Menu Planning

   I grew up in a home that was always busy cooking and baking--almost always from scratch. My mother helped instill a love of cooking in me by always letting me help her, even when my "help" was more of a hindrance than anything else. My daddy helped seal this love of cooking even more by praising my efforts and finding new recipes for me to try. I'll never forget the week or two I tried almost every day to perfect my buttermilk biscuits and make them taste just like my great-grandmother's did--just for Daddy. I did :) and he was so happy and enjoyed them so much. It made all the work worth it.
 Now that I am married, I have a husband who loves my cooking and raves on and on about it to other people. My cooking ability is a great source of pride to him--I think he really thinks there isn't anything I can't make!
 But guess what? I don't always know what to cook, or have inspiration for delicious, healthy meals. Some days I don't feel like cooking, or nothing sounds good at all. Most of the time when that happens I just make sure to have a protein shake and make myself eat something nutritious and move on. That is fine for me, but if you have a hungry hardworking man around the house, that isn't going to cut it. It is too easy to give into temptation and run out and grab a bite to eat--we live so  close to so many restaurants--but that isn't good for us or our bank account.
 I've found that if I plan ahead and make menu plans, we do better about eating at home and I'm not at a loss for what to make for supper.
 Not only does this help us save money, it also helps cut down on costs at the grocery store. When I make the menu plan for the week, I make the grocery list according to what is on the plan for the week. Also, I've found that making the menu plan after checking what is on sale that week helps a lot too.
  When I know what I am cooking for the week it keeps me focused and on track and I am not as liable to just aimlessly buy things. The worst thing for me to do is plan the menu while I am in the store! I will come home with all sorts of things we didn't need.

 My menu plans are very simple right now. I only really have to plan for supper (or dinner, whichever you prefer :) ), and only five suppers a week. Our weekend plans vary from weekend to weekend and we often spend them with my family in the country and Sundays are spent with his parents. So I don't have to plan meals for the weekends.
  Breakfast and lunch are often easy, no-brainers. For lunch I usually send Jacob a sandwich or leftovers from supper the night before, and sometimes he eats lunch out with someone from work.
 Earlier this year I decided to get with the program and plan and be more organized.  I started by making a list of all the meals I could think of off the top of my head. After that, I kept a running list close by for whenever Jacob or I thought of another one. Once I had a pretty good list compiled I sorted the meals into two categories: quick and normal. A few examples of quick: tacos/taco salads, cheeseburgers, BLT's, etc. I mixed up the meals and made sure to have at least one "quick" meal a week in the mix.
  Also another meal that counts as "quick" is a casserole or something from the freezer. Even though I've been cooking for two for almost a year, there are still some things that when I make them, I prepare enough for an army. Casseroles, soups and chicken pot pies, just to mention a few. Thankfully, we were given LOTS of glassware in our wedding showers so when I prepare too much, I can divide it into two meals worth and freeze one. This helps a lot, I just have to remember to set it in the fridge the night before or early the next morning.
I didn't assign specific days to the meals because our schedule is never the same. Below is the result of all that thinking and planning.

 Since then, I've added some new meals to my repertoire, and use the above list more as an idea springboard for when I don't know what to cook. I need to edit it and add more things to it.  I have some new crockpot/slowcooker recipes that are great on busy days or if we eat at home on Sundays.
This list lives on the fridge where I can always see it. I had been keeping it in my three ring binder that I keep my calendar and some recipes in, but it was out of sight and therefore, out of mind. Since it is on the fridge I use it all the time.
 I put together a "menu planner" earlier this week, inspired by one I saw on Pinterest. It has a spot for five suppers a week, and a place to make a grocery list. It is blank and I'll just plan the menu the day I buy groceries.  If you'd like to look at it or use it for your own menus, you can download it by clicking on the link below.

Click Here to Download my Menu Planner 

 Hopefully all these things will make it easier for me to stay on track with my meals. I do really well with lists and checklists.

 I'll be posting some new recipes soon, so stay tuned!

Encourage One Another Link up--Deep Roots at Home 

More Ideas than Time

or: Confessions of a Side-tracked Homemaker
This is to dispel any notion that some people have that I am almost SuperWoman. Most of the time I feel like a little kid who is playing house. Honesty Alert!!!!

My fall 2011 flowerbed :) Maybe I can keep these alive...

I'm finding out lately that I am easily distracted and sidetracked. I think it comes from feeling that I have all the time in the world to get things done, then reality sets in and I am scurrying to get the most important things finished at the last minute. I think it is because I do have more time than I used to before I was married. It doesn't take long to take care of things around here and I feel like I've got all the time in the world. Procrastination is a problem of mine.
 I get my best ideas and inspirations while I'm at church, or while I'm in the shower. I'm at church and in the shower a lot so I get lots of ideas ;) I am the type of person who gets an idea and wants to begin RIGHT NOW!!!!!! Hurry before the inspiration leaves me!
   I have menu plans for four weeks all typed up that I rarely follow. Unfortunately, right now we live our life at the speed of light and at the spur of the moment, so any concrete plans can be difficult to follow. This adds to my hesitation to try and make any sort of a concrete schedule--why do it if it won't work?
   I have a tendency to focus solely on the project at hand and let everything else go.
 I do my best work at the last minute. I have been known on many an occasion to be up into the wee hours of the morning trying to get something finished on time. My wedding dress is the exception :)
  And I'm always starting new projects. I think I have maybe four in the works right now....Sometimes I get bored in the middle of a project and just quit and never finish it. A nine-patch quilt, a baby blanket, a dress for myself, just to name a few.
 Is there any hope for me? Well, I have been trying to do better.
I've been forcing myself to finish a project before I begin a new one.
I have been stopping at a certain time each day and making sure other, more important things get done.
I make LOTS of lists. It helps me tremendously to see items checked off of a list.
I am forcing myself to prioritize things and order my day.
I'm trying balance my crafty side with my housekeeper side and not let the crafty side win as many times. I have to make the grown-up me control the little kid me and not let it run wild.
  I've also read and been told that an organized home is a peaceful home. I know this to be true. Things are much more peaceful and smooth when I am on top of my game and know exactly where everything is and have things done. It makes for a happier husband. When I know what is for supper, and he has plenty of socks in his sock drawer ( I DETEST matching socks, by the way), things go smoother.
  Hopefully one day I'll get this down. Until then, I have a lots of work cut out for me.

One day....

 I will have an organized pantry...maybe not like this, but one can hope! :)

And last but not least.....this what I call a "lovely" pantry....sigh.....you could almost have a tea party in it! :)