a cooking plan
i am sure most of you agree that meal planning makes everything run a little more smoothly during the week.
it takes time. sifting through recipes. thinking about everyone’s likes and dislikes. but i always feel so much better when the meals are all tucked in my notebook. listed in columns like dairy, meats, veggies, etc.
last week i picked up the newest food network magazine and was pleasantly surprised at some of the different, yummy recipes i discovered.
so between cooking light and food network here is the dinner/lunch menu i have come up with for the next week:
main courses-
asian beef stew
white bean chili
chicken-pot-au-feu
turkey meatballs
venezualan empanadas
stuffed cabbage soup
sides/dips/soups-
moroccan couscous
cucumber yogurt dip
carrot coconut salad
chickpea and cauliflower curry
hot crab and cream cheese dip
roasted squash, apples & cashews
tomatillo salsa with corn chips
breads-
sourdough flax
indian flatbread
greek pitas
———————————————————————————————————————
depending on how things turn out, maybe i’ll post some recipes if anyone is interested.
so i’m off to finish my shopping. albeit in the rain.
i have kids so bored they want to come with me to the store.
that is never good. i’d really rather they stay and keep an eye on the bunny. who we had to bring in from the cold.
i’ll probably come home to some sort of mischief….and wish i’d just taken them with me.
or not.
andeverythinginitsplace.wordpress.com 
Oh, you reminded me to put beans on my list so I can make white lightning chicken chili. Mahalo, dearest friend. YES, menu planning is a money saver, too, and time! It saves time in the long run! I have done this lately and I now wonder why I hadn’t done it before! Oh, well, looking back wastes time, too. BIG HUGS and share, yes, share the successes!
mine have always been big fans of the grocery store so they’d come even if they were in the midst of something fun. I try to limit that though, because of course it makes it a little harder to stay on budget! Your menu looks amazing!
Your menus look wonderful, Regan. If any recipe is a real hit, please share! I do try and plan weekly meals. It is helpful. Ideally, I like to have a monthly plan. But that doesn’t always happen. And I also have to be diligent about actually cooking what I planned … Sometimes things come up or I forget to start something early enough, and then the plan goes out the window and I have to scrounge up something … Ahhh! Anyway, I’ve rambled long enough =) I hope your week is off to a good start! Blessings to you!
No matter how good one’s schedule, everything can fall apart in an instant without a good menu plan. It really is essential. And here is a tip (I ought to follow my own good advice!): Try to include in your menu plan once or twice a week something that you can make a double portion of and freeze for convenience when you need it.
It all sounds yummy. Be sure to let us know if any are keepers!
Do share if any recipe is a big hit! Love to experiement with new recipes.
I agree about the grocery store. It used to be mom’s ‘secret’ get away for an hour in the morning … not anymore. It’s hard to think and get done in a timely fashion with all the ‘I wants’ and ‘Can we gets’.
Your menu looks great, can I come over for the week?
Yes, I agree, it is so worth the time to plan out those meals. So much time, I was gong to post something about the time it takes….still might!
I TOTALLY AGREE REGAN! it’s easily been a year since i faithfully planned my weekly/bi-weekly menus. i just did it for these last 2 weeks and …. WOW! WHAT A DIFFERENCE A menu makes 🙂 I love it – why did i ever stop i wonder?
let us know how these new recipes are, won’t you?
toodles!
oooo you eat so fancy! sounds yummy
menus are so helpful, i haven’t really done it in a long time, but it does cut down on the ‘what’s for dinner?’ questions
i let my kids take turns coming with me to the store if my mom is home to stay with the other kids, they love it and it gives me some one on one time with them, well the baby is always with me too but you know what i mean