So here's my plan of action. First, make a plan! I will admit to being a planner and a lover of lists. Whenever I start a project such as something related to a church calling or a home-improvement project, the first thing that I do is do some research, make a list and write down a plan of action. But I realized that when it came to my family responsibilites, I lacked that organization and waited for things to happen on their own. So I decided to approach dinner as I would any other project. ON PAPER! I started writing down a menu plan for the week. This is not a revolutionary new idea, but it has revolutionized meals at our house. I have found that when I cook from a menu plan, our grocery bill goes down. I avoid the temptation to grab something from a drive-thru because it's late and I don't know what to cook. It also makes grocery shopping more efficient when I am buying ingredients specific to upcoming meals instead of whatever sounds good. By looking at a whole week of meals I can keep them a little more balanced between hot and cold meals, carbs and protein, etc. It keeps things from getting boring.
But the biggest advantages have come from posting the menu where everyone can see it. Posting a list of breakfasts and lunches as well as dinners keeps the kids from eating cereal and ramen noodles every day this summer. (Not that there's anything wrong with cereal and ramen noodles! :) ) Posting the menu also makes me more accountable to following the plan. If the rest of my family knows what I plan to make for dinner, I have found that I am much less likely to cop out and go with something quick and easy. But what I have discovered is that the menu makes so many dishes quick and easy. By planning ahead, I have all the ingredients I need. I know to get meat out of the freezer in the morning so it has time to thaw. I can cook or grill some items ahead of time so I'm not cooking in the hottest part of the day.
In deciding what to cook for dinner, this system has been helpful. I usually go with one Mexican meal, one Italian meal, one grilled meal, one sandwich/salad meal, a crock pot meal for Sunday, and one wild card meal. This leaves one night of the week open for leftovers or a date night for mom and dad.
Like I said, there are no new ideas here. But is has been amazing the difference this has made for me, so I thought I would share. I've also tried to incorporate some new recipes into our menu. The idea is to get my kiddos to try some new things and to get me to try some new ways of cooking. I've found that they're not as time consuming or as complicated as I thought. We are slowly getting out of the rut!
Here are the new recipes we tried last week. You can click on the recipe name for a link to the recipes.
South of the Border Sandwiches These were a hit with everyone at my table and easy to customize to everyone's tastes.
Chicken Lo Mein This was really easy to make and seemed very "internatonal". Now I have sesame oil and oyster sauce in my pantry!
Smashed Potatoes The biggest hit yet! I wish I would have made more as everyone was wanting seconds. I used green onions instead of the fresh herbs and added some grated cheddar cheese during the last few minutes of baking.
