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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Menu Planning


At the cornerstone of saving money with your groceries is planning your meals ahead of time. Nothing kills a budget like going to the store unprepared. This week I felt rushed to get my things together so my menu planning was lacking which made me feel lost in the store. Frustrating.

Fortunately I know what we like and was able to grab stuff that I knew would make a meal at some point. But in general I do NOT like to do it that way. I want to have a plan going in, I want to know what I need to get me through the week and that's what I want to get.

So, I'd love to know how you menu plan? Do you have a set menu that you always use or is there a cookbook you love?

I'm a variety kind of person. My ideal week is when I can find 4 or 5 recipes that I'm really excited about making - whether it's all from 1 cookbook or from recipes friends recommend. I've already mentioned my love for Kraft Food & Family. I also enjoy Pampered Chef cookbooks when they don't involve too much Pillsbury biscuits.

But I am open to suggestions! If you love a cookbook or site please pass it on.

Photo by daveynin

2 comments:

  1. I'm recently back into the meal planning and preparing role after being out of it since last summer! Yikes! My brain feels like mush lately, so the other day I just started listing as many meals as possible that I know how to make. I categorized them like: Chicken...-pot pie -enchiladas -casserole, etc. Then Corey marked a handful of them that he was in the mood for. It has helped tremendously in my meal planning endeavors!

    Oh, and if you want a really funny recipe idea, check out the latest post on my blog! :)

    Also, can you tell me where you all get your coupons? I'm about to subscribe to the Sunday paper to get those coupons, but should I be tracking down more?

    Oh, and I love love KFF too!

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  2. This is my biggest struggle. Planning meals. So many days it's 5 oclock and I'm thinking...what am I gonna make for dinner. I'm horrible at planning. My husband is a picky eater and my twins are starting to eat table food now and it's getting harder and harder for me. I don't want the kids to eat "processed" garb with lots of junk added but it's hard to plan meals around them. Suggestions?? I did find two really good recipes in a twin book I have. A chicken pie from scratch and turkey chili. I can share those if anyone wants them. The chili one is on my blog...the chicken pie is great for the kids too. Any help for how to plan is appreciated. :)

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