After the title, some of you are wondering why I'm even bothering to post because this meal is a no brainer- most people I know have a frozen pizza night. Well I'm posting for two reasons. One, because I'm going to try my best to be committed to posting EVERY supper for awhile for my own benefit- I'd like to see what I feed my family over a longish period of time. Two, because it gives me an opportunity to mention something I love- a meal rotation. I have found that it simplifies life TREMENDOUSLY to have certain nights that are always the same. It may sound boring, but it makes the planning process so much easier! Saturday night is frozen pizza night because I want the focus on the evening to be making sure we are prepared for Sunday. As many of you know, getting everyone bathed, nails clipped, diaper bags packed, clothes ready- not to mention the home calm and hearts prepared- for Sabbath rest and worship is a HUGE task. I don't want to make it harder by cooking and having a big clean up as well. So frozen pizza on paper plates it is! For a long time this is what our rotation looked like:
Monday- something super easy like hot dogs or chicken patty sandwiches
Tuesday- something new
Wednesday- spaghetti
Thursday- breakfast
Friday- something new
Saturday- frozen pizza
Sunday- soup
Now I've kind of gotten away from that, but I'd like to come up with a schedule again. The "something new" nights were the times when I'd search my cookbooks and try different things. I used to plan for two weeks of meals at a time. Pete would go to Sam's and Walmart every other week and then we'd shop at the grocery store in town in between. Recently we decided that because our family has grown and we go through everything faster, it is better if he goes every week. It's kind of a bummer because then he's never home for dinner on Monday nights, but since he's going often, he's in and out really quickly. For those of you who wonder why he goes and not me (because that's a woman's job, right?), it's because we live in a small town and those two stores are on his way home. He commutes 45 minutes each way and it just makes more sense for him to handle it. I'm thankful that he's willing because all those bulk packages of diapers and paper towels and ketchup get really heavy!
So, enough about our grocery schedule and back to meal planning! As I said, I need to work on a new rotation, but haven't quite decided what I want to include. I'd like to have a stir fry night, but Pete would prefer that to be an every other week thing. I also need to try harder to have crock pot meals on Thursdays because Peter has piano at 4 and by the time I get home, the baby needs to nurse and everyone is crabby and ready for dinner. So, I'm interested to know, do any of you have a meal rotation and if so, what is it? I'll probably stick with breakfast and frozen pizza and pasta. Other than that I need to think about it. So I'd love to get ideas from you as well!
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great blog idea! Here is how we've been doing it since we've moved. We have a walmart nearby that I go to to buy the in-between things. Then we go shopping once a month at Cub, Aldi, and Sams. Cub and Sams are 40 minutes away. So I plan menus a month at a time. We also have a pantry that is stocked with about 3-6 months worth of cream soups, tomato products, canned fruit, rice, dried beans, canned veggies, pasta and a freezer with a side of beef and a side of pork. So my monthly menu tends to last longer than a month because I inevitably will make something based on pantry storage that wasn't on my menu.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who happen to read this, we are a family of 9.
I must admit that fixed meal plans never work with us, cuz our weeks are never the same, and since I get paid on different days, and Dave has our only car all day every day, our shopping is usually done as a family about once a week on whatever weeknight works best. Usually every other week we shop at Sams and grab dinner there. Most of our shopping is done at Aldi, Walmart, and Sams, but we watch for good sales at Strack and Van Til's, Meijer, Ultra and Jewel as well. (It is so nice living in an almost 24 hr a day shopping mecca!)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, what I have found very helpful is instead of pouring over recipe cards,recipe cut outs, notes jotted down by friends, emails w/ recipes, and cook books, is making my own "cook book" that I refer to more than any other (except for the internet). I took a 3 ring binder and several packs of clear color coded page protectors (Blue for lunch & dinner entrees, yellow for sides and salads, white for breakfast, green for desserts, and red for party foods, appetizers, beverages, and misc. cooking tips)), filled each page protector w/ blanks white paper and then I tape in favorite recipes from other books, or other sources. I get Kraft Magazine (free from Kraftfoods.com) and Food Network magazine, plus online recipes all the time that I cut out or print. Also I've scanned and copied out favorites from other books, added all my "cut outs" and freinds recipes they've given me. And if I want to try something I add it to the folder pocket in back, if its good it gets taped into the appropriate section. If iots a flop, it gets thrown out. That way all my favorites and "good ideas to try" are in one easy place. It's great and saved me a ton of time and space (since I'm able to throw away old unwanted magazines, and put away many books).
I recommend www.Kraftfoods.com, www.foodnetwork.com and www.allrecipes.com as good sources for new ideas!!
Thanks for creating this blog! I've been trying to make new thing more often. It's so easy to get into a rut!!