Meal Planning 101 for 2010 - any interest? - Page 3

[kathirynne]

Originally Posted by herbmama3-7

I would like to do this...Has it been started?

Not yet. We'll start after the holidays, on 4 January...

I'm so happy to see all this interest!

[Momma Moo Martin]

I'm in too! We moved a couple months ago and since then we've been wasting too much money on random grocery trips and take-out. I need help!

[Violet2]

I'm in. I was just writing about meal planning too, trying to explain how I approach it.

V

[gabby_mom_74]

Im in

I need to do more meal planning and would love ideas. I want to fix healthy foods my family will eat, work on our food storage, and come up with monthly menus for 2010!

[Violet2]

Hey mommas, I just finished reading Family Feasts for $75 a Week. I don't know if you can do it for $75 exactly but this is a good economical book that is sane and practical. The best one I've read to date.

The only criticism I have is she tends to add lemon/lime soda to recipes and use corn syrup which is kind of...odd for someone who has an organic garden. But you can easily omit those items/change the recipes. (Am I missing something on the culinary significance of lemon/lime soda????)

There are some good recipes in the book too--soda and corn syrup aside. I have lots of new yummies to try.

V

[dachshundqueen]

Here's where I am, making progress.

I'm still working on finding new veggie based recipes. So, there's still a few blanks. ETA: DONE!!!!
December

1. Quiche, tortellini soup
2. Shepherd’s pie (meat/lentil)
3. L/O
4. Salmon burgers
5. Chicken Broccoli casserole
6. Becky
7. Chicken broccoli pasta
8. Arroz con pollo
9. Lentil Soup, sw. pot fries, salad VC224
10. Cauliflower gratin, salad VC281
11. Salmon burgers, spinach
12. Chana tikka masala, rice
13. Becky’s
14. Swedish meatballs
15. Chicken pot pie
16. Fried rice
17. Chili
18. Salmon cakes
19. Nachos
20. Becky’s
21. Pasta w/meatballs
22. Indian Split peas w/rice BC217
23. Salmon burgers
24. Special
25. Becky’s
26. Tamale lentil casserole BC216
27. Stroganoff
28. Chicken Shwarma, rice pilaf
29. Manwich s/w
30. Kale w/white beans and rice timbales
31. Black Bean soup, quesadillas VC231

January

1. Salmon cakes
2. Fried rice
3. Meat pizzas
4. Lentil minestrone w/cornbread, salad
5. Shish kabobs
6. quiche, rolls, soup
7. Pasta bake with sausage
8. Salmon burgers
9. Stir fry VC 270
10. Becky’s
11. Split pea soup VC227
12. Enchiladas, yellow rice
13. shepherd’s pie w/lentils
14. Lentils VC303
15. Salmon cakes
16. Kidney bean pie w/cornbread top
17. Grilled chicken w/balsamic drizzle
18. Corn & lima bean ragout, rice timbales VC 535,247
19. Moroccan chicken, rice pilaf RR
20. Black Bean Tamales
21. Salmon burgers
22. Manwich s/w
23. Becky’s
24. Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes
25. Polenta gratin VC289
26. Black bean soup, quesadillas
27. Italian dressing chicken
28. Arroz con pollo
29. Salmon Cakes
30. Lentil & onion croquettes VC300


The shorthand is cookbook and page number.

Liz

[happiehart]

I'm in. I'm always running out of ideas and getting boerd with our food, then we end up wasting and eating out.

[Faliciagayle]

I'd love to join. I had been using a subscription service for meal planning but due to budgets, we had to cancel. I'm hoping I can keep up with a toddler and a newborn...

[SimplyRochelle]

Count me in too! This should be much easier now that we have our own kitchen. Looking forward to it. Right now, I wish I had more slow cooker recipes.

[workjw]

Count me in!

[AileenM]

I'd love this! We're mostly veggie here, so I have a hard time always finding something to make.

[Violet2]

Well my new thing is I'm not buying any more food until we eat what is in the freezer. I've been stocking and not eating. We have waaaaaay too much meat in the freezer.

DH is happy b/c we should save $$$$$ on groceries (until the freezer needs to be filled again).

So I have to eat what we've stocked.

Here's some of the recipes on the schedule ( I don't plan for a month just 2 weeks)

Breakfast is either: homemade yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs and fruit

Lunch is either: homemade yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit and baked beans (DD is being picky). For me, I'm doing a salad with romaine, carrots, red cabbage and cucumbers--cheese optional.

Dinners...
1.Chinese Vegetable and Meatball soup (new recipe)
2.Tex Mex Meatball soup (another new recipe)
3.Chicken with garlic and lemon
4.Slow cooker chicken salad/chicken broth 2 recipes for 1 special
5. Slow cooker green pepper steak (have enough in the freezer to make 2x)
6.Bacon wrapped pork loin with cherries (new recipe to try)
7.Pizza (have enough stuff I think to make 3-4x)
8.Hamburgers (enough for 2x)
9.Slowcooker kielbasa roast with veggies and kraut (3x)
10. Crunchy asian chicken salad
11. Greek chicken kabobs
12. Chicken enciladas
13. Italian meatballs and pasta

I need more chicken recipes. We have a lot of chicken!

V

[Teenytoona]

Can we talk strategies too? I notice a fair amount of people meal plan for a whole month, while others plan for a week. I tend to (if I do meal plan) go a week at a time - per whatever grocery flyer seems to have the best overall deals. At present, though, I actually have a decent amount of ingredients in my pantry and we'll be getting our quarter of beef here soon. Aside from fresh veggies, I think I could do well just with what we have. So I could theoretically go a month at one go, or just make meals with what I have supplemented by fresh things and use this time to stock up on other things. That's probably the best way to go, huh?

Also, how long does it take you to make these up? I tend to make the plans on my free time at work, but I notice about every few weeks I get really bored with it, and we end up with a week where we go out alot. Maybe monthly would work. I just don't know if I can come up with enough variety for the month and then stick to it.

But just the same, I'm very in on this.

[Charmie981]

I plan per pay period, so two to three weeks at a time. If I have a lot of ideas, I'll keep going because invariably there are nights when I don't feel like eating anything on the list, so having more options on the list isn't a bad thing. The stuff we don't eat can be recycled into the next list. I don't plan to have X for dinner on X night, just so that I have a list of 15 or so meals to choose from. I try to use the ones that require fresh veggies first, then go from there.

I'll be back with my plan for the first two weeks of January later.

[lactatinggirl]

I would love to do this! I especially need help for the nights where I'll be at school so DH needs something he can easily make. We end up eating random things like cereal or mac and cheese way too often. Also trying to cut down on how much take out we do.

[Jill0905]

I am so in! I need the support to do this.

[AnnieNimIty]

What if you have never meal planned before? Is there a good resource for getting started?

Do you all do 3 meals and snacks planned? Or just do dinner and have other food on hand for b-fast and lunch?

Oh, and I am totally grateful for all of you who have gone before lol .

[Violet2]

Originally Posted by ObliviousAnnette

What if you have never meal planned before? Is there a good resource for getting started?

Do you all do 3 meals and snacks planned? Or just do dinner and have other food on hand for b-fast and lunch?

Oh, and I am totally grateful for all of you who have gone before lol .

I haven't done this thread before, but I think you'll find it helpful.

I have written about meal planning here and here.

V

[SaraCate]

For those concerned about variety, something I have done in the past is to come up with a rough 'plan' for the month, e.g. ground beef 1x/week, pasta 1x/week, Tex-Mex
2x/month, etc. I don't always use it, but if I'm at a loss, it gives me a place to start.

We expect to be moving in a month, so we're officially into eating down the pantry mode! (Just a kilometer away, but still...moving too much food is a pain )

Breakfast has turned into brunch or lunch here lately, with holiday schedules, but when DSS is back in school, it will be some combo of eggs, whole grain breads (inc. pancake/waffle), WG muffins, nut butters, WG hot cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese, green smoothies...our 11mo's fave breakfast right now is garlicky tzatziki by the bowlful!

DH lunch is usually sandwich or leftovers (Aaaa! He's back to work in two weeks!); DS (11mo) and I will graze on raw veg, veg salads, quesadilla, leftovers, fruit...sometimes we split a big sweet potato or a small squash. (That kid can EAT when he's of a mind! )

Some of our meals, in no particular order, for the next week or two:

1. Curry turkey/peas/rice *done*
2. Turkey/chicken enchilada *tomorrow, 12 Jan*
3.Spaghetti/green salad *done*
4. Salmon patties?
5. Peirogi skillet/ carrots *this weekend*
6. a tex-mex type soup? (tortilla?) (we have tinned beans to use up...but no tomatoes!)
7. Ground beef hash or shepherd's pie/green beans *done*
8. Beans n' rice/green salad *done*
9. Pumpkin or carrot or squash soup (or...winter veg pureed soup)/hm bread/green salad
10. Potato soup/salad
11. Kathi kebab (sort of an Indian burrito) *done - with lots for the freezer!*
12. Pad thai? (this may come later in the month...)

Any ideas for tinned salmon? I'll probably make salmon bake one more time (like tuna n' noodles, but w/ salmon - DH and DSS won't eat tuna). DH loves salmon salad and will happily eat salmon sandwiches several times a week for lunch. Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

ETA: tonight (11Jan) was split pea soup and homemade bread! Yum!

[splath]

My mom always made salmon cakes with canned salmon. She mixed salmon with breadcrumbs, egg and a little mayo and then pan fried them. You could also bake them.

ETA: oops now I see that in your menu list. Sorry

Oh and I'm interested in this, as I desperately need help with meal planning, but don't know how to get started and feel really overwhelmed.