menu planning | my process

what's for dinner?

cooking is definitely one of my top 3 hobbies and interests.  i love everything about the kitchen and cuisine.  food inspires me.  the way it looks and smells.  the way it is made.  recipes hold memories for me. i love that food brings people together.  this week, or from today until friday, i thought i would share some of the things that i do to plan our family menu.

every week i decide in advance what i am going to make for dinner each night.  i find that it makes my life easier.  less trips to the store, no guessing at 5 o'clock about what i have. we eat a variety of food that is healthy and tasty.  i am organized and precise.  and i think it's easy and fun.  so here's my process.

what's on the schedule?

i take out my calendar that has the kids' school schedule and bobby's work appointments on it.  i figure out who's going to be where and what nights we will be eating out, if any.  this also helps me know if i need to do any preparation before hand; defrosting, marinating, etc.  once i know the schedule i can plan out the week.

planner

i have used a variety of ways to organize my menu.  the simplest way is to write the days of the week on a piece of paper.  i fill in the days that we are not home or eating out and then i know how many days i need to plan for. 

i have found various downloads on the internet to help with planning as well.  i even made one myself and use that when i have secured a plan for the week.  i try to keep my menus in a binder for reference.

recipes

i usually go through my recent magazines, recipe books and my own binder of recipes to get ideas of what to make.  i really love going on the internet and finding recipes that i would like to try.  i also get a lot of inspiration from restaurant recipes or what is fresh and available this time of year.  i try to ask the family what they would like to have but know that the response will be; turkey burgers, spaghetti and pizza.  

my weekly plan

i give myself some structure just to make it a little easier to plan the week.  usually something like this:

one night a week: soup (fall/winter) or salad (spring and summer)

one night a week: fish

one night a week: pizza (usually on friday)

one night a week: a go-to meal (something i make on a regular basis that doesn't usually require a recipe and that includes items i have on hand.)

that leaves one night a week of something different, chicken, pork or more seafood.  i don't cook red meat anymore so that eliminates that category.  every couple of weeks we end up with lots of leftovers and i'll plan that into the week.  and then there are the nights when i don't feel like cooking or i am not inspired.  on those nights eggs or breakfast are the perfect meal.

at this point i find recipes that look good, healthy, and relatively easy to make.  i love trying out new things and experimenting with ingredients.  i will make notes in my recipe books or use this weekly list to critique the recipe.  that way i can always look back and get more ideas, another benefit to making a list.

shopping

armed with my list i can go to the grocery store(s) to get what i need.  i try to do all of my shopping in one day.  in the past it has been on a monday.  right now i am trying out a new routine of shopping on thursday to ensure we have food for the weekend.  not sure if i like it though, my mind just doesn't think that way.  

i usually have to go to three places: trader joe's, ralph's and target.

trader joe's is where i get a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, pizza dough, and we definitely have our favorite items.

ralph's is for more of the brand stuff.  certain types of bread, tomato sauce, ethnic items.

target is for value items; crackers, cereal, cake mixes, chips.

on occasion

i go to costco for coffee, chicken, and bulk items (and to pick up my pictures).

italia deli for fresh baked bread, olive oil and import items.

cost plus has a great import section as well and their prices are good.

i also love getting my seafood from a seafood market.  i've been wanting to try a place around here but haven't made the time.

vallarta carries mexican ingredients and when i think of it i go there to.

in the summer i try to shop for local and fresh ingredients at the farmer's market.  there is a year round market that i've been meaning to try as well.

i don't prewash my items, or make meals ahead of time.  believe me this alone takes up an entire day.  but at least i know that i have what i need.  i do wait until the day of to buy fish, unless i am using frozen fillets from trader joe's.  and i might have to go to the store to get more milk or that item i inevitably forgot.  but for the most part i can get it all done in one day.  

trust me when i say that doing it like this means less stress and more time for other things.  plus it saves money on gas and those unwanted items that seem to make their way into my basket.  i am flexible about moving the menu around and making adjustments.  if i skip a meal i'll usually add it to the next week or for the weekend.  i try and make an effort to use items that i have.  i may plan two meals using the same ingredients.  i know this sounds like a lot of work but after years of doing it this way, it just makes sense to me.  the other added bonus is that i allow myself to eat lunch out on shopping day.  i tend to go to the store before lunch and will pick something up on the way home, or get a salad from the salad bar at the grocery store.  it's an incentive to get it done.

once the bags are unpacked i am ready to go.

menu for this week

monday: eat out - melody's our favorite mexican take out.

tuesday:  baked shells, and salad (i had ricotta left over from lasagna last week)

wednesday: entomatadas and mexican rice (look for this recipe later this week)

thursday: chicken sausages on ciabatta rolls (this idea came from an advertisement in cooking light)

friday: homemade pizza

tomorrow look for a post on my favorite books, magazines and webites for recipes.