Meal Planning Thread

[DizzyGirl]

On this weeks menu
Sunday- left over Mexican tuna bake (going out for lunch so won't be very hungry)
Monday - lasagna
Tuesday - chicken casserole with tarragon and mustard
Wednesday - curried sausages
Thursday - steak and veges with mushroom sauce
Friday - hamburgers
Saturday - chicken cacciatore

[judydawn]

I haven't meal planned for specific days as I never know what is going to happen here but I did sort through some paperwork in my 'to do' file and have pulled out a few recipes in no particular order for next week.  I just find it handy to have a selection from which to choose depending on what I feel like or have time for on the day, making sure I have all the ingredients for every recipe. I usually shop on a Sunday or a Monday.

Red lentil & tomato soup
Simple steamed salmon
MJ's pasties
Spaghetti bolognaise
Chicken scaloppini
soft herb bread rolls
Soy marinated Pork fillet

My recipes will stay out until they are all done and if I see anything whilst browsing my books, they will go on the next list.
 

[Halex]

Loves those Pasties that MJ does.

JD are you going to make the pastry? Its really nice

H

[judydawn]

No Hally, I hate making anything except the EDC shortcrust pastry - will be using my bought flaky pastry sheets 

[obbie]

My plan for the week.

Sunday     Rissoles / veges
Monday    T bone steak, potato leek soup
Tuesday    Pork loin chops / cabbage / veges
Wednesday   Roast Beef / veges / yorkshire puddings
Thursday      Coral trout
Friday        Baf's chicken casserole

Wednesday baking cakes, slices, ect.

Robyn

[cookie1]

I plan Wednesday to Wednesday so I only have tonights and tomorrow nights planned. Tonight is steak and vegies, tomorrow night is a roast.

[Tasty]

Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner the night before so here it is for this week:

Monday - Thai Chilli Chicken and Basil with Rice
Tuesday - Tuscan Beef Stew with Polenta (except I couldn't find instant polenta in the shops (where is it??) so it will have to go with rice - Dinner Spinner
Wednesday -  Seeded Quinoa Salad - Dinner Spinner and picnic food
Thursday - Almond Chicken Curry with Yoghurt - Dinner Spinner
Friday - Savoury Apple Couscous - Cyndi O'Meara's healthy eating book however I will be going out for dinner with friends
Saturday - Bickley Harvest Festival for lunch possibly and an anniversary dinner at a moroccan restaurant (which had to delayed from last weekend as I wasn't feeling the best)
Sunday - Tuna a la king from the forum

[keiramax]

I've just purchased For Food's Sake and QFITT and have decided to do a meal plan for the week to start getting the most out of these cookbooks.

What would you recommend I start with???

[astarra]

Hopefully this thread is the kick up the backside I need.... before I had miss 16mths, EVERYTHING was planned, meals, cooking, housework, school times and extras, even what the kids were wearing to church!!! And life was SO easy. Each monday was plan for the next week day, which really only took a couple of hours for all lists to be made, shopping list ready to go, everything was written down in my A4 page-to-a-day diary. And it worked. I have tried to get it all happening again a couple of times - and each time something major happens - like we all go down with the wog, or some visitors turn up on my doorstep to stay for a week, something!!!
OK so I ALWAYS know the day before what jobs I have to do in a day and what dinner will be, but it is not as good as the whole week!!!! (so I guess I sort - of meal plan) but I hate shopping (& yes, I'm a girl!!) and hate even more not having the ingred.s needed for a meal or cooking... almost drives me as insane as squashed bread!!! I can't stand it!!  yep, I'm weird!!!
So anyone willing to wish me luck on getting it all organised again and ... well ... any takers on the kicking me bit too...??!!!!

[obbie]

Astra, I love shopping. Just need more shops where we live.

Its my ME time.

Robyn

[Tasty]

Astarra - I can't believe how organised you were. I have started menu planning and it's working well so far. I like only having to go to the shops once a week instead of several times like I used to as I was missing stuff.

I find visitors and major events don't disrupt me from this but rather stuff up my efforts to get healthy and exercise.

This weeks meal plan was to incoporate more veges into dinners but we have too many leftovers to get through from last week so it has to be put off a bit.

Good luck with it.

[mcmich]

Astarra, don't be so hard on yourself. If you have your jobs planned and dinner on the table you're doing well.

[keiramax]

Astarra I'm with you.  Need to kick start the whole planning thing.  When I do it, I just fit so much more into my days.  The boring bits get done really quickly which leaves plenty of time for the fun things in life.

Have just started going to the market once a fortnight so need to plan ahead to ensure I make the most of the visit.  So this week I'll be planning for the next fortnight of meals, using the plan from www.theprojectgirl.com.  This will also help me use up stuff in the freezer and pantry.

Had a hard rubbish collection this week, so put out a whole heap of stuff for collection, feel slightly cleansed but more to do..

I suggest tackling one new planning activity each week, start small.

[judydawn]

Astarra you must have been the most organized person in the whole of the country    Babies & tots seem to change our lives and throw things into turmoil though so what you are experiencing is perfectly normal. As you get older you will probably change again and just do whatever you want, whenever you feel like it - maybe not when it should be done but better late than never.  I just go with the flow nowadays and take each day as it comes but you can do that when you have no children at home and life is about pleasing yourself - I was once very organized too though.

[astarra]

Thanx everyone!!  Glad to see I'm not alone in the unorganization thing. I tend to blame miss 16 mths for getting me out of the way of it - but know deep inside I just got out of the habit and now am finding it hard to get it all organized again!! (Well she may be a bit to blame, newborns don't seem to care much what is planned!!  ) It still all gets done, just takes most of the day instead of not long then time to relax!!! JD - I think it'll be a while til I have no kids at home!  LOL!!
I know what is happening today and what is for tea tonight and tomorrow night........ still a bit of the old me in here somewhere!!!!