****~~~Making a Home Monday~~~**** (not gross this time ;-) )

KC1212

Okay so I don't know if this really applies to "housekeeping" per se but do any of you ladies do weekly (or monthly) meal plans???? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants??

I have often attempted (and failed) meal planning so that I was using the as a many as the same ingredient staples, utilizing leftovers, etc. and I am horrible at it.

What's your system?
What's your meal plan?


Obviously this week we are only worrying about Monday (because the rest of the week is holiday junk food and leftovers)


or better yet, what is the typical rotation at your house?

annibes

Oh, man. Totally by the seat of my pants. I buy staples: chicken, veggies, fruits, bread, eggs, etc. every week, but we still run to the store at least once more per week and it's a good week if we don't eat out. DH does most of the cooking and I'm grateful for that but asking him to meal plan is like asking him to build a friggin rocket ship. Asking him to meal plan with sales is like asking him to colonize Jupiter's moons.

So my job is to buy the food, decide what we're going to eat, and hope that DH follows what I "planned." It's hit or miss. When it hits, though, it's awesome. DH makes the kitchen his bitch.

annibes

Typical rotation: lunches are leftovers, sandwiches, veggies, that sort of thing. Breakfast is usually some version of egg, maybe oatmeal or French toast from time to time.

Dinners get tricky. I have been buying organic so I'm trying to work more beans and less meat into the rotation to save some cash but DH and DS aren't into that as much. We usually do done sort of Mexican each week- tacos, enchiladas, or fajitas. We also usually have a night or two of baked or grilled chicken, sometimes pork chops and then some sort of roast, depending on what's in the freezer.

Sides are usually broccoli, potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, corn, rice, noodles, etc. We do a lot of salad and have had success in the past preparing an enormous salad on Monday that we eat throughout the week (lunches and dinners).

We don't do dessert regularly, but we eat out more than I care to.

pettycrocker

I always try to plan at least one day in advance. If I am planning to have a roast or something big, then I will obviously plan that a few days ahead, but mostly just the 1 day advance method. I have to do this now that I have a kid, or she would seriously live on spaghetti O's.  

CheesyPeas

annibes said:

Oh, man. Totally by the seat of my pants. I buy staples: chicken, veggies, fruits, bread, eggs, etc. every week, but we still run to the store at least once more per week and it's a good week if we don't eat out. DH does most of the cooking and I'm grateful for that but asking him to meal plan is like asking him to build a friggin rocket ship. Asking him to meal plan with sales is like asking him to colonize Jupiter's moons.

Ditto every single word here.

Jen071407

DH does most of the cooking , thank goodness, and we do weekly meal plans. We just choose which dinners we want to make then grocery shop accordingly. Lunches are always super easy - mac and cheese, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, etc.

CeCe8579

I am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. I buy chicken and we process our own deer meat. I do a lot of pasta which isn't the best for us but I try to do whole wheat. I also do a lot of crockpot soups. My DD eats breakfast and lunch at school during. DH and I just eat whatever we can find for breakfast and lunch during the week. On the weekends we do eggs, toast, sausage we process and cereal. We love fresh fruit and veggies (I can't wait for are garden to get going again) and cheese! 

Spookster

What is a meal plan?!? people really do those? hahaha. 

We are a by the seat of the pants household for sure. Whatever sounds good we whip up. 

KC1212

I often don't know what I'm craving until that day or night. I think mom in the grocery store with the toddler at 6:00 pm. still trying to get groceries for dinner
:P

Amerbutt81

we can't afford NOT to meal plan!  I plan for two weeks at a time, and do most of the "cooking"-- when I am on the night shift that usually involves me throwing stuff into a crock pot so it's ready for the hubs and my son at dinner time.  I usually take whatever is leftover the previous night for dinner.

When I am on the day shift I can get a little more creative with fun meals that I don't need to worry about how they will reheat 24 hours later

NYGirl02

Most weeks I try to get a plan for 2-4 dinners. The rest of the time it's left overs, easy grilled cheese like meals, or eating out. I meal plan on Sundays or more likely, Monday morning before I go to the store. I use the amazing Grocery IQ app to generate my list. I also have the meal board app to help plan. It's ok. If you take the time to enter your recipes in that one, it creates your list for you. I don't like the shopping list features as much as the grocery IQ one, so I just input everything, but can choose from the history list which helps a ton. There's plenty of weeks, like last and this one, that I go to Target and buy some staples and hope for the best.

Amerbutt81

NYGirl02 said:

 I use the amazing Grocery IQ app to generate my list. I also have the meal board app to help plan. It's ok. If you take the time to enter your recipes in that one, it creates your list for you. I don't like the shopping list features as much as the grocery IQ one, so I just input everything, but can choose from the history list which helps a ton. There's plenty of weeks, like last and this one, that I go to Target and buy some staples and hope for the best.

whoa whoa whoa... there is an app that generates your grocery list?  How is this not apart of my life????

freakyfast

Amerbutt81 said:

NYGirl02 said:

 I use the amazing Grocery IQ app to generate my list. I also have the meal board app to help plan. It's ok. If you take the time to enter your recipes in that one, it creates your list for you. I don't like the shopping list features as much as the grocery IQ one, so I just input everything, but can choose from the history list which helps a ton. There's plenty of weeks, like last and this one, that I go to Target and buy some staples and hope for the best.

whoa whoa whoa... there is an app that generates your grocery list?  How is this not apart of my life????

Ditto... where is this said app?