I have received a lot of emails over the last couple weeks about Menu Planning. I really think that many of you are a lot like me… you don’t want to start doing something if you can’t do it absolutely perfect. Menu Planning is one of those things that I used to shy away from. I wanted to cook each night based on my mood, not on a strict schedule. That wasn’t so difficult when there was just two of us. Now, with a family of five, I have no choice but to have a little structure to my menu.
I menu plan for a couple of different reasons. The main reason is this…I am a work at home mom. I work part time from home doing freelance work. Our food/entertainment budget since staying at home has dwindled considerably. We just don’t have the funds to go out and eat on a whim like we used to. When I have a menu planned for the week and have shopped from my grocery list for those meals, I am much less likely to be tempted to eat out. Plus, if I can limit the number of times I go to the grocery store, that helps eliminate the impulse buys that inevitably happen when I go to the store unprepared.
I try to stick to our menu each week, but it doesn’t always happen. Last week, we had the first really cold, fall day of the season and to me that screams chili. I didn’t have chili on the menu plan, but I did have the ingredients on hand, so we switched out whatever was that day for chili. When you have at least five days worth of dinners planned out, you know that with at least those ingredients on hand, you have a meal to fall back on. If your mood calls for something different that night and you have the ingredients on hand, don’t feel like you are stuck to what’s on the menu. Let your menu be a flexible guide and start with baby steps. Once you get in the routine of planning, you will find it is an enjoyable event. (Think of it this way… what better excuse do you need to get to browse through your recipe collection? My husband knows that Sunday afternoons, I can usually be found pouring over magazines, cookbooks and food blogs, all in the name of “menu planning”. Me time, with a purpose!)
Here is what the Dine & Dish household has on the menu this week. What do you have planned? Make sure to head over to Organizing Junkie to see what others are planning this week!
Let me know one thing that is on your menu this week or what you find to be the most challenging aspect of menu planning, and your comment will be entered into a giveaway for a great cookbook from Country Bob’s. Winner will be chosen by the Random Number Generator. Deadline for commenting will be 10pm CST on Friday, September 12th.
- Monday – Maple Grilled Salmon from Cooking Light
- Tuesday – Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Calzones – from Everyday with Rachael Ray
- Wednesday – Tacos
- Thursday – Chicken Baked in White Wine Marinade from Cooking Light
- Friday – Homemade Pizza
- Saturday – Onion Smothered Italian Burgers from Cooking Light
- Sunday – Pork and Bell Pepper Stir Fry from Everyday with Rachael Ray
Since you stuck with me through this whole post, let me share with you one of my favorite Tilapia recipes.
Mama’s Supper Club Tilapia Parmesan (from Recipezaar)
35 min | 15 min prep
SERVES 4
- 2 lbs tilapia fillets (orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt (I like Old Bay seasoning here)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- black pepper
- 1 dash hot pepper sauce
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish or jellyroll pan, lay fillets in single layer.
- Do not stack fillets.
- Brush top with juice.
- In bowl combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings.
- Mix well with fork.
- Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.
- Spread with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use.
- Watch fish closely so that it does not overcook.
- Makes 4 servings.
I have to be honest Sphagettti is what is on our menu this week. This week is a tight week in the money department! Would love to win the book!
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com
I run a google calendar tied to an excel spreadsheet for menu planning. The most difficult part for me? Not doing something new every night! It get exhausting! One of our favorite repeats is the eggs Benedict we’re having on Wednesday.
This may be my favorite Dine & Dish post yet. I am not a menu planner anymore. Let me explain why.
Once upon a time I lived so far out in the country, my nearest neighbor in any direction was a cow. Or a wild turkey (and not the kind you drink from a bottle).
Back then I used to menu plan. I had to. Grocery trips were an all day event, some 50+ miles away to get to a store with over 3 isles.
Since living in cities, I’ve become more spoiled. I can go to the market (list in hand) on a whim, so if my mood changes or guests join us, I can easily change dinner plans.
Also, I’m extremely spontaneous. That’s a big detriment when it comes to planning anything, especially menus!
Sandies last blog post..Imperfectly Delicious – Recipe: Roasted Eggplant Soup with Tomato
This week is tight budget wise, so it’s time to raid the freezer. We invested in a stand-up freezer when we lived in Arizona and man, has that thing paid for itself over and over again.
Pork chops were on sale for $1/lb, and I saw a recipe in the Kraft magazine so I’ll probably fix that sometime this week. It’s basically apple pie filling, chops and stuffing. Make the stuffing, layer the apples, chops and bake for 30 minutes, top with the stuffing for an additional 15 mintues.
When we lived in AZ, I used to grocery shop online through Safeway and that really kept me on budget. It’s handy when you’re hungry because you can skip the cookie aisle. 🙂 Plus they deliver, so no gas spent!
I will admit, I never menu plan. When I try to I end up throwing away food that I never got around to cooking. I have a stand up freezer in my kitchen, so I am able to freezer dive quite a bit, but I would love to plan at least a few meals in advance each week. I’m usually at the grocery store every day. Pathetic I know.
Deb S.s last blog post..Panko-Encrusted Flounder with Tomato and Spinach
Mmm, that looks great! Would be delicious with the cauliflower faux-tatoes you featured (and I love!!).
* Please don’t enter me in the contest, as I’m sure there are mostly a lot of meat dishes in the recipe book and someone else would appreciate the book more than me.
But I thought I’d share that I overbought apples a couple weeks ago – so I put a couple in the fridge to make ‘morning glory muffins’ this week (probably tomorrow). They’re easy and make 3-4 days worth of breakfasts or snacks (they also freeze well). Menu planning is a bit difficult, but I usually have at least 3 days planned per week. It works for me as it still leaves a lot of days free or changeable when my husband calls for pizza! It also helps limit grocery store visits and it makes my life a bit easier not having to scramble *everyday* for dinner! 🙂
This is my first visit to your site. I like what I see and I wish I had more time to visit! I have to run to go prep stuffed green peppers for tonight’s dinner. I’m putting them in the crockpot since I work 14 hours today. I’ll be back later this week to see of more of your wonderful site!
Cindis last blog post..Menu Plan Monday ~ Sept. 8th!
I should do a menu plan each week, but my schedule is so erractic. Right now my menu plan is guided by what’s in my garden: eggplants, cucumber, tomatoes, kohlrabi and mountains of herbs.
Julias last blog post..Preserving Summer: Fresh Herbs
I have to menu plan every week. I get all my meat from a pasture-fed CSA, 10 lbs. a month. Problem is I get cuts of pork, chicken, beef and lamb in 1-2 lb. cryovac packages. I need more. So, I save everything in 3 freezers organized by cut. Then when I have enough of a cut (say fresh ham), I pull it out to defrost,and add it to my menu plan.
I use MacGourmet – it prints a shopping list, menu’s and if I leave it in the grocery cart, or the wind blows it away – both which happen frequently, I have it safe at home.
On the menu this week – Hamburgers, Fresh Ham, Chicken Hearts with something (I have a ton from a recent kill I helped in), Fish night, clean-out the refrigerator night. That’s 5 days, between Wednesday’s and Sat.’s vegetable CSA pickup, and a quick stop at a Farmer’s Market I put it all together with what is on hand.
Oh yeah, I do have to go to the grocery store. I always need something – unfortunately.
I usually plan what to cook when I drive home from work (it also depends on how hungry I am). Once this week I am planning to make pancakes filled with curd, tuna, grated squash, salt, herbs. I will put them in a dish, pour over some cream, sprinkle with cheese and bake them for about half an hour. I am sure I will also bake something because I have plenty of apples!
Pinas last blog post..Fruits of the summer
I love new cookbooks!
I’ve got a busy week at work, but made some baked pasta (on food blog) which I will have as leftovers and bought many fresh veggies at different farmers’ markets over the weekend. I also have to bake a Vanilla lb cake I found in the new Everyday Food to take to a church lunch on Saturday.
kim davidsons last blog post..Fresh Baked Pasta
I have planned meals from the time I got married up until this day. I honestly do not know if I am capable of shopping any other way. I suppose that is the bit of control in my life I love. Now that my daughter is in school I have been less ambitious in my meals-this week one meal we’re having is Easy Overnight Lasagna from Pillsbury. A good ole tried and true.
My husband is out of town all week, so I’ll be cooking for one if I cook at all… That’s the dangerous thing about when it’s just me: I don’t feel like going to any more effort than hitting the drive-though. We’ll see how it goes!
I try to plan my menu for the next week while watching TV on Thursday nights! I don’t always stick to the menu, because if the weather or life changes – my mood does as well.
I love the sound of that tilapia… going to mark it to try! Yum!
patsyks last blog post..Cookie Monster Would Love These Cookies!
I am sure that spaghetti will be on the list. But I am commenting on my biggest challenge. I find it really hard to come up with a complete meal unless I am planning some sort of casserole which I feel are not the healthiest. What are your suggestions for fitting in veggies and sides?
Thanks!! I’m a cookbook junkie so I hope I win 🙂
Amys last blog post..What A Difference A Week Can Make
I feel like Harvard Beets this week. With Fall setting in, I feel like a Fall food. I do make a menu and have even created a menu for one year. It was a great year!! I will have to post my formula for that one soon.
robinsues last blog post..Octopus and Seaweed
Menu planning is not only important for busy parents but also busy college kids, especially since their budgets are much smaller. For me, I have certain days where I have time to cook meat or days where all I can do is boil some pasta and make some sort of easy sauce. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Carlas last blog post..Wanted: Garlic Entries!
I would love a chance to win this cookbook!
I plan to create my own recipe this week involving polenta, sweet potatoes, and turkey.
I find planning is hard because I have trouble planning well enough for the grocery shopping!
I would love to have a weekly meal plan! But with the two of us, for some reason it is so hard to stick to. Especially when, as of late, my husband is never hungry for dinner, and I find it easier to just find something to snack on instead of cooking for one! But if I am lucky enough to be a SAHM when the little one comes, I will definitely be making weekly menus!
Deborahs last blog post..Bad Photo Sunday – Baked Spaghetti
i plan everything in my life EXCEPT my meals. i’m too apt to change my mind or mood. 🙂
I need to learn from you guys and get organized, too!
What a delicious dish recipe – so simple yet so great!
Patricia Scarpins last blog post..Blueberry macarons
Since we’ve had a bout of cooler weather, I’ve put soup back on the menu. Homemade chicken noodle soup is tonigh, ,and I found some ham in my freezer, so I’m thinking some ham and bean soup is perfect for later.
Shalees last blog post..A Grand Jury
I have an interesting approach to menu planning. I show up at the grocery store without a plan every Sunday. As I walk through I grab things that appeal to me; like the fresh Halibut I found yesterday. I grab a variety of ingredients, not knowing how they will come together at home. Once home, my menu then becomes an episode of Iron Chef. I pull together tips that I remember form The Food Network and just create whatever. I love the unknown and I love to make things without a clear recipe. Sometimes I bomb and have to eat PB & J but other times I create masterpieces. The process keeps me energized about cooking!
With that being said, I would not be the ideal candidate for a cookbook but I had to share my process.
i am making a lemongrass pork concoction tonight for dinner. it’s what i had in my freezer to use up. it’s actually a recipe for sauteed frog legs or chicken wings with lemon grass, i’m just changing it up a bit.
Lans last blog post..typical week night
My hubby and kids aren’t too keen on fish, but I love it and that tilapia recipe sounds delicious.
This week I am sticking to Weight Watchers Core so everything is being cooked from scratch.
We had sweet and sour chicken tonight. Need to add more sour to that recipe next time.
zoes last blog post..The Simple Woman’s Day Book
The worst part of cooking for me has always been that “what do I make tonight” question. I’ve planned meals in the past, but frankly, forget about doing so after a week or two. So falls the trap that inevitability ends in 20 minutes of “what are we having for dinner” from my wife and kids.
One thing that will likely be on the menu this week though is my turkey florentine stuffed biscuits.
Thanks for the link to Meal Plan Monday. It may give me drive to actually sit down and plan each week. 🙂
Ed Robertss last blog post..Sunday September 7, 2008 – Kansas City Weather Forecast
I love cookbooks. I hope I win!
The biggest challenge this week is the fact that my sister did the grocery shopping for our weekly menu (which is something I usually do). I hope she got everything on the list or I may have to improvise. Thanks for sharing your recipies
Stacys last blog post..Brian’s B-Day
Tuesday (tomorrow) is usually our busy day…so it is usually crock pot day. I already have it ready and in the fridge. I am going to slow cook some chicken thighs with some chopped onions and veggies. I seasoned the chicken with a rub and added some chicken broth instead of water. When I get home after work I’ll debone the chicken and serve it over some egg noodles and some veggies. Boring I know, but easy. BTW, I figure I’ll throw a plug in here: I started a food blog on Saturday. I have been wanting to for over a year, but was too chicken to try. I just hope it can be half as good as yours and many others…
Laurels last blog post..Light Lunch
On my menu this week…. well, tonight was the only night I had planned, and we had grilled chicken, baked sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, and buttermilk biscuits.
The reason why it’s my only planned meal is the same as my reason I find it challenging to menu plan: My weeks end up too hectic and spontaneous to cook! We’re going to end up eating out 5 out of 7 nights this week (at least), and other weeks that happens with little to no notice. I hate planning a menu, shopping, and then letting all that food go to waste. THAT is my challenge.
Heather @ The Striving Wifes last blog post..Are You Striving To Encourage Your Husband?
I always try to menu plan – it seems to make my week go much more smoothly.
The chicken in white wine marinade sounds wonderful!
Renees last blog post..Weekly Menu Plan
I resisted Menu planning for a looong time..but it really is freeing! Hubby and I never have those nights where we sit around for an hour having the “what do YOU want for dinner” conversation. We use everything we buy. We buy smarter!
Here’s one of my favorite cheap-and-tasty recipes for Chickpea Stew, from my recipe blog 🙂
http://savvysuziefood.blogspot.com/2008/09/chickpea-stew.html
savvysuzies last blog post..Menu Plan Monday – Sept 8th
I always have the best intentions when it comes to meal planning and buying groceries. I have discovered the best thing for me is to plan only 3 meals and that way when I get home from work and I don’t feel like cooking my fridge doesn;t hold a lot of spoiling food:D
Bellini Vallis last blog post..Golden Bruschetta with Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Pesto
Since I’ve started visiting my local Farmers Market on the weekends, I have begun to semi-menu plan. This past Saturday I found grass fed lamb ribs and I’m excited to learn how to make good ribs. Living in Texas, there is a lot of pressure to make great tasting BBQ RIBS!
I’ve had to scale down with the boys not being home as often. That and have something they can heat up quick! This fish looks like a great recipe for us. Thanks,
Cnady
Candys last blog post..What’s That Smell?
Mmm, I want to come to your house and eat this week!
This is such great timing because today I’m trying to get back on the menu planning wagon. I find whenever my schedule changes, I abandon the plan because so many adjustments have to be made. But when we have a plan, we eat better, we save money and we are certainly less stressed.
Thanks for the inspiration. It’s back to a plan for us!
Jamies last blog post..How a music teacher rocked my world
The key for me is lots of flexibility. I used to cook for five but now I find that there are times when no one but me shows up for dinner. I have a rough idea of schedules but they are constantly in flux and it is too stressful to nail it down. So I shop for several dinners a week and plan on quick stuff or leftovers to fill in. One thing I have shopped for this week is Poached Salmon with Red Pepper Sauce.
Lisas last blog post..Choux Pastry in Vevey
I don’t cook every single night, because I work till 10pm some nights… HOWEVER.
What I do for meal planning sounds like it might fit your needs. Pretty much what I do is pick out 10 meals [I shop for 2 weeks at a time] & make a grocery list for those ingredients. When I get the groceries home, I put all the meat, minus maybe one or two things that I’m planning on making those next two days, in the freezer. [Thaw accordingly as the weeks progress.]
Then, whenever I want to make a meal, I don’t have a strict schedule… Instead, I have the makings of 10 meals and at any given moment, I can just throw whatever meal I’m feeling like cooking together.
Of course, I also buy standby stuff, like a few frozen pizzas or Lean Cuisines on the nights I’m just not feeling it… Or nights when I’m working till 10 so the SO can have food while I’m at work.
Jordans last blog post..I’m the next Martha Stewart.
I cook from a pantry (i.e., I do not shop for meals because I live too far away from the decent grocery store although I obviously supplement my produce) so the most difficult part for me–something I should have done tonight, as a matter of fact, but did not, is pulling meat out of the freezer. I never remember. It does encourage more vegetarian meals though! I am glad I saw this–maybe I can think of something before I go to bed!
Lauras last blog post..Holy Moly What A Night… But What A Cookie, Too: Ginger Spice Crinkles
I don’t menu plan for a couple of reasons. We live 1/4 mile from the grocery is the first reason. The second is that I love to cook and am a spontaneous cook. I will either whip up a dish from whatever I have on hand, or visit my favorite blogs to find inspiration on any given day. I am super spoiled, between all the great foodie websites and my grocery and fruit stand being so close.
I can easily tell you one thing on our menu this week; this Tilapia Parmesan. I loved it, my husband not so much, preferring his fish unadorned. But I would spread this stuff on anything and broil it, it was that good.
My newest struggle with menu planning? Going from a houseful to just the two of us. That’s right, everyone is gone, married or to college and I have no idea how to cook for just 2! So we do a lot of individually frozen fish filets; kind of takes the guesswork out of it.
Thanks for the giveaway.
i LOVE the idea of meanu planning, but with my new class/study schedule i am lucky i get two pieces of bread thrown together fast enough 🙁
maybe next semester will be better!
Danis last blog post..#12) Cocoa Peanut Butter Cookies
The hardest thing about menu planning is, we have so much raw materials to work with and it is hard to settle on one dish.
BTW, I had a hard time finding your RSS feed link. I saw your email subscription box, and the Atom link in my browser’s address bar. But the obvious place to find the RSS subscription, which is an orange RSS icon in the same general area as the email subscription box, is not there. The “Entries RSS” link on the left sidebar is not that intuitive.
Nates last blog post..Mochi Ice Cream from Bubbies (Honolulu)
I’m all about the menu planning for the week and trying to figure out when exactly I’ll run out of leftovers, what day to cook, etc. Then my wife will want to order out one night and it will throw off the entire plan, lol–unacceptable! I save so much money and so much less goes to waste…and like you said, its a great excuse to read/stare at food literature. 😉 Also, I love the photo of the tilapia dish–it sounds like a tasty one!
Mikes last blog post..Pan Fried Grouper with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
I need to learn how to plan ahead… especially because I also have a family of five and I work from home too, but we are having an easy lasagne with meat sauce that does not require layering and it turns out great…
The hardest part about menu planning is just getting it done. I start with a blank pad of paper and stare at it. If I’m feeling adventurous I fill in the blanks with all new recipes, but inevitably at least 1/2 of those turn into hamburger or taco meals because of not having the right ingredients.
Test
I used to plan every week until couple years ago. Now the hardest is that I am at home full time and I just have to get up and think of what I will be cooking for dinner that night, so I don’t really need to plan for the week.
But wait, I did plan ahead for tomorrow night. It’s TGIF so I’m making homemade pizza. I love that smell in the house. I guess I should start planning for next week. You really encourage me to do so.
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