Near the start of each month, I print
out a blank calendar which becomes that month's menu plan. I
remember as a kid sitting down with my Mom and deciding what I was
going to cook that month, then writing it in on the same kind of
blank calendar. I remember cooking a lot of taco casserole and
one-pot spaghetti. My sister's go-to was always tuna casserole.
Now as I sit down with my kids, we have
to limit some of their go-to's as well. My son wants to make chicken
milanese every Thursday and my daughter wants to cook browned butter
pasta every Friday, so mapping out a plan really helps in the variety department.
As you can see, we don't get all cutesy with printed out menus in
darling fonts. Nope. It's all about the practical – and I highly
recommend using pencil. We pull out my recipe file, their cook
books, and sometimes surf the web for recipes. Do I make a detailed list of side dishes and desserts with each meal? Heavens no! But I do occasionally scrawl party menus on the margins. We often end up
switching days, and we don't always adhere religiously to the
sketched in menu. But it does provide a guide and a fall-back plan.
If we want to change plans, fine, but at I have a plan to shop from.
Let's face it, deciding what to cook is the hardest part!
And this is my weakness. When we get together next will you help me make a menu? Please? Julie is going out of town for two weeks so I'm not sure what to do about that. Hm.
ReplyDeleteYou betcha! So lets get together when she gets back.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see some of your kids' favorite recipes to cook. I dread 5:30 pm everyday trying to decide what to make for dinner. Not only will this get me to plan, but maybe involving my kids would result in less complaining. :-) When do you do your planning with your kids? do you do it all together or sit down 1 on 1?
ReplyDeleteWell, I'd love to tell you that we sit down all together and have a warm-fuzzy family moment, but no. I've found that if I do it one on one, it keeps the kids from fighting and arguing. :) We sit down with their cookbooks and any new recipes I've found that they might like. Sometimes they go through my Cooking Light magazine and choose a recipe to try. They can't cook any repeats during the same month, but other than that I don't worry too much about what they choose to cook. My daughter loves anything pasta so she often chooses to make brown butter pasta, homemade mac n cheese, or fettuccini alfredo. She also likes to make sub sandwiches, reuben sandwiches, quesadillas and seasoned rice(almost reminiscent of Guat) and breakfast for dinner. My boy loves to make soups: wonton, chicken noodle or tomato mac. He also likes to make sloppy joes, grilled fish with potlatch seasoning, tacos and chicken milanese. Sometimes we search online for new recipes if they are feeling adventurous. Also, if schedules preclude them from cooking one weeknight, they get to cook breakfast on the weekend. Good luck!
ReplyDelete