I have been in a couponing slump. I still love it and value it, don't get me wrong. But I was too busy in December and did nothing, so now I have quite a bit to do - cutting coupons, organizing them and cleaning out my binder of expired ones. I needed to take stock of what I have in the house, and what I will need to keep my eyes out for, coupon-wise and sale-wise. I need to get back on track - for heaven's sake last night I spent full price for yogurt!!
For the last few months I have done a monthly meal plan in the beginning of the month so that I have an idea of the holes I need to fill in. For example, if I know I want to make my Aunt Evelyn's great recipe for a turkey pot pie, I will need to get pie crust bc there ain't no way I'm making one from scratch. I don't fill in the days I want to make the particular meals until each week begins and even then, sometimes I'll write "meatloaf" on say a Wednesday evening but then we end up having spaghetti instead bc I ran out of time or just didn't feel like making it. The point is more for me to know what I have and what I need to buy when it goes on sale so we can have that meal at some point. I only write down about 21 meals, bc I figure we'll eat out a few times and have leftovers a few times. I don't usually fill in side dishes unless I know I need to buy the ingredients bc I always have rice, potatoes, pasta, veggies, fruit on hand.
Keep in mind most of these meals are made for just Kevin and I, as my children are picky as sin. So many nights I make them something else like chicken and mac and cheese or just pour them a bowl of cereal - judge away, I judge myself. They are improving, and we do eat together, so I appreciate the progress we've made - Tate used to not even want to SEE food we were eating (like asparagus, which she projectile vomited when I made her try a bite and she never forgot it) and she'd beg to eat at her little table...I remember those days so clearly. Ok I'm getting off track.
*Ham and potato chowder
*Homemade chicken noodle soup
*Veggie beef soup
*Chili and cornbread
*Tuna noodle casserole
*Ravioli and meat sauce
*Pork tenderloin
*Grilled chicken
*Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
*Freezer ziti (made already in freezer)
*Homemade pizza and/or stromboli
*Roast turkey
*Turkey pot pie
*Creamy turkey wild rice soup
*Pierogies and chicken sausage
*Pork fried rice
*Egg bake and tater tots
*Pulled pork, coleslaw
*Spinach shells
*Meatloaf
*Veggie pasta bake
*Chicken parm
So most of these meals, thanks to previous sales and coupons, I have most of the ingredients for already. I love to cook and although I know how to make all of these meals except for the wild rice soup and stromboli, in the coming months I want to try more new recipes. Have any good ones?
How do you plan your meals?
Yummy! We need to get better about planning meals so we don't go and just take out from somewhere like 5 Guys. I need to work on my health, but find it so hard when I busy with little ones. Of course that is probably just an excuse!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I have 2 recipes, both amazing! 1 is a fun food and the other is a comfort food.
ReplyDelete1st is Rachel Ray's Burley man-size chicken burgers and the other is ham and scalloped potatoes in crockpot.
http://www.food.com/recipe/burly-man-size-chicken-cheddar-barbecued-burgers-219342 and
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-scalloped-potatoes-with-ham/detail.aspx
If you decide to make the ham and scalloped potatoes, look up the reviews on that recipe and look for my posting under "newdayjenn" and read it so it comes out perfect......
Enjoy!!!
thanks Jen! My husband would probably like RRs recipe, he likes anything burger :)
ReplyDeleteLindsey - it's hard when they're itty-bitties and on your leg or hip the whole day. When my kids were smaller I only made a few meals a week and either doubled them or did meals where I could take the leftovers and do a different but easy meal - ie, making sausage, onion and peppers for pasta and then chopping them up and using on top of pizza :) I love to cook though - if I didn't, when I had kids we would have been eating take out or soup all the time! But cooking was a release for me, when I could actually do it and pry Tatie Tot's hands off from around my neck, or stomach listening to her scream if God forbid I was out of her eyesight! :)