Do you plan a weekly menu. I know I just read that Amy (ABall) makes a detailed one. I make a simple one... I plan dinner and that is it. I keep certain foods around for lunch and breakfast and a few snacks, but never plan for them specifically. Here is our menu for this week: Tonight.. Roasted Chicken, Southwestern potatoes and homefrozen corn. Monday.. Tacos Tuesday.. Chinese (this is my own recipe, and a huge hit here.. if you want the recipe ask.. it's very easy) Wednesday.. tatertot casserole Thursday.. we are going to the http://www.bloomsburgfair.com/ and will eat our hearts out there! Friday.. ham and bean soup with corn bread Saturday.. Freezer Pizza is the plan.. but I just might try making my own pizza crust in the bread machine and have top your own pizza night!
I make a dinner menu and usually plan breakfast for our "out the door" mornings. For instance, I know that Monday mornings are stressful enough (have to be out the door by 8) without worrying about breakfast, so I plan a crock pot breakfast and cook it overnight. So I plan my dinners and some breakfasts. I only plan lunches if we'll have a busy afternoon. Planning ahead just eases my mind. And planning meals really helped cut my grocery budget.
Yes, I do plan my menus - breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I then check my cupboards and see what I need at the grocery. It really helps cut my grocery bill.
I didn't plan all my meals in the past, just dinner, but lately I've been planning all of them. It is much easier knowing what I'm going to make for each and every meal, rather than standing in the kitchen saying, "what are we going to have for breakfast/lunch?" And an hour later asking the same question.:lol: I can't say I do this faithfully every week, but I do try to do it as much as possible. When I don't, I do have a ball park idea of what kinds of breakfast/lunch meals I will prepare, but I almost always know what will be for dinner. Do share your Chinese recipe! I've never made Chinese, so I'd love a simple recipe for it! I don't know if you already have your own homemade pizza crust recipe, but if you don't and you do make your own crust, I make this one and LOVE it! Simple and fool proof! I make two smaller pizza's out of this recipe. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jays-Signature-Pizza-Crust/Detail.aspx I saw an awesome tip on a cooking show recently on how to get a perfectly round pizza if you aren't a pro who can toss that dough up in the air and get a nice round pizza. Here's a way to do it and still get a nice round pizza without any hassle. Just ball the dough up into a round ball. Then, using your index/middle fingers, press down in the middle and work your fingers in a circular motion as the dough begins to flatten and push itself outward in a circular motion until completely flat. Does that make any sense? Man, this has saved me a ton of hassle and it works every time! HTH someone else!
I just use a rectangular pizza stone...lol. Rectangles seems to be a lot easier. But if I ever do need to make a round pizza, I'll be sure to use this trick.
Oh.. I do love the round pizza trick! And I will check out the dough recipe! Here is my secret chinese! I have a large electric wok.. I am really assuming you could use a large frying pan to do the same thing.. 2-3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces 3 bags frozen stir fry veggies.. I have found walmart to have the best variety of these.. they have several different blends 1 jar kikkoman stir fry sauce (found in the chinese food section) brown chicken in a little.. very little... oil, once the chicken is done add veggies and cook till heated through.. stiring every few minutes, once they are heated through pour on your sauce, stir in and wala.. you have chinese dinner! I serve this on top of steamed rice with some soy sauce. My family is big big big on chinese buffets.. but they are also a big big big no no on our budget so this satisfies them. It makes quite a bit, and is great the next day for lunch
I am curious to know your roast chicken recipe, crazymama. I plan my menu. Sometimes I will plan breakfasts and lunches. Does make life easier to know ahead of time. My menu this week includes a spaghetti dinner, crock pot meal with vension, shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, pizza and leftover night.
hmmm.. my roast chicken is super easy..lol take it out of the package, rinse it inside and out, stuff it if you want (when I stuff I use stovetop..lol), butter and salt the skin and bake at 375 till done. I also do chicken quarters alot, for them I rinse them, put on a baking sheet and sprinkle with some kind of seasoning.. depends on my mood.. anything from McCormicks Montreal Steak Seasoning to just plan season salt.
Ah.... the best laid plans. It's a good thing that my 3yo decided to get up at 2:30am, and we are therefore not going to our morning art class. I put a new breakfast casserole recipe in the crock pot last night and awoke to a big blob of burned brown blech! And it was in 4 hours less than the recipe called for. So, I would have had to choose between making breakfast, or taking them to the class. Since there wouldn't have been time for both.
I make my menu, but I don't assign days to them usually. I take a sheet of paper and lay it horizontally (blank--not lined) I draw a line accross it one inch down (horizontally)then a line going down about 2/3rds over. So now there is small place to write my headline (DINNER) over the large area. On the other side I make 3 sections (and give each section a second line across to make small places to write. On the last space near the bottom I divide in half. (so there is a place for BREAKFAST, LUNCH, SNACKS, DESSERT all on the right hand side) the small ones for snacks (this is at 3:30) and dessert is a little after dinner for the kids. For Breakfast I just write in things like cerealX2, pancakes, waffles, yogurt & gronola bar, etc..... For lunch I put just the main thing like: raviolies, pb&J sandwiches, bagel pizza, turkey sandwiches, campbells chicken noodle soup, etc.... snacks are usually fruit roll up or cheez it crackers or something easy. Dessert is chosen by the person that sits next to me (this rotates daily because the prize seat is the one by Daddy!) usually 2 chips AHoy cookies or popcorn or 2 mini candy bars. Dinner is planned, but I don't know what days I will have most things (grilled things are usually on the weekends) easy dinner on tuesday and mostly pizza on friday. Most dinners are meat and 2 vegetables or side dishes. Lately every one's most favorite dinner is chicken with rolled dumplings.
I make a weekly schedule with lunches and dinners for each day of the week. I don't do breakfasts because the kids usually just have cereal or pop tarts or something easy. I then make my grocery list for the week off my menu. Very easy. I also post it on the fridge so I don't get asked a gazillion times what is for dinner. The kids know everyday what we aer having so their is no argueing.
I plan my meals out each week. Meals aren't assigned to a certain day I just have what I need on hand for the meals I've picked for the week. My dh is very organized and several years ago suggested that I start doing my grocery shopping like this. It is great!! I grocery shop once a week and usually do not have to return until the next week. Our morning meals are usually quick and easy. I let the kids pick what they want most of the time. Lunch I always have a variety of things on hand for them to choose from. All healthy of course, snacks are the same way. And our special day of the week is Sunday. We get to eat out for 1 meal on Sunday!!! Usually after church for lunch and dinner is something very easy.
Thank you for your way of doing chicken. I haven't ever baked a whole chicken and have one in my freezer. I was looking in my Betty Crocker Cookbook last night for the "how to." It was neat to have you mention it so I could inquire...Thanks again!!!
That is super easy!!!! I will have to give that a try! Thanks for sharing! And I hope that tip proves to be helpful!
