us through a week, and give them time to think about what they might like to try, I’ll get some suggestions from them.
Cop Car, If I don’t plan ahead, then the ingredients are not on hand for whatever we want to make. I usually have six ideas that are fairly firm, and make sure there are enough veggies and salad to go with. Beyond that, it’s sometimes a flip of a coin to decide which meal we have each day.
My sisters used to hoot and laugh at my posted menus. I couldn’t figure out how they could feed a family when they didn’t plan ahead. I hope to retaliate one day and post the dishes to be used on the table, the wine to accompany dinner, and the CD to be playing. Of course, that list will only happen the week of Thanksgiving, when I know my family will be here. *G*
Your list sounds like Dudette’s list when she has Thanksgiving dinner. The dishes and serving pieces are out and labeled as to use and the cooking is timed and listed. I tried that method once. (Shocked everyone!) It’s more fun to say, the next day, “Oops! Here’s the pasta salad that I was going to serve yesterday!” Fortunately, I was regarded as being highly organized at work (whether the regard was earned, or not–LOL!)
It astonishes me that the organization at work didn’t naturally flow into menu planning. I’d think it would be a habit that worked across the board.
Dudette’s my kind of sister!
btw….I’ve had those experiences….the casserole that was still in the oven, but the family swears that the year I forgot to turn the oven on was the best goof.
It does take longer to cook when the oven isn’t turned on. (Been there, done that!) I don’t mind planning things that I enjoy doing; but, being one who hates cooking, there is no way that I want to prolong the agony by thinking about it the extra time that it takes to plan meals. I’ve always wanted to build a house without a kitchen; but, resale is a bear!