Something that has been working SO WELL for me is my repeating menu plan. Every week I used to sit in front of my computer with paper and cookbooks and try to come up with a menu plan that would appeal to my family. You know, kid-friendly so the kids would eat it, hearty enough for my hubby yet healthy and mostly vegetarian for me. Every week this was very stressful for me.
My idea is probably not very original with most of you but it was my hubby's idea and him giving it to me released me from my weekly stress! He said, why don't you find 7 days of menus that you really like and we can have the same thing every week? I thought it would bore him but he assured me it wouldn't and that he liked the idea of knowing what we were having and looking forward to it.
So that is what I did and it has worked surprisingly well. I know each week what I am going to prepare and if I have a new recipe that I want to fix, I just plug it into a day and save that nights menu for the next week. Some weeks I tweak the menu. Instead of Salmon, Salad and Baked Potato, I might have Tilapia, Broccoli and creamed potatoes. This DEFINITELY works for me!!
My idea is probably not very original with most of you but it was my hubby's idea and him giving it to me released me from my weekly stress! He said, why don't you find 7 days of menus that you really like and we can have the same thing every week? I thought it would bore him but he assured me it wouldn't and that he liked the idea of knowing what we were having and looking forward to it.
So that is what I did and it has worked surprisingly well. I know each week what I am going to prepare and if I have a new recipe that I want to fix, I just plug it into a day and save that nights menu for the next week. Some weeks I tweak the menu. Instead of Salmon, Salad and Baked Potato, I might have Tilapia, Broccoli and creamed potatoes. This DEFINITELY works for me!!
Good idea! I'm currently trying to simplify my menu plan also :) We sorta change it up depending on the season, so I think that would keep it from being too monogamous by doing the same thing each week, I'm totally going to do this! :)
Posted by: Cara | August 29, 2007 at 08:32 AM
Good idea, planning meals around here always takes a lot of energy and it would help me to plan ahead like you!
Posted by: Kara | August 29, 2007 at 09:08 AM
We do the same thing, but with a 4 week repeating menu. And we can change things if we want, but now I know ahead and it makes dinner tome so much easier!
Posted by: Kara | August 29, 2007 at 11:27 AM