Hi girls! Was working on my Weekly Meal Plan yesterday - and thought I'd start a series of posts called DS101 (Domestic Simplicity 101) - and share some of my tips for keeping things simple around here!
I started doing a
a weekly meal plan a few years ago because:
1. 5:00 p.m. would come, and I'd have to decide what to cook for dinner (that was half the battle);
2. Most of the options were nixed (would take too long, or I didn't have all the ingredients - the other half of the battle); and
3. I was tired of making the SAME OLD meals all the time!
So, every Sunday, I sit down
and choose some fun new recipes I'd like to try (and I include Studly and Studly Jr in the process, so they pick some meals for the week, too)!
I look ahead at the week - and plan simple meals for the busy days (today I was writing patterns all day, Wednesday I'm getting together with my mom . . . ) and I plan for special events (Sunday is Father's Day - so you can see Studly will have quite a spread :)).
I then type out the Meal Plan (including cookbook page numbers for easy reference) and my grocery list:
adding all of the ingredients I'll need to buy! If I think I have some of the ingredients, I put a "?" by those -and check the pantry and fridge before I go to the store!
This also helps so that we don't throw away food that I used to buy at the store - when I had no plan, thinking - oh - I could make that (and then forgot as the veggies rotted in the crisper drawer)!
I try to remember - The Meal Plan is My Friend - it's there to help! If I have a particularly busy day and am super tired, but had a time consuming meal planned - then I just switch it out for a simple one - and cook the bigger dinner another day that week!
Meal time is such a treat now
and so much more fun. Studly and I can't wait until Sunday
Off to cook some Maid Rites with cheese - yummo! Do you all have Maid Rite Restaurants where you live? I used to work at Maid Rite when I was 16 - still use a version (I've modified a bit) of their recipes for burgers and chili!
TTFN,
Kelly
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