Menu Planning

kimmyo · #1 (**permalink**) 02-09-2002, 05:30 PM

I figured out my Menu Plan for the next 2 weeks dinner's and based on that I did my shopping today. I spent $112.00 today at the grocery store and $10.31 yesterday at the Bakery Thrift Shop. I should not have to buy anything else for the next 2 weeks except maybe milk.

Here's my menu starting with today:

Saturday: Pizza (from the freezer)

Sunday: Chimichangas (homemade from the freezer)

Monday: Spaghetti, salad, and bread sticks

Tuesday: Hamburger Helper, salad (Work late-kids cook)

Wednesday: Meatloaf, mashed Potatoes, greenbeans

Thursday: Chicken Fingers, Fries, salad (work late-kids cook)

Friday: Pizza (from the freezer)

Saturday: BBQ sandwiches, fries (from the freezer)

Sunday: Lasagna, salad, bread sticks

Monday: Manwiches, fries

Tuesday: Hamburger Helper, salad (work late-kids cook)

Wednesday: Enchilada Casserole

Thursday: Chili Dogs, Fries (from the freezer, work late-kids cook)

Friday: Chicken Fingers, Mac and Cheese, greenbeans

**Crafty Amanda** · #2 (**permalink**) 02-09-2002, 07:42 PM

Ok kimmyo, if you don't cough up that chimichanga recipe then I'm going to just show up for dinner on Sunday! LOL

I would love to hear your enchilada recipe too. I posted an ISO in the recipe exchange forum looking for an enchilada recipe. The one I had they were individually rolled like burritos then covered in sauce and cheese and baked, but I don't have the recipe. BOO HOO!

And on the topic of menu planning, I haven't planned mine out yet because i need to go to the grocery store tomorrow, but will post after I have it!

kimmyo · #3 (**permalink**) 02-09-2002, 08:34 PM

I guess you just missed them when I posted.

Just do a search on my name and you will see that I posted a recipe for Enchilada Casserole in the Recipe Exchange under Casseroles. Also under Meal planning look for Wednesdays Dinner and you will find my Chimichanga recipe as well as a recipe for Chicken Tacos. I thought it was unusual that you didn't message me about those!

kimmyo · #4 (**permalink**) 02-09-2002, 08:37 PM

I will pull out my Mexican Cookbook and see which recipes my mom used!

I will try and post them tomorrow. Maybe the Recipe exchange could have a new thread topic called Ethnic foods?

Then we could put all these recipes over there and make searching for them easier! Just a thought!

**Crafty Amanda** · #5 (**permalink**) 02-10-2002, 06:58 AM

request granted! I just set up an ethnic forum under the recipe exchange. I'm on my way to check out your other posts thank you!!!

kimmyo · #6 (**permalink**) 02-10-2002, 11:30 AM

Wow you are on the ball Amanda! Thanks!

**Crafty Amanda** · #7 (**permalink**) 02-10-2002, 12:11 PM

I aim to please

Sunny · #8 (**permalink**) 02-12-2002, 12:35 PM

Hi Everyone!!! I need help lol, I need a really good menu plan for two weeks at a time. It's getting ridiculous, I end up going to the store almost every day and I'm really getting tired of that. I need help being organized and i'm hoping you all can help me lol, is that putting pressure on you or what? lol, thanks Karen

**Crafty Amanda** · #9 (**permalink**) 02-12-2002, 01:44 PM

Hi Sunny!

It can be hard to get started, but once you do you'll be amazed at how much easier evenings are when you have it in place!

To get started right away, take an inventory of what you have on hand. Figure out what you have in your reezer, such as chicken breasts, 2 lbs of hamburger, etc.

Obviously it's no use scheduling hamburgers as one of your meals if you have ground beef but no hamburger buns! So after you have figured out what meats you have, then go over what meals your family really enjoys. For example, mine love spaghetti and meatballs, chicken soups with rolls, tacos, etc.

Now first off, you may need to make a trip to the store if you just can't come up with enough meals for a week, but maybe you can get by for the rest of the week with what you have on hand

Now if your family loves meatloaf and they also like hamburgers, yet you only have 2 lbs of hamburger meat, decide which meal you are able to make by figuring out what you will need to go with it.

Meatloaf (depending on the recipe of course) needs ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, milk, maybe mashed potatoes with gravy and a vegie. Hamburgers you will need buns, condiments, pickles, maybe french fries and a can of baked beans (that's what we're having tonight LOL).

Once you've figured out what's in your freezer and what you have in your cabinets/pantry to accompany it, now you'll need to figure out what nights you can have each meal. If little Suzie has ballet class on Thursday night, then something quick should be scheduled for that night. Etc, etc, etc.

Once you have done this and you are all set for the rest of the week, sit down and decide what meals you would like to serve for the next one or two weeks. Again, take into account evening activities.

Remember to make use of your crock pot, brown hamburger meat ahead of time and freeze if you can, try to do the time consuming things ahead if possible. Chopping vegies, browning meat, rolling meatballs, etc.

There are some great tips in this article (below).

Organized Dinner Planning & Grocery Shopping
http://www.thefamilycorner.com/famil...ceryplan.shtml

tama-toe · #10 (**permalink**) 02-12-2002, 01:51 PM

Sunny this is what works for me, maybe it will help you. I wanted to make a menu for along time and didn't quite know where to start so after many months of putting it off, yet wanting to do it I made a master list.
Main master list includes all meals that we eat regularly such as spaghetti, meatloaf, chicken & dumplings etc. Master list is broke down into Beef, Chicken, Pork and other. Other includes breakfast for dinner, potato soup, brown beans. You could actually make more break downs of this if you eat alot of soup or salads. But we just don't eat enough to justify an additional column and I put it under the " other " column.
Then I have my side dish master list this include all veggies, boxed potaotes, packaged noodles n sauce, etc.
So I first take my Main master list and go from one column to the next filling in the days of the week with items from the master list. This helps me because I don't have to think;-) every two weeks about what it is we like to eat. Also by going from one column to another for each day I am sure that I won't fix too many nights in a row of chicken or beef.
After my Main dish has been decided I go to my Side dish list and fill in complimentary side dishes to go with the main dish that has already been decided for that night.

It took me a couple of days to think of all the main dishes that we eat, I also ask for help from dh and the dks to help me think of them all.
Oh I should say that I don't schedule a leftover night, it never fails that they either eat more than I thought they would, leaving me with not enough for leftover night. Or I have tons of leftovers and the leftover night is still several nights away. So what I do is schedule all my meals out and if there is enough leftovers for leftover night then that is what we have. I just shift or delete that night meal in lieu of leftover night

I absolutely love menu planning, because instead of asking myself every single day what we will eat later that night, I just have to put myself through the aggrivation twice a month. I also love looking at the menu and seeing what I need to lay out to thaw instead of standing infront of the freezer and staring at all the stuff. Decide to close the door and figure it out later, later repeat, standing infront of freezer staring at all the stuff again shuting the door and figure it out later, this happens until someone yells whats for dinner mom. I shrug my shoulders asking I don't know, what do you want? and either we don't have what they want or I have to hussle to defrost it.
Also the family knows exactly what we are having for dinner, this alone is a blessing because I don't have to answer the question a bizllion times "Whats for dinner?".
It also saves us a ton, because there have been nights that I have had roast or something a little more time consuming scheduled to make, yet something comes up and leaves me with not enough time to make the roast. By menu planning I know that I have used my menu to grocery shop and can pick an easier to prepare meal from another night and prepare the roast some other night. Point is I know I have the things on hand to make ithe easier meal and we are not as likely to throw up our hands and go out for a meal.
Sorry don't mean to ramble on and on, just if you can ever get your menu planning going it benefits you in so many ways.
Hope this helps.