Challenge: Meal-Planning - creating margin & de-stressing our routine

I've known for quite a while that we've needed plans for weeknight meals. Mark is a great cook but time and little kiddos do not allow us to really remain organized. I'm looking to pursue this approach and really hone into for the next 3 months. It may take me some time to get into though but I'll be working towards it.

Why this approach works:

• 30 minutes: Once you have your themes, meal planning is just a matter of plugging in the weekly favorites on the appropriate day. I can pick our meals and write the master grocery list in 30 minutes or less. And that’s if I’m being extra fussy.
• One trip to the grocery store: You’ve planned the week out, you’ve done your shopping. You’ll have everything you should need for a whole week! I used to practically live at the grocery store!
• Frees up mental agony: I keep my menu on the fridge. I never have to guess what’s for dinner ever again. I know exactly what prep work to do during small pockets of time throughout the day. Prep a veggie here, mix a marinade there, pull the pizza dough from the freezer for tomorrow.
• Opens time for baking: I now have time to make my favorite from-scratch foods because I’m not running to the grocery store all the time! And my fridge is stocked with the right ingredients. I pick one or two things to bake each week and add the ingredients to my one shopping list. I bake them when I have time and am in the mood.

Questions you should ask yourself before you assign your own themes:

1. What are my family’s very favorite meals? If I had all the time in the world and the ingredients were handed to me on a platter, what would we enjoy eating? Make a list! Ask your husband and kids to chime in.

calzones      casseroles          green beans      salmon - high quality        corn casserole     sweet potato fries
stuffed salmon    cheddar biscuits    pizzadillas      chicken parmesan      stir-fry     skillet burritos
stuffed peppers
cheesecake    french silk pie

2. Now look at that list, do you see any patterns? Are they all chicken? Then it isn’t exactly helpful to have a “Chicken Night” because it doesn’t narrow your options. You want to consider themes that help you make your weekly decision more easily. It should be broad enough to give you options but narrow enough to shorten that list.

Italian Night (pastas, breads)                  Mexican Night (chips, burritos, rice, meat)

Brinner Night (breakfast foods for dinner - i.e., french toast, pancakes, eggs, smoothies)

Soup and Salad/Sandwich Night             Crock Pot Night                                                  Pizza Night

3. Consider your goals. I wanted to start making better use of a few particular cookbooks. They are ones that I love but forget to turn to. Now they are my go-to sources for some of my weekly themes. I also wanted to make better use of the kitchen equipment taking up precious space in my cabinets. By assigning the bread maker and crockpot their own dedicated evenings, they’ll start to earn their keep. You can bet the ice cream maker will be getting an evening assigned to it come June.

food processor                   panini press             Kraftmaid Mixer          blender                     toaster

4. What do you need help remembering? I needed help remembering particular recipe sources and gear. Maybe you need help to remember to eat a new protein? Or to try a new recipe? Use one night of your themes to help be your Post-It note reminder to work towards your goals. Ideas could be: Seafood Night, Make our own takeout, Grilling, Vegetarian or Try a New Veggie Night, Use my baking stones Night, Eat from my Freezer/Pantry Night.

Eat from the Pantry Night - canned foods, fruits, boxed meals

5. Look at your schedule, which night is your busiest? Do you have more than one? Consider time-saving meal themes. For me that was the crockpot but sandwiches, simple pastas, even breakfast for dinner are all themes that would work with a constricted time schedule. Or if you’re really that busy, how about picnic night?? Pack foods for a cooler that you’re eating in the car on the go so you can avoid the drive thru! Or heck, give yourself a “Drive Thru” night but be intentional about it. It’s amazing the guilt it relieves.

Drive-Thru Night - Tuesdays or restaurant for Mark, Ian, Eli  ---- or Saturdays

6. Which day of the week is best for you to grocery shop? Plan your weekly rotation starting either that day or the next. I meal plan on Sunday, shop on Monday morning, the week starts Monday evening.

Tuesday night after supervision @ Walmart on Miller Lane or Kroger on Northwoods Blvd

OUR MEAL-PLANNING NIGHTS

Monday: Soup  & Sandwich Night— (canned soups & sandwiches); paninis; tomato basil & grilled cheese or open-face sandwiches

Tuesday: Crockpot Night – This is one of our busy after-school days (swimming lessons-. I will plan ahead in the morning so something hot is waiting for us when we get home.

Wednesday: International Night/Eat from the Pantry Night — Wide variety of foods: Greek (gyros), Chinese (stir-fry), Mexican (tacos, skillet burritos), Thai. 

Thursday: Pasta/Italian Night - (calzones, pizzadillas, rigatoni, ravioli, tortellini, spaghetti, chicken parmesan)

Friday: Family Game Night & Pizza Night — Depending on my mood that pizza might be homemade, it might be frozen, it might be delivery.

Saturday: Date Night OR Family Movie Party/Brinner Night — (breakfast foods for dinner - i.e., french toast, pancakes, eggs, smoothies) or we’ll eat out at a restaurant (alone or with the kids).

Sunday: Drive-Thru Lunch/Night or Picnic (small group night) — Pack foods for a cooler that you’re eating in the car on the go so you can avoid the drive thru! or eat in Mark's office after church.

EXAMPLE: http://www.peanutblossom.com/blog/2013/10/bringing-back-our-family-meals.html/

Monday: Soup  & Sandwich Night— I will be experimenting with the dozens of ideas from my favorite cookbook Enlightened Soup and pairing it either with a homemade bread fromthis bread machine baking book or with fresh baked biscuits from a tube or a grilled sandwich. (When warmer weather comes around this will switch to Salad for Dinner Night and still involve fresh bread.) Please note: these are books I’ve already had in my library but which were collecting dust!

Tuesday: Crockpot Night – This is one of our busy after-school days (swimming lessons-. I will plan ahead in the morning so something hot is waiting for us when we get home.

Wednesday: Noodle Night – My family could eat pasta every night of the week and be happy. This ensures my kids that at least one night of the week something “easy” and 100% acceptable will be on their plates.

Thursday: International Night — This was the trickiest thing for me to work into the routine. We love to eat a wide variety of foods: Greek, Chinese, Mexican, Thai. I didn’t want to dedicate one whole night to each of those. Yuck. Rather, I look at this night as more of a free for all for our more adventures recipes. I will likely work in those flavors into other nights of the week (Tortilla soup on Mon., Sweet & Sour Meatballs on Tues. in the crockpot) but this is the one night where I’m guaranteed to turn to one of our  favorites (Annie’s chicken gyros for example).

Friday: Family Game Night & Pizza Night — Depending on my mood that pizza might be homemade, it might be frozen, it might be delivery.

Saturday: Date Night OR Family Movie Party — This will be our “Popcorn for Dinner” night or we’ll eat out at a restaurant (alone or with the kids).

Sunday: Casserole Or Sunday Roast — With the extra time on Sundays, I can do a traditional roasted meat & potatoes meal or if we’re busy having fun, a casserole fresh or from the freezer.

Edited to add: The adorable meal planning pad I have is sold here.  I love it because it has a magnetic strip that sticks to the fridge!! But the sheets are tear-off so you could display it any way you like. The bottom half is a perforated tear-off grocery list which is handy too.