Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Meal Planning 101

For the first time ever, all three of my kids are in school!  Here's a few back to school pictures...


I'll probably post more later in the week on that, but I just have to tell you, today when Jess got home he asked if I had been sad all day because I was home alone.  I nodded and put on a good show, but in reality I was skipping out of the preschool singing Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This!"  I love my kids with my whole heart, but I have been waiting a LONG time for a moment like that...a few hours of freedom.  And, by freedom I mean uninterrupted laundry.  I'm adventurous like that. Back to school also means getting back into routine, and breaking out the fall meal planning ideas.

I wouldn't say that I am the most organized person in the world, but I love a good list and an old fashioned paper calendar.  I feel like I am the last person in the world to keep one of those handy dandy little checkbook size calendars in my purse for doctor and hair appointments.  I don't put anything on my iPhone calendar, but I'd be lost without my Ann Geddes handheld calendar.  Ok, so my calendar isn't Ann Geddes, but you know what I mean.  Go ahead, snicker all you want.  I feel like once it's written on paper I can release it from my mind.

In fact, would you like to know what some of my family members (Mom & Stephanie) make fun of me the most for?  My clothes calendar!  OK, I don't keep a clothes calendar now, because I don't work outside of the home, so my outfits are pretty boring, but back in my workin' days, I kept a calendar of what I wore to work each day so that I wouldn't repeat outfits for a month.  Hey, I was young...I had lots of time on my hands.  You know something else I am passionate about...planning meals!  Meal Planning...are you in or are you out?  It can be grueling.  It can be frustrating.  It can be a complete waste of time on the weeks when you forego all planning and end up in a drive thru, but overall, a well thought out meal plan can save you time and money.

I have been meal planning for five years.  When I was pregnant with my middle child, I also had an active thirteen year old who was involved in extracurricular activities at school and church, and played club volleyball about an hour away.  I was tired of eating fast food after spending an hour saying..."What do you want for dinner?" and "I don't know what do you want?"  or "Nothing really sounds good to me."  We've all been there, right?  So, I sat down with a notebook and a pen and started my meal plan journey.



The first step is to write down everything in your cooking repertoire.  I wrote down some categories and just started listing.  My categories are:  Italian, Mexican, Soups, Sandwiches, Breakfast for Dinner, Crock Pot Meals, Other Beef Meals, Other Chicken Meals, Seafood, Pork Meals.  Yes, some may fall into two categories, but put them wherever you want.  It's your meal plan, afterall.  Putting all of my options out on paper helps me see the bigger picture.  Basically, my goal is to cook four to five times a week.  I am old school and print out a calendar for each month and put it on out refrigerator filled with everyone's events.  I can look at the schedule and know the nights we'll be home and I can cook a home cooked meal, versus the nights we are busy and may need a crock pot meal waiting on us at home.  I can also use this list as a "cafeteria plan" to pick and choose from, so I don't end up with four chicken meals in a row one week.  Also, once my hubby and kids have deemed a new recipe as one they'd like to have again, I can add it to the list under the appropriate category.

The first year was probably the most challenging, but now it is second nature.  Here's a HUGE tip from the pack rat in me.  Keep your menu's.  Yep, you heard right, do not trash them when the month is over.  I have every menu from the past five years in a binder where some of my favorite recipes are printed out.  This is a huge time saver.  September is right around the corner.  If you're like our family, things get busier (which means more crock pot meals) and weather gets cooler (which means more soups).  All I have to do is pull out my previous meals from Septembers past, and see what we were eating then, chances are, it'll sound good this September, too.  When the Spring rolls around and we're cooking out more, I just have to see what we were cooking up then, and I have a quick and easy meal plan.



I usually let the VIP review the menu, and upon their approval, I proceed.

Simple and easy, right?  Do you meal plan?  If so, what are some of your best tips?

Have a great day!

Emily






26 comments:

  1. Would you ever consider posting a weekly meal plan?

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    1. Next week I'll post my August menu so you can get some ideas. I don't have September planned yet, but that may be some thing I can work on in the future. Thanks for stopping by & the comment. :)

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  2. We love soups in the fall too, and my birthday falls on the first day of that season so I am excited to get some hearty meals going soon. This is great advice, thanks! Stopping in from #TuesTalk

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Meg! Hearty meals are the best in the cool months! I can't wait to make Taco Soup this fall. It's my favorite! Two of my kids have fall birthdays, too. I love that time of year. Have a great day!

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  3. Emily... love the back to school photos. Looks like you captured their personalities. I felt the same way when I dropped my second one off at preschool. Good for you for being so organized. I am on the hunt now for a new planner. Have a great week and enjoy some "me" time!!

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    1. Thanks, Katie! I grew up an only child, so alone time is a must for me! Don't get me wrong, I was excited to pick my little sweethearts up yesterday, but the quiet time was appreciated, too!! :)

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  4. Once I write it down I can release it from my mind. YES!!! Yes to all of that. I am a meal planner too. I plan out 14 meals of different styles and levels of ease then I make my shopping list. I know some people make menus that they rotate. I like that idea but think it might feel boring.

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    1. I use to plan 2 weeks at a time, but now I just take it week by week. Now that my kids are in school a couple days a week, I might try to plan a little further out again.

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  5. Can you do a meal plan for me please?!?! LOL I do try to plan meals, but then something happens and we end up being out of the house at dinner time and etc =)

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    1. You always have great looking meals!! I remember when Kendall was Emma's age it was hard with school activities and sports. Things do get a little easier as they get older. But, just as it starts to get easier, Alyx will be old enough to be involved in activities. I'm right there with you on that with my two littles. Thank goodness for crockpots!

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  6. You are sooo good!! The Thursday before, I make my list for what I need a grocery store for meals for the following week and shop on Friday. I have a weekend list and on Sunday I prep some of the things that I may need for a few of the meals that week, like cooking chicken, dicing vegetables etc. It saves so much time and sometimes I'll even make a couple of meals on Sunday and they'll be ready to heat up on the week nights.

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    1. That's a great idea! I try to do some meal prep in the afternoons before my kids get home, so I don't have to be in the kitchen when they're home, but Sunday is a great idea.

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  7. I always have high hopes to menu plan and usually after one week of planning I get of track. However I have already started my grocery store list with plans to menu plan for the next two weeks. I have never thought about keeping past menus! Great tip.

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    1. It really helps keep me on track, both in my spending and my eating habits. We don't have that many restaurant options near by, so if I don't plan we end up with fast food. Ugh!
      Good luck on your menu planning!

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  8. If you're old school, then I'm old school because I'm the exact same way when it comes to calendars. I keep nothing in my phone except for contacts. Ha! Getting back in the meal planning phase myself this week with our first full week back. And it's been a little overwhelming! Thank goodness I meal preped a little on Sunday afternoon!

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    1. I'm glad to know I'm not the only old school mama around! Menu planning is so much easier once school starts. I was getting lazy the last few months of summer. I hope your girls are having a great week at school.

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  9. I would love to see what your meals look like! I am the world's worst at meal planning! I always have good intentions...but yeah.

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    1. I think I'm going to post August's menu next Tuesday as an example. I may work in September, too, but I'm not sure it'll be ready. I'm usually a week by week girl.

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  10. I usually try to plan out my meals for the week before grocery shopping. Sunday is usually my prep day, at least for lunches and sometimes for breakfast (boiling eggs). I definitely want to improve - I would love to see a more detailed plan!

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    1. That's awesome that you prep on Sunday! Since I had a few people interested in my menu, I'm planning on posting an example next Tuesday.

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  11. Your kids are so cute ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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  12. Meal planning...oh it makes my heart pitter-patter. I keep a small notebook in our kitchen and write each week out on a page. When I get stuck, I just flip back several weeks and there's my plan. I love that it keeps me from making the same meals on repeat.

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    1. That's a good idea! A little notebook probably takes up less space & is more organized than my jammed pack full binder. :)

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  13. I seriously LOVE the clothing calendar! That would have came in super helpful when I was still in the schools. Five years of meals - are you sharing or what?!?! C'mon!!!

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    1. I am ridiculous, right? I think I may start posting some menu's since it seems like there's an interest in it. We should team up for it! :)

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