Meal Planning Thread

[mama_bel]

We had no microwave for about 10 years and it was just fine.  We only just got a new one because hubby's working shift work.  It isn't used for days, weeks at a time.

[mama_bel]

A new week...

Monday - Fish strips, vegetables and eggs stir-fried, with rice and sweet & sour sauce
Tuesday - Potato (TM), coleslaw (TM), boiled eggs (TM) and green salad, dessert (TM rice pudding & banana)
Wednesday - Slow-cooked mexe-bake (beans TM), green salad, avocado and mountain bread chips, dessert (berry yoghurt) ... Bel at meeting - take a plate of ?
Thursday - Omelettes with rice noodles, carrots, green peas and chili sauce, dessert (TM custard & fruit)
Friday - Away - pasta or take-away
Saturday - Away - picnic meal
Sunday - Quiche & salad, dessert (TM fruit sorbet)

Other cooking and baking - I did none of the baking planned for last week but two of my girls made some TM shortbread, fudge and coconut balls... So I still haven't yet tried the Cinnamon Bars (from the TM Rawlicious booklet). I'd like to make raw brownies too. And a batch of cookies will be required again. Not sure when I'll get on to the bread experiments...

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Here is my menu plan (fridge list) for this week.  It has been almost 3 weeks since my last grocery shop (I am going monthly now) and my cupboards are still well stocked so I'm not needing to be too creative yet. I'm loving not having to do the grocery shopping each week (apart from a quick trip to our organic farm store)!!!

Monday
Lunch -   Fruit buns (TMX)
Dinner -  Carbonara with homemade spelt pasta (TMX)
Dessert - Impossible lemon pie (TMX)
Baking -  Anzac biscuits (TMX)

Tuesday
Lunch -   Fruit buns (leftovers) and protein shakes (TMX)
Dinner -  Chicken croquettes (TMX) and pumpkin risotto (TMX)

Wednesday
Lunch -  Toast with eggs (TMX)
Dinner - Vegie Lasagne (with homemade spelt sheets - TMX)
Dessert - Frozen yoghurt (TMX)
Baking -  Rhubarb, apple & berry Galette (TMX)
Soaking - Mill and soak spelt grain for muffins

Thursday
Lunch -  Fruit, cheese & cracker platter
Dinner - Dirty rice with meatballs (TMX)
Baking - Blueberry & banana wholegrain muffins (TMX)
Soaking - Mill and soak brown rice for waffles

Friday
Lunch -  Pear and ginger waffles (TMX) with yoghurt
Dinner - Roasted pumpkin, feta & pine nut pizzas (TMX)
Dessert - Frozen yoghurt (TMX)
Baking - Banana mars bar cake??? (special morning tea)

Saturday
Lunch - Leftover pear and ginger waffles (TMX) with yoghurt
Dinner - Vegie paickoras with beetroot relish (TMX)
Soaking - Mill and soak brown rice for pancakes

Sunday
Lunch - Leftover paickoras in burger rolls (TMX)with salad
Dinner - Spicy Malay Bobotie (TMX) & garden salad.
Dessert - Chocolate tart (TMX)
Breakfast: Gingerbread pancakes (TMX)

[quirkycooking]

I have no idea what's going to happen with meals this week as my week is very 'up in the air'!!!  Because we're MOVING - finally! (I think!) and although I guess we'll have to eat, I don't know when, where or what!  Sorry!  (But you guys have great menus this week, I must say!) 

[brazen20au]

good luck with your move jo!

well, we are off to the coast tomorrow and we have a lot of different food requirements in our group (1x vegetarian w no eggs, 1 x coeliac, 2 x low salicylates of who 1 is also no dairy, and several with issues with various colours and preservatives and myself avoiding dairy where possible. this is out of 4 mums & 9 kids LOL)

here is our menu:

Wed

*dinner - C- BBQ
dessert-L (tinned fruit-pears and jelly/yogurt)
drinks for the day - L-milk, apple juice and water

Thu
breakfast-cereal and toast
m/tea - donuts
*lunch-C baked potatoes with baked beans, ham, pineapple etc.
a/tea-L (rice crackers, hummus, carrot and celery sticks)
*dinner for kids  Karen (nuggets, chips)
*dinner for mums - I (dahl, rice) Karen (butter chicken, poppadums, potato & spinach curry)
dessert - I (mango sorbet)
drinks for the day-L (apple juice, milk and water)


Fri
breakfast - K (buckwheat pancakes, maple syrup, bacon, some sort of fruit)
m/tea - K (selection of homemade GF cakes / biccies)
*lunch-L (assorted sandwiches, toasted and untoasted, using gf and other breads and fruit)
a/tea - I (popcorn, fruit)
*dinner-I (GF pasta, pasta penne and ricotta gnocci) with choice of bolognese, vegetarian bolognese, pesto PLUS salad)
dessert -
drinks for the day -

Sat
breakfast-L (gf cereals and toast-gf, raisin and bread)
m/tea-I (rice cakes with philli cheese, peanut butter, jam, vegemite, honey) + fruit
drinks for the day -

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

That sounds like a great menu Karen.  Have a great time!!! 

[CarolineW]

Well, seeing this thread going over the last few weeks has been inspiring me, and I've FINALLY got my act together to make one too! 

Monday  Beef stir fry (TMX)

Tuesday Marinaded Goat Chops (pan), Shrewsbury sauce (pre-made in TMX), mashed potato (TMX) and steamed Veg (TMX)

Wednesday  Succotash (slow cooker) & pasta (TMX)

Thursday Chili (slow cooker) with rice (TMX) and salad

Friday  Leftovers

Saturday  Dan's Shepherd's pie, with lentils rather than meat (TMX / oven)

Sunday  Pot roast goat (slow cooker), Parsnip Puree (TMX), steamed veg (TMX)

Hopefully I'll have some portions of the Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun meals left over for the freezer.

[Thermomixer]

Good luck with the move Jo.

this thread just makes me feel totally inadequte - need the world to stop for a day.

[I Love Bimby!]

I think I'll put my order in for a week Termomixer    I keep thinking that one day I'll plan. But kid myself that once I get a menu planning program it will be easier than having to manually do the shopping list.

On the subject - those of you that use your i-phone to down load your shopping list etc. Out of interest can you please tell me if it is compatible with windows or do you need a Mac computer? I am completely useless when it comes to gadgets. Recently had to google netbooks??? those mini laptop thing-ee-ma-bobbas...  thanks 

[quirkycooking]

Good luck with the move Jo.

Thanks!  We're partly in the new house now - don't have a fridge or freezer or beds yet, so we're 'camping' with an esky and camping mattresses - good fun!  No oven either - at least I have a Thermomix!!! 

[Shayla]

LOL I am terrible, I plan breakfast to lunch and then lunch to dinner!!  - I really must get myself organised. Hopefully you will all inspire me 

Kathryn - I am pleased that I am not the only one - I also think about whats for supper after breakfast, then I ma full and cannot think of what I want to eat in the evening. I shop about once a week but keep a very big freezer and pantry going, herbs from the garden and usually decide on what to have at the last minute. Even when I have a dinner party I rarely plan much before the day.

[faffa_70]

Shayla I have been really thinking about this for the last week as DH is away at the moment for 10 days and it has been chaos. I have decided that I need to menu plan!!! School goes back next week here and life gets even busier. Not only that I need to plan my breakfast and lunches so that I don't just opt for the sandwiches (well for me anyway, everyone else gets more but by then I am over it and busy and so just get a sandwich )

sooooo my tremendously inspiring and helpful forum members where on earth do I start when I want to menu plan. I will need to plan all 3 meals each day as we work from home....

HEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPP lol

[cookie1]

Kathryn, I actually drew up a timetable sort of thing with the days of the week on it. I then pencil in what I may have for the meals (depending on what is in the freezer etc) and then look at it and check that the main meals are reasonably balanced in the lines of meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian. When I've done this I put down next to them what I need to buy when I do the shopping. I only plan for dinner as we have basically the same for breakfast everyday and lunch is usually salad, bread and protein or DH has leftovers.
Clear as mud I guess. If you like I could try to send you a copy of an empty timetable.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

sooooo my tremendously inspiring and helpful forum members where on earth do I start when I want to menu plan. I will need to plan all 3 meals each day as we work from home....

HEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPP lol

I print out a grid (usually on a Friday) that I use to pencil my meals into for the next week. I play around with it for a few days - sorting through recipes, checking pantry and freezer supplies, planning for special events on the calendar etc.  On Sunday I then type it into the grid and print out our family menu to stick on the fridge. I plan for lunch and dinner each day and Sunday breakfast (all other breakfasts are very basic - cereal & milk at dawn followed by either a juice or smoothie a little later). I try to focus on using up ingredients, trying new and interesting recipes (that helps me stick to my plan), eating what is in season and grown locally and keeping to my budget. After I have finished my menu plan I do my fruit and vegie shopping list for Monday morning and once a month I also do my butchers list and my grocery list to restock my bulk supply cupboard (basically a mini supermarket  ).  I quite like menu planning and find that we eat a much healthier and interesting diet when I plan for our meals and I save money by limiting my "impulsive cooking".

[brazen20au]

i can't cope with too much planning  so i tend to choose 5-6 meals and then just write a shopping list for those. then i just choose each day which i'm going to cook. if i try to plan everything i rebel against it LOL