I menu plan weekly, and have tried a variety of options. I'm considering building out more of a monthly view, so I can plug in prepped dinners (from the freezer - leftovers I've frozen) & other "need to use them up" items. I'm hoping it also helps give me a better view of weeks where we need easier options (e.g. returning from travel), or weeks where we will be gone (spring break, etc). Do you do anything like this? If so, please share tips & your planning process!
In the next couple of months, we have a few things going on: 1) final college tour + bonus visit to see my family (they are close by) 2) spring break road trip 3) Sedona with my mom. Looking forward to all three, and it's nice not to worry about taking time off, catching up with work after time off, working on a coverage plan, and catching up on "life" when I get back. Discounting our race weekend in Napa, this will be the first time I've ever traveled without worrying about all of those things, & I'm looking forward to it.
Things that I'm up to today:
- Going to a workout class
- Meeting up with a friend of a friend who is a professor, and chatting with her about what that's like
- Helping both boys with scholarship applications
- Work on Nick's college application work back schedule
- Clean the bathrooms
- Work on my resume
- Add a few things to the calendar
- We receive our annual bonuses tomorrow, & I now know how much they will be exactly for, so doing some financial planning
- Watch Nick's tennis match
- Leftovers for dinner
- Journal
- Farsi lessons
- Meditate
- 20 minutes of yard work (or, more). Usually more
I think you will love travel without the stress of going back to work immediately.
ReplyDeleteI do meal plan weekly, but rarely stick to the exact plan. It is not intentional but things come up or our tastes just change during the week. My plan always means using what I have on hand (either freezer or pantry items) first.
I am thoroughly and absolutely tired of menu planning. What I used to do is make a rather loose plan for the week on Sunday evening, based on what we had on hand and what the week's activities were. I would make sure the plans were interchangeable so I could account for days that didn't go as planned. Now, with my kids older, away at college, commuting to classes or working, I have developed a "who is going to be here for dinner tonight" kind of approach. Generally, we have Sunday dinner together, as well as any special days. Beyond that, I check in the morning to see who will be around, then peruse the freezer and pantry to plan a meal. Oddly, I am making less trips to the supermarket.
ReplyDeleteI used to plan more, then it wained without kids in the house, then it became a fun challenge. Now Im back to not even thinking about it, other than not wanting leftovers day after day. Your day is packed!
ReplyDeleteI used to plan more, then it wained without kids in the house, then it became a fun challenge. Now Im back to not even thinking about it, other than not wanting leftovers day after day. Your day is packed!
ReplyDeleteI buy food. We eat. We don't mind leftovers at all. I ate baked chicken with bbq sauce on it, slaw, and usually green beans for six days. There was other cooked food, but this is what I wanted for dinner. I will bake 6-9 bscb, freeze some and eat some. When we need a protein, often the freezer is the source. Vegetables and salads are easier to prepare, so meals are easy.
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