So starting this week my "Motivating Mondays" is meant to just do that. Give me a little jump start into the week and share with you a little more about our family's schedules and meal planning. Things that I have only found recently but are so important to our family's routine, and my sanity.
I {Heart} Menu Planning!
Menu planning has given me back so much time and lost electricity ;) standing in front of the fridge and saying "What should I make for dinner tonight" more time went into my daily ritual of figuring out whats for dinner than the actually MAKING of the dinner. So about a year ago I started menu planning, its evolved over the past few months and I have changed days I do it on, but the over all purpose of it is the same. Check out 13 Reasons to menu plan.... for more info!
How I menu plan is actually rather simple....its starts with a list on my fridge that I add too all week (its a little while board) and anything we run out of or I remember we need at the store I add it to the board. I then on the day I do my menu planning (for me this is Thursday or Friday nights) take another white board or piece of paper and do a quick inventory of what I have. (I dont write down everything, this is just maybe things I didn't use the week before, things I need to use up (Produce), things the kids or husband said they might want me to make) I then take these two lists and sit down in front of the TV after the kids got to bed and start with Sunday and plan, Lunch and dinner (sometimes breakfast) for the rest of the week based mostly off what I have. I also take into account what I am doing each afternoon/evening of the week. I make a little note next to the day so if I have a board meeting Wednesdays I know I wont have time in the kitchen for a hour to cook, so that night I will plan to have something more simple. Then I make a grocery list off what I need (list I have been making all week, and filling in what I have to make the meals I want) I usually then take the local store ad that I am shopping at that week and see whats on sale and fill in a few meals from here. I try once a month to use 99% of what I have on hand, and fill in only fresh or perishable things, this helps clean out the freezer and cabinets every so often.
I then take it a step further and go down my list matching up coupons I may have to the items and get everything ready for my store outing Saturday Morning. Sometimes I will make a meal off a good coupon(s) I have. I'm thrifty like that (or at least I try to be!)
This week is a freezer week, I had a huge list of things to use and a small grocery list. This is nice on the pocket book too!! :)
Monday- Tacos & Quesadillas w/ Rice and Salad
Tuesday- Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
Wednesday- Turkey Burgers & Chicken Nuggets w/ Tatter Tots and Salad
Thursday- Breakfast For Dinner!
Friday- Chicken and Rice Bake
Saturday- Left Overs or Soup and Sandwiches
I know what we are having every night, and while its schedules its flexible....I move things around when needed. The occasional dinner out pops up here and there and I just use the meal as an extra or move it to the next week (since I already have the items on hand, remember I shopped AFTER making my menu and list!)
Menu planning is a huge part of our routine and its allowed me to have a little more time in the afternoons and even made them a little stress free. Afternoons are hard in our house, its the "witching" hour as I call it. Kids are spent.....bored.....I am tired and we are all anticipating Dad coming home. The last thing I want to do is add the stress of whats for dinner to our already busy afternoons.
Note: If you would like a copy of the sheet I used to menu plan email me at KJordan714@gmail.com I'll send you over a editable copy for you to tailor to your family's own needs. No matter if your a family of 1 or 14, menu planning can help you stay in a routine and on budget! :)
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