One of the things I like doing least is picking something for dinner. We probably spend an average of an hour every night trying to figure out what we want to eat. Then I still have to cook it...it's all very exhausting after commuting and working all day. One of the ways I have found to make this a little easier (and healthier) is to create a meal plan each month. I've tried doing losts of different things - like planning a specific meal for each day or just kind of getting lots of things we like that I could combine each day. What I found is if I was too rigid I didn't really want to eat whatever I was making, and if I didn't have enough structure I would forget (or ignore) the important things - like vegetables. So this is the plan I have been using off and on for the last year - and I have to say that it works great (when I use it). The other thing I do is I make as many things ahead of time as I can. Sometimes it is only a portion of the meal or the whole thing, but it really helps when I am starting dinner after 7pm. I don't do it all at once (Sometimes I do, but I rarely have an entire weekend to devote to it). Usually I will cook seemingly random things and store them for later. For instance, I like to make Chicken Strips from scratch and instead of only making what we need for one meal, I will cook enough for several meals and freeze them. They are just as good the second time around and I only have to make them once. The first meal is time consuming so I will usually make them on the weekend, but after that it only takes about 20 minutes to cook them in the oven - fast and easy on a weeknight.
Back to the meal planning - I will do a seperate post about ways that I use freezer cooking later. The first step I always do is make a list of the meals I already have. These can be meals we didn't eat from the month before, or things in my fridge/freezer that were on sale that I picked up. Then I figure out how many meals I have to start with, I usually have around a weeks worth of meals left - sometimes we eat out or we just have Grilled Cheese sandwiches because they sound good. Once I know how many meals I have, I figure out how many additional meals I need to plan for. I like to plan 30 meals total, 10-15 different meals with 2-3 of each. This seems like it would be very repetitive but really you only have to repeat every 2 weeks or so. This is actually a better variety than if I don't have a plan since I tend to make the same 4/5 dishes. Once I know how many meals I need to make, I start adding our favorites - like Baked Potato Pizza and Chicken & Broccoli Crescents - we make these every month. I also like to throw in a few new recipes - for variety and so I can use all those recipes I save but never use - this month it is Thai Fried Rice and Zucchini Fritters. Once I have a completed list, I make another list of what I need to buy at the grocery store, which I split into what I can buy at the beginning of the month and what I need to buy weekly. I also include what I need to make for Breakfasts and Lunches for the month so I can buy anything I need at the same time. Luckily I only have to do those meals on the weekends - and a lot of the options are things I keep around anyways.
I know it seems like I probably spend hours slaving over this list...it just goes on and on...but once you do it a few times it is really easy. I think I spend about 30 minutes planning what I am going to make, and another 30 minutes making grocery lists. An hour once a month is much better than an hour 4-5 nights a week. The other thing I do to make it easier for me is I print out a copy of my plan and keep it in the kitchen. I would never be able to remember what I have on hand for the entire month. Also, it is a lot easier to give Eric a list and ask him to pick something when he asks me what the options are for dinner. Each time I use the list I check each meal off - this way I can see at a glance what I have left both during the month and when I sit down to make the next months plan.
Here is my February Menu...
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