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Menu Planning, Not
As Hard As It Seems
I’ve noticed that a
lot more people are
talking about menu
planning here
lately. Some have
been doing this for
years, others a few
weeks/months, and
still others just
flat out refuse! I
love the excuses
that I’ve heard for
NOT planning a menu:
•I don’t have time
•I never stick to a
menu
•My family’s too
picky
•It’s too hard to
plan a menu
Those are just a few
that I LOVE to hear!
Menu planning is not
that hard, and it
takes very little of
your time! I have
made plans for 1
week, 2 weeks, and
for 1 month. I
really like to do
the monthly menu
plan because I like
not having to think
about what we’re
going to have for
dinner for a whole
month. To do this,
even for 1 week, you
need to know what
meals your fixing
for your family.
Track your meals on
a calendar for a
whole month. See
what patterns
develop and then
plan around that
with a few new meals
thrown in for
variety.
The real key to
monthly menu
planning can be
summed up in one
word: FLEXIBILITY.
If you’re not
willing to be
flexible, you’re
going to become
frustrated and give
up. Don’t forget
about your slow
cooker. It can
really make your
meals a lot more
manageable and
easier to get dinner
on the table. Most
meals that you cook
in the oven can be
adapted to cook in
your slow cooker.
Make sure that you
cook meals that you
know your family
will eat. You’re not
going to save any
money by fixing
meals that you end
up throwing out
because your family
doesn’t like them.
Also, prep ahead.
Chop extra veggies.
It doesn’t take any
more time to chop 4
carrots instead of
2, or 2 onions
instead of 1. The
extras can be kept
in the fridge for a
few days, or the
freezer for longer
term storage. This
helps shave a few
minutes off your
prep time later in
the week when it
matters the most.
One more thing to
remember is to keep
staples on hand. If
you have staples,
then all you need to
do is pick up the
ingredients you need
to fill in the gaps
with those
ingredients you
don’t use as often.
Also, if your family
likes spaghetti,
keep all the
ingredients for a
quick spaghetti meal
on hand for those
nights when there’s
very little time to
get a meal on the
table. You can have
spaghetti with
sauce, garlic bread,
and even salad on
the table within 30
minutes. There are
other meals that can
be pulled together
just as quickly, it
just depends on your
family’s tastes.
If you’ve never
tried menu planning,
give it a try. It’s
not that hard, and
it will help make a
busy schedule a
little easier to
manage by knowing
that dinner is
already planned.
Last 5 posts by
Stephanie Martin
•Gifts For Cooks
Under $10 [1] -
December 12th, 2009
•Gifts For
Crocheters Under $10
[2] - December 12th,
2009
•Alternative Idea To
Dressing Up For
Halloween [3] -
November 24th, 2009
•Making Your Slow
Cooker Work for You
[4] - November 24th,
2009
•Tips for Making
Your Holiday Dinner
a Success [5] -
November 24th, 2009
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Article printed from
LadyPens: http://www.ladypens.com
URL to article:
http://www.ladypens.com/menu-planning-not-as-hard-as-it-seems/
URLs in this post:
[1] Gifts For Cooks
Under $10: http://www.ladypens.com/gifts-for-cooks-under-10/
[2] Gifts For
Crocheters Under
$10: http://www.ladypens.com/gifts-for-crocheters-under-10/
[3] Alternative Idea
To Dressing Up For
Halloween: http://www.ladypens.com/alternative-idea-to-dressing-up-for-halloween/
[4] Making Your Slow
Cooker Work for You:
http://www.ladypens.com/making-your-slow-cooker-work-for-you/
[5] Tips for Making
Your Holiday Dinner
a Success: http://www.ladypens.com/tips-for-making-your-holiday-dinner-a-success/
