Dinner Drama

As a busy lady who also wears the hats of mom and wife, the question "What's for dinner?" typically makes my head hurt. This question is usually complicated by the fact that both my husband and I are budding foodies. In an effort to make this question less irritating, we have instituted a meal planning strategy that seems to work for us. In a nutshell, here it is:


1. Pick a menu planning day. We usually choose a Friday or a Saturday to go through our tried and true favorite cook books and pick 4-5 recipes we want to prepare for the week. We don't do an entire week because we account for a leftover night and an eating out night. When complete, post the menu in a common family spot. We are flexible with our meals. For example, we may have planned for chicken on Monday, but end up making pork instead. Just agree to make it through your menu before the week is up.

2. Make a shopping list. Based on the menu chosen, we make a list of what we need in order to make the meals a reality. We also add staples and snacks that will get us through the week.

3. Check the coupon file and blog sites. For the casual coupon user this might not happen every time and that’s ok. Make your list, check the file and go. However, if you are more ambitious and a seasoned coupon-er, you’re going to want to check the blogs (Bargains to Bounty is first on my list followed by the coupon database), pull out/print the ones for the items on your list and hit the market. Don’t be discouraged if this takes you a half an hour or more. It will likely pay off with savings at the register.

4. Make it happen. When practical, prep for the next meal the night before (maybe while your spouse does the dishes). And if you don't execute your entire menu in one week, be sure to freeze those valuable ingredients or use them early next week. An unexpected date night or late night at the office is no excuse for letting tenderloin go bad.

5. Keep records. If a recipe sucks, make note in your cookbook to avoid duplicating efforts in a few months. Likewise, if you modify a recipe be sure to make notes.

6. Share! I love sharing a quick, easy, yummy meal find with friends and family. The beauty of sharing your good finds is that your foodie friends will likely return the favor. I'll share some of our tried and true favorites here.