I have always been a planner. While I would like to be much more spontaneous, I find solace in the little bit of control I get by planning ahead. Not that things always work out exactly as planned, but at least I have a sense of where I am heading. One such planning activity is menus.
As a young professional and single mother, time was not abundant. Once a month I would sit down and plan what we would eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the month. Often, I used cookbooks as I wanted to ensure I was providing healthy, nutritious, tasty meals for my daughter while taking full advantage of all the groceries I purchased. At that time I would buy large packages of individually frozen chicken breasts, which saved time and money.
Developing the practice of menu planning at a young age served me well. I learned to be creative in my cooking, not wanting to waste any food. Fast forward to today and I still want to use everything I purchase. The old wives’ saying “Waste Not, Want Not” holds true as grocery prices continue to rise. Of course this only works if one actually cooks. Which I do.
When planning a menu, I peruse one or two cookbooks. I have so many that it becomes too confusing to use several at a time. While jotting down lunch and dinner ideas, I note ingredients I will need to pick up at the grocery store. I use an app on my phone called “To Do” which is free from Microsoft. It is actually a list-making app, but I use it mainly for my grocery needs. When I open the last of something I use often (mayonnaise, for example) I immediately add it to my grocery list. Otherwise I won’t remember when heading to the store. I don’t like to run out of necessities.
The whole point of menu planning is not to be rigid. I always have standbys such as stir-fries on rice or quinoa, vegetable soup, enchiladas of all kinds, and pasta. But I like variety, too. When it’s time for dinner, I look at my menu for the week/month and select the dish that calls to me, knowing all the ingredients are on hand.
The bonus of menu planning is taking the list to the grocery store. I stick to my list, for the most part, and avoid picking up items that then go bad before I figure out how or when to use them.
After dinner if there is enough left over, I carefully prepare it for the freezer. In that way, I have food prepared when I am not in the mood to cook. Therefore, I often shop my freezer while menu planning, too!
Planning ahead takes the question out of what’s for dinner. And having all the components on hand makes for smooth sailing … er, a … easy cooking.
Silver Sage Sisters 