PLANNING OUR MENU

DO YOU WANT TO PLAY? (A link to our March walking (healthy) contest sign ups.)

Why plan menus ahead of time? 
Helps with organization. (You can try/or get rid of all the recipes you have cut out/bookmarked.)
Encourages variety-and new ideas.
Saves money.  (Plan what you will eat by watching sales.  Also uses left overs.)
Saves time and stress.  (Cuts down on the what shall I make for dinner.)


Week 5 - Is there a recipe that you want to make that needs an ingredient that you buy just for this recipe?

Here is my problem.  I (really) wanted to make the recipe, so I bought the ingredient (hominy, nacho cheese soup...whatever)  Once I have all the ingredients the pressure to make it is gone.  Before I put the ingredient away, I put the recipe (and source) in my "make in the next month" page protector.  I also mark on the can what recipe I bought it for.

I have a list of not usually bought ingredients on a list to watch for at sale prices. (mangos, a certain meat cut)  Plan a recipe that you have wanted to try and watch for what you need to go on sale, or pick it up on a low shopping week (for me that is more Marjoram).

(Also, try and plan your meals for next week.)

SUNDAY - Our grand daughter was blessed and everyone came to our house for dinner after.  Rolls, meat and cheese trays, salads, fruit, vegetable trays desserts...  You know.  I also baked Lemon Cookies, Salted Peanut Bars, and German Chocolate Brownies. (I will post the brownie recipe next week for Throw Back Thursday.)
MONDAY -  Emily took the family out for pizza with her deal coupons.  We went to the ROCK CREEK PIZZA (in Riverton, UT) buffet.  The place was packed.  (The coupons expired that day-for almost everyone there.  The buffet had very good pizza (dessert pizza, too), and drinks are included.  But, we were really impressed with the staff.  They were happy and did a great job keeping up with a full house.  We felt the buffet was very reasonably priced at $8.00.
TUESDAY - With lots of meat, cheese and rolls left over from Sunday, we had sandwiches, green salad, carrot peanut salad (one of Doug's favourites) and cantaloupe.
WEDNESDAY - (Almost everyone came over to watch "Darby O'Gill and the Little People".  My kidults wanted to share (relive) their happy childhood memories with friends and nephews and niece.)  We had Pesto Pasta (green) and also Marinara.  Lots of fresh fruit and many green treats/snacks that Leslie planned.
THURSDAY - IRISH STEW (actually my tried and true crock pot recipe.   Cub Scout Day + basketball game + full house)  Homemade green pot bread, green salad, green jello salad (I live in UT + it is one of Doug's favourites ;)
FRIDAY - Lots going on so we did left overs.  (We call it "Pick-a-Can".  That means pick what you want and eat when you want/are here.)
SATURDAY - Yep, another basketball game with lots coming over.  I made a pan of lasagna, another loaf of (the very easy) pot bread and a salad.  We had ice cream and rootbeer for floats, but no one had one.  (Too much going on in the basketball game - and in the family bracket standings :)

Next week end I will post a menu planning and money saving "craft".
Share some of your planning successes and failures.  I LOVE COMMENTS.

If you are working on our menu planning goals, remember to pick a recipe you want to try that has ingredients you don't usually buy, and watch for them to go on sale.