Sorry to T/J, but what gets me is the grocery part. I can list what I want to make, but it is sitting and making sure I have all ingredients that stops me dead in my tracks.
I know. I'm in the same boat. I'm really trying to get this started since we don't have the crippling commute any longer. So far, I've gotten out my week pad and written what we are having tonight on it - beef stroganoff.
I've gotten inspired by Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals on Food Network. I plan 3 meals during the week so that we have leftovers the next day, and then sometimes John cooks on the weekend, or we'll do takeout, or I'll make football-watching food like chili. :)
I start by going through grocery store circulars to see what meats are on sale, and search for recipes from there. I'm a little more limited now that I can't have dairy, but I haven't found any shortage of new and easy recipes to make. I like trying new dishes, so in the past 2-3 months, there are only maybe 3-4 recipes I've made twice.
Our meal plan changes every two weeks, I base it on what is on sale at the grocery store, what vegetables are in season and whatever my current fancy is :LOL
Generally though, this is what I plan.
12 hot meals for 14 days (leaves room for emergency take out and leftovers)
In those I alternate between cuisines, so Mexican, Italian, Thai, German, etc.
Since we eat our lunches at school/work, sandwiches are the norm, with fruit, yogurt, cheese etc.
I can only recommend the book: the frantic woman’s guide to feeding your family and friends. It taught me how to plan, grocery shop, freeze and thaw as needed for a whole two weeks. It has several two week menu plans in it. (Now I just do my own) I must have used it for the first 2 or three months of planning our menus. Awesome resource.
We plan weekly, or are supposed to. We were supposed to do that Thursday night, but Bill was away, so we didn't, and we forgot over the weekend.
We basically need 2-3 meals per week. I'll usually cook Saturday or Sunday, Monday or Tuesday and then again on Thursday. We eat leftovers the other days, and pizza on Fridays at Bill's parents house.
I shop ciculars, so we plan based on that. If they don't have anything good on sale, or if we have something in the freezer we are trying to use up, or if we have a hankering for a specific meal, I'll just get something out of the freezer. We always have a ton of frozen meats and such there.
So this week we have no real plan, but I have things I got on sale. It was an expensive trip this week-$150, but with sales and coupons, i saved $148, so good deals.
Tonight-grilled beef tenderloin (roast-not steaks-they have the whole ones on sale, so I bought that and trimmed it-I'll save the chain for cheesesteak sandwiches sometime), grilled asparagus (also on sale-for $1.49/lb), mashed potatoes and glazed carrots
Tuesday-I'll either make beef pot pie/shepard's pie with leftover beef, or crab cakes. (they had local backfin on sale for $7.99/lb, which is very cheap for crabmeat-it is the best time of year for crabs right now)
Wednesday-leftovers
Thursday-whatever I made on Tuesday, I'll make the other. Probably I'll do the crab cakes Tuesday because the leftover beef will last longer in the fridge than the crab will.
Friday-pizza night
We'll plan again on Thursday for the weekend and the following week so this week's plan is a short one.
I can't plan for more than one week at a time. The produce never lasts long enough, and I don't like having to make lots of trips to the store.
Speaking of dinner-I should go prep the potatoes, the carrots and the asparagus before the girls get up... (the roast is ready and has its rub on-I just need to take it out of the fridge an hour before grilling-which will be at like 4pm)
ETA-When I have larger cuts of meat like this, I usually plan on making a second, different meal from the leftover meat. Saves time, saves money, and doesn't waste leftover meat. Also, this trip to the store was large, but that isn't all for this week. Kind of a stock up sale.
-- Edited by Supafly on Monday 14th of September 2009 02:02:39 PM
