Meal Planning

Let's talk MEAL PLANNING!

sourdough pizza ... yum!

I was a PRO at this when my children were all still living with me, however I've really let this slip ever since I've been on my own. I am trying to get back in to it and thought it would be fun to get a thread going where we share our best tips [maybe this has been done already??? If so, I apologize!].
Here is how I used to do it, and I'll also share how I've been getting back in to it now ... a bit differently because "the times they are a changin".

1. MASTER LIST!! Keep a master list of all of your favorite meals. These are the ones you make over and over again and everyone in your family loves. I like to keep my list organized by the protein, but you might prefer a different way. I also have a section for snacks.

2. WHAT'S ON HAND? At a set time each week (the day before shopping), make a quick inventory of what's on hand, focusing especially on anything that needs used up. During gardening season, it's also good to keep in mind what will be "on hand" in the garden ;)

3. WHAT'S ON SALE? I actually no longer do this part, but it sure came in handy when I had more mouths to feed. I DO pay attention to prices, but since I no longer struggle with $$$ I tend to just buy the higher-quality items.

4. PLAN THE MEALS FOR THE WEEK. Now that you know what's on hand, what needs used up, and what's on sale, look at the Master List and start forming your meal plan. Some people only plan dinner, however I plan every meal of the day. Some prefer to place the meals in their respective days of the week, while some just make a list and choose from the list each day. While planning, consider what activities might be coming up that week. Maybe you are having company over? Or an activity that will keep you away from home all day? [in the case of the latter, crock pot meals realllllllllly help!] Also plan for leftovers and eating out, if that's your thing.

5. GROCERY LIST. Your grocery list will be the items that are lacking from the recipes you choose after you consider what's on hand. Of course it will also contain the sale items you want for the week. I like to write my grocery list in the order of the store I shop at / by department. Some people also have a 'master grocery list' where they have everything they commonly buy sectioned out by department with a few empty lines for additions ... print off your master grocery list, highlight the items you need to buy, and write in the ones that are not on the master list.

6. GO SHOPPING. I keep my shopping very methodical. Same time, same day, same place. Because I have been trying to get back in to meal planning, I have finally within the last few months settled in to a routine I just love. I do pick up orders from Aldis and Sam's every other Tuesday (I have an alarm set in my phone to remind me to place the orders Sunday night, but I add to the carts during the week as needed). I pick up my bulk food order from Azure once a month, and to fill in the gaps I also place an "Imperfect Foods" order whenever needed.

7. AFTER SHOPPING. I consider this a 'fluid task' ... meaning, instead of just coming home and plopping all of the groceries down on the floor to deal with "later", I have it set in my mind that PART OF SHOPPING IS PUTTING AWAY and PREPPING some things. Some veggies and berries can be washed and chopped; dry them as good as you can and store in glass with the bottom lined with paper towels [some veggies prefer to soak in water - like cut carrots]. Cook whatever you can TODAY, and store for later use. Sauces, some of the meat, beans, grains, etc. A little bit of prepping now saves a ton of time later.

Well, I guess that's all I have. I'd love to hear what works for you!!!

Side note: PICTURED is my sourdough pizza ... I make several balls of sourdough pizza dough at a time, and then freeze the balls for use later. I just LOVE sourdough pizza! I've thought of making the pizza ahead of time and freezing it raw, but I have not tried it yet. Maybe the next time I make some.

Another side note: Since I deleted all of my social media things, I have been considering resurrecting this blog. It has proven to be a great way to keep track of certain things! We'll see!! No promises, but since my mind was on meal planning I thought I'd post about it here :)