Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

Ok, to go from Spagetti to Cavitini

Switch spaghetti noodles for Rotini noodles (the spirals)
cook by the directions on the box

Use the same jar of sauce

Add turkey pepperoni and browned italian sausage (I use only one link each time I make it, so a package, in the freezer lasts all winter...of course winter is only about 12wks here ;) )

bake it in a casserole dish for about 20min at 350degrees then throw some mozzerella cheese on top and melt it.

Serve.

See, same process you know how to do, the ingredients are just a different shape! :hug

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

Ah, see, my DH would say "Didnt we have pasta last night?"

I'm thinking one of the cardinal rules of meal planning is using the same/similar ingredients to make two dishes. I dont know how to get DH to buy into that one.

I am discovering some recipes that everyone seems to love so making a rotating menu. I'm thinking perhaps I'll make a bit more than usual and use it for lunches the next day instead of leftovers the next night.

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

Showing off my meal plan:
http://www.gentlechristianmothers.co...topic=160613.0

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

subbing to this so I finish reading it all later! I have got to start meal planning!!

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

I just wanted to comment about recreating things on the menu and making them different enough.
Last week....
We had baked salmon.
Then, I made creamy salmon and spinach over rice.
Then, I made baked noodles in the leftover sauce with cheese on top. End of Salmon!

This week..
Chili
Chili cheese baked potatoes
maybe freeze the remainder if there is any left (you can only take so many beans --- at least I can only take so much from my husband...)

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

Dh and I plan a weekly menu together. He does most of the cooking and I do most of the shopping, so we plan together.

Usually we have some sort of fish on Mondays b/c I shop on the weekends and we want to use it up while it's fresh. For that I buy whatever's on sale and dh will find a recipe online for it.

We do one vegetarian meal a week, too, at least. I have a couple Moosewood cookbooks we use for that and also the old standby of "bow ties and white sauce" with broccoli. (That is dd1's fave meal).

After that we'll fill in the week according to our schedule, using recipes we find interesting, whatever's in the freezer, and/or easily made standbys.

Then I take the list and go shopping. Our menus are posted on the fridge. Dh takes the leftovers for lunch.

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

I'm going to having a new challange. DH schedule this semester will make dinners a challange Mondays - Wednesdays he will not be home for dinner till late Mondays espically he will have to bring or buy (or maybe its Tuesdays?? I'm still learning it :O. DD needs to eat around 5pm and honestly because of my meds schedule so do I so I can't wait for him. I'm going to need meals that are low carb for my needs yet child friendly enough (but nutrutional enough) for DD as I refuse to feed her MAC n Cheese for 3 days straight each week. and that will work as decent left overs so DH can use then the following day for his lunch or dinner or will keep long enough so he can have it latter. I'm trying to avoid having to cook 3 meals.

Deanna

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

can we do a challenge??? :popcorn

dd will be taking 7 hours of dance
dh is working 40 hours a week
I work evenings opposite his schedule, but from home most nights
we have homeschool stuff, etc.

I really need a *plan* and some bulk cooking. I want to do it; I know how; I need some accountability :doh

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

I've never done "bulk cooking" and would love to give it a go. I'm going to be making a grocery list in the morning. I wonder what I could make in bulk? I have an ENORMOUS freezer in my garage, and it's entirely empty.

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

oh yes--a bulk cooking challenge--it's like SAHM Top Chef :giggle

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

:lol

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

My mom did that "Once a Month Cooking" once. It went pretty smoothly but we just really didn't enjoy the meals. I think the concept would work a lot better if it was a bunch of your own recipes or ones that you were interested in.

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

Have you guys heard of "The Big Cook" (www.thebigcook.com)? It's a recipe book, with instructions for working with friends to prepare many (like 20-30) meals in one day. The recipes come with amounts for 1, 4, 6, or 8 meals of each dish. I'm going to be doing it for the first time on Feb 7 with my mom and mother in law. I'll report back how it goes... I'm excited to have a freezer full of almost-ready-to-eat food (usually just put in the oven or slowcooker, add rice/pasta, and a side veggie).

Heather

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

I bulk cook once every 3 or 4 months. It takes most of the day, but it's so nice to just pull something out of the freezer for dinner. Usually I do stew, soup or a roast in the crock pot, beans in the pressure cooker, and then 2 to 3 casseroles. Last time, I bulk cooked, I was still working so I made way more than we could eat in 4 months.

Right now, we have chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas, lasagna, cassoulet, a roast (that daddy smoked for me), spaghetti and meatballs (DH's favorite midnight snack), meatballs (for spaghetti or subs), stew, chicken and rice casserole and beef and bean soup.

I bulk all the casseroles up with extra veggies because I know that if it is coming from the freezer, I probably won't make anything to go with it. I also individually portion out the meals - most of the time it's just me eating dinner.

Some people bulk cook by making 2 casseroles or a double pot of chili once a week and then freezing the extras. I prefer to make a huge mess one day and have it all done. I never know when DH will be home so I hate making a casserole or big meal just for me.

Re: Can someone teach me how to meal plan?
 

I have been so stressed over food. I am a GF vegetarian, my youngest is GF and my boys and DH all eat meat. I need a main, GF vegetarian food menu that whatever meat can be added to for the guys. My DH and youngest son often eat GF but it is more expensive, however normal and GF is too time intensive and messy. I have a headache thinking of it.