When cooking for your family there are three different strategies. One, cook whatever you grab from the grocery store on your way home. Two, cook whatever happens to be in your kitchen from your weekly grocery trip. Three, have an organized meal plan. The latter saves time and money as well as helps to make your week run smoother.
Beginning to meal plan can be a bit daunting but once you get going it can be relatively easy and stress free. The key is organization. Between recipes, key ingredients, great tools (like my crockpot and Kitchen Aid mixer) and a little creativity; you make just about anything.
In the mornings during my coffee (at least once a week) I browse through Pinterest or Food Network for recipes inspiration. On Saturdays, I sit down with my recipe ideas and plan out my meals for the following week since I go grocery shopping on Mondays. I cook for one toddler and four adults everyday plus try to have a little bit of leftovers for lunches. On average I spend about $175 a week but that includes cleaning products, wine, and coffee. I tend to not plan for Sundays. We have a few friends over and do a potluck so that is not factored into my week. Thursday evenings I work, so I do not cook that evening. Lunches, breakfasts, and snacks are also in my plan which really helps when writing out my grocery list for the week. I attempt to have one new dish to try every week and 4 things that I know work well. Some weeks we follow a theme (Asian, Mexican, etc) others are just something different everyday.
To help with the process, I like to write everything down. I found these cute little notepads on Amazon that help me stay organized. I also have a recipe notebook that I write down all the recipes that I use often. I like to have my recipes all in one place instead of spread out over magazines, scrap paper, and the internet.
To finish up today, I am going to list the important things that I keep in my kitchen at all times.
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Garlic
- Sweet Onions
- White Rice
I also keep bell peppers and Italian herbs (basil, oregano). You may find a few things that you will use often to always keep on hand.
For tools and kitchen gadgets, I use each of these items at least once a week if not much more
- Kitchen Aid Stand mixer. I am in love with this thing. You can do so much with it. Make pizza dough, shred chicken, cream potatoes
- Crockpot. Awesome for busy weeks
- A great knife. I use a Santoku Knife and a paring knife
- Wooden cutting board
- Glass 9 x 11 pan
- Large pot to boil water
- Ceramic electric skillet, so much easier and cooks more evenly than stove top pans
- Wooden spoons
- Containers for leftovers
I hope this helps to get you started on your meal planning adventure.
