Menu Planning

Do you regularly plan menus? Or do you prefer to just wing it? I must say I wish I were the type of person who could just open the fridge, look at the "cast of characters" and figure out which ones will make a great combination for a delicious, healthy meal.

BUT, I'm waaaaay too much of a control freak for that. I go through seasons where I completely let menu planning fall to the wayside and live in the constant chaos of daily grocery store trips and wasted money until I can stand it no longer--then, and only then, does my frustration of wasted time and money override my laziness and I begin a season of menu planning ... until the drive for order, organization, and frugality lessens and laziness drives me to "just this week" forego the menu planning. However, even as I am telling myself it's only for one week, there's a small, naggy voice in my head reminding me that the past several times I've used the "just this week" excuse, that was the beginning of the end of menu planning for a few months.

This week I could take the chaos and frustration no longer. I sat down and wrote a menu for the week. Here is what we are eating for breakfast and dinner this week (if you can read my chicken scratching!). I don't plan lunch because we eat leftovers or something simple like sandwiches, quesadillas, etc.

I love this menu planner. I usually type it on the computer and print it out, but when I saw this menu "pad" in my son's fundraiser from school, I was excited and intrigued--I love the idea that the menu and grocery list are attached, but detachable. Sometimes I go to the store, look at an item on the grocery list and ask myself, "WHY am I buying this?" And I'm very tempted to skip that item because it must be a mistake. Then later in the week, I'm confidently preparing a meal (very proud of myself that I haven't had to go to the grocery store in a few days), only to realize that that bizarre grocery-list item was a critical ingredient in a meal I'm in the middle of preparing. This way, when I'm confused in the store I can just look at the menu and go, "Oh yeah, that's why I need this product." When I'm done grocery shopping, I throw away the grocery list and post the menu on the fridge so I don't have to hear anyone asking, "What's for breakfast?"/"What's for dinner?" Then I don't have to listen to them whine when I tell them what we're eating.

However, I have very recently started using a phone app for my grocery list. It's really cool. I'll post more about that another time. So the grocery-list side of the menu stays blank. I'm thinking I should use it to post notes on the fridge about changes in our schedule, love notes to the kids, etc. You know, "Waste not, want not." Yes, I was raised by a mom who grew up during the depression.