Oct. 18, 2006
Sweet Monday for October 2006
Oct. 9, 2006 Marvelous Monthly Menu Management
Sweet Tabitha shows us how monthly menu planning saves us $ – and our sanity!
My sweet friend (who also was my partner in crime for Hair Do's and Doozies last year) did the Sweet Monday program for me this month, and did a FANTASTIC job! She shared for the devotional portion how being organized in this area has blessed her family:
1) financially as they save money, (she has saved over $100 each time she has "stuck" to her meal plan and does not splurge on out-to-eat meals, ONLY if they are planned.)
2) physically as they eat healthier, and
3) spiritually and emotional as they sit down to a good meal and good conversation ,and also that she is able to focus on them and not wonder what to make for dinner an hour before they eat.
Here is what she shared with us...
1) Sit down with a calendar -- she uses a blank one printed off from the computer and saves her fridge calendar for scheduling.
2) Make a sit-down date with spouse and put your calendars together and look for hubbies late nights at the office, meetings, birthdays, date nights, etc. Count the actual number of nights you need to cook. Go ahead and fill in any givens on your calendar. For example, Sunday nights at her house are always breakfast-type meals. Fridays are kids' night so they help her with that night's menu. Meals that aren't Dad's favorite, but Mom or the kids love are on the nights he won't be eating with them due to men's group, etc.
3) Gather all your favorite recipe books, etc. With the number of nights you need to cook in mind, start looking through your cookbooks, recipes, writing down names of recipes you would like to try along with the page and book it is in. Lay aside any loose recipes. Have your "grocery list" page beside you so you can go ahead and write the ingredients you will need for each recipe. Fill in your menu. Make sure each night has been well thought out with the meal prep time for that day's activities. (May want to do crockpot meals for the days you will be gone, etc.)
4) Then go through your grocery list and copy down:
a. All the DRY GOODS you need to get at the grocer.
b. Make a MEAT/FISH list -- a lots of us go to Sam's or Costo, etc to get large quanitities of this. When you bring it home, divide it into freezer bags according to what recipe calls for. May also want to pre-cook your meat after purchase (say on the weekend) so it's even faster to make up the meal.
c. Go weekly for FRESH FRUITS, VEGGIES & MILK.
5) Put menu calendar on fridge and your month is organized. Sit back and enjoy -- your month is planned and your hubby will think you are divine!
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I have been the bride to the most gracious, sweetest man in the world for the last 11 years. What I love most about him is that he is always striving to be a better husband, father, and child of God.
