Comments on Want What You Have: How I Shop and Plan Our Meals

I used to HATE meal planning, cooking, & grocery s...

2009-11-23T10:08:19.157-06:00

I used to HATE meal planning, cooking, & grocery shopping. Basically because I didn't know how or was overwelmed. I have been married for 7 years and cooking and meal planning is no longer a chore. I cannot wait to cook supper because I subscribed to e-mealz.com. My whole family enjoys seeing what new and exciting meal we will eat tonight. After supper every night we go around the table and score the meal on a scale from 1 to 10. I'm spending a lot less money every week and yet my pantry has just about doubled. (I don't understand it) I was very skeptical when I first heard of e-mealz.com 6 years ago. I wish I would have given it a try. They give you 7 meal plans a week with grocery list based on (you're gonna like this) the sale items for that week according to what store you shop at. If you shop at Winn Dixie, Kroger, Publix, or my favorite store WalMart and many more. The meals are so creative, simple, and have such variety. I print out my meal plan and grocery list every Thursday. I put them in a protective sleeve and keep them in a binder. I also jot down any changes to the recipe to better fit my family. Then, one day when my two daughters are grown I will have something to give them so they won't be in the same boat I was in when I got married.

My hubby gets bored when I cook the same thing reg...

2009-11-19T10:58:15.201-06:00

My hubby gets bored when I cook the same thing regulalry yet he'll make a big batch of something to eat off for days. I think it's hit or miss when it comes to food and others. We always want something different but will take what we can get...

Don't forget www.recipezaar.com. That's my favorite recipe site as there are tons of GREAT restaurant copy cat recipes (i.e. Olive Garden breadsticks & salad dressing).

Heather, thanks so much for posting this list of pantry items. We have a disorganized pantry that is in need of inventory and updating. This will certainly help me stay focused through the process.

Allie

My planning is kind of similar to yours except I d...

2009-11-19T09:12:28.453-06:00

My planning is kind of similar to yours except I do sometimes have a planin my head of the next few days depending on what I've bought and I bulk cook so I always have a few freezer meals. When I had a veg box delivery I used to plan my menus weekly to make sure that a) I used up all the weird and wonderful vegetables I'd never heard of and b) to avoid doing the same thing all the time with the stuff that was in season. I enjoy having the flexibility to be able to make more or less whatever I want fresh ingredients permitting without having to go out and buy stuff specially.

Angie, my husband would totally eat the same thing...

2009-11-18T16:17:40.816-06:00

Angie, my husband would totally eat the same thing every week (or even several times a week). He's not particular - but I am! I get bored easily, I guess.

My style is a lot like Amy's (the first comment). ...

2009-11-18T16:03:19.721-06:00

My style is a lot like Amy's (the first comment). In the past, I've been a serious waster of food because I would buy all this stuff, trying to be Rachel Ray or Paula Deen or Martha, and never use it. I've realized this and have stopped trying to be something I'm not. Also, it was just my husband and I for nearly 12 years, so we developed the "eating out 4 to 5 nights a week" habit. That one is hard to break. But, I've been forced to cook more(which I really love and am good at) because who wants to pack up a baby and take them to a restaurant 4 nights as week. And besides, eating out with is just no fun with a baby in tow.

So because I've been a food waster and haven't completely gotten out of that, I only buy for the week generally. Unless of course I see an amazing deal and can't pass it up.

But you know, one thing I've realized is that food is sustinance (sp?) for our bodies and our families should be grateful that they even have someone who cares enough to work at it and make it pleasurable, because there's a lot of folks out there who have cabbage soup every night and thank God for it! Whoever said that we had to be these culinary wizards in the kitchen, whipping up gourmet meals for our families? If my family were whining because they weren't getting a great variety for dinner every night, I'd cock an attitude really quick and let them know that if they wanted to meal plan, grocery shop and cook every night and could do a better job, then they could be my guest. Until one of them steps up and wants that job, then they'll have to eat what I fix...even if we did have meatloaf last week and the week before. lol

Great Post! Very Helpful. Thanks Heather

2009-11-18T15:41:43.840-06:00

Great Post! Very Helpful. Thanks Heather

Autumn, I remember you mentioning this about your ...

2009-11-18T14:55:24.854-06:00

Autumn, I remember you mentioning this about your husband in the past, and my heart breaks for him! See...this is why I don't discipline my children by withholding food. I think it's cruel.

Nan, I do have powdered milk on my list. For some ...

2009-11-18T14:54:04.625-06:00

Nan, I do have powdered milk on my list. For some odd reason, it's under "condiments and spreads," listed as "dry milk." I have no clue why I put it there. Pregnancy. That's my excuse.

I do use it in cooking, especially in recipes that call for a lot of milk (tapioca pudding, for example). I also use it to make many drink mixes, especially hot cocoa.

I stock roasts for slow-cooking with veggies, and then use the leftovers in casseroles, soups and stroganoff.

I use Amy's method. I plan my menu based on the s...

2009-11-18T14:38:47.540-06:00

I use Amy's method. I plan my menu based on the sales that week. I also stock pile if something is on sale and we use it often.

Start slowly. Build from there. Are you going out to eat too often? What kinds of things are you eating? Pizza? Burgers? Tacos? those things can be made at home! When the kids were little we had burger and shake night. Just having a shake to go with their burger.. they gobbled up their food. Make your own pizza and taco nights are still favs around here. Having them HELP seems to ensure they will eat it.

I also request meals from the family. If their fav comes up.. they tend to eat better. :)

I also make a list on index cards of the following:
Beef
Chicken
Seafood
quick foods
sides
desserts

On each card I listed the meals that we make using that item. Great list to glance over when making menus and when you feel you are in a rut.

I tend to shop out of my pantry as well. Although...

2009-11-18T13:08:50.144-06:00

I tend to shop out of my pantry as well. Although occasionally I have to pick something up for a new recipe.

I don't like recipes that are to difficult (as evidenced by the ones on my blog, lol!) and I usually try to make sure that it will last for at least two meals. My family doesn't mind leftovers and that way I don't have to cook every night.

The first time I started cooking with lentils I was amazed at how easy it was. I was also surprised at how much my family enjoyed them. They really love the lentils and brown rice tacos (got that one off of Recipezaar.com.

I have two questions: 1) I didn't see powdered milk on your list. I have read that you can substitute powdered milk for regular milk in baking but haven't tried it. Just wondered if you had? Also heard you can add it to casseroles, potatoes, etc. for extra calcium. Never tried that one either, have you?

2) You mentioned stocking "Boneless rump or bottom round roast (very lean)." How do you cook the meat? Just roast it or do you do something else with it?

I think your method is probably one of the MOST fr...

2009-11-18T12:45:36.024-06:00

I think your method is probably one of the MOST frugal out there. It wouldn't work for us on a few different levels though.

I do plan weekly menus. Like another reader said, I check the weekly schedule and figure out the rough days to pull out the crockpot. With one in high school this is pretty important...or we end up having to grab something while out.

We also like to try a new recipe almost every week. Hubs travels the world and comes home and replicates what he had...and it usually becomes a new family favorite. The down side of that is we usually have exotic ingredients on our list.

We don't use canned or frozen due to toxins a build-up in my body) or texture. So really, our fresh fruit and veggies take up the majority of our cart each week. I have yet to find a way to make this REALLY frugal.

And most importantly, Hubs must be 100% involved in the menu. His is a horror story of growing up with food withheld and other such stuff. So he has to feel like he is getting what he wants (and as the bread winner in the family so be it) and he has to feel that if he changes his mind that is okay too. Makes for an interesting life. Would love to blog about it but his family reads the blog so it would be bad Anyways, he's also one of those guys that thrive on a schedule so we do the weekly plan each week and he is a happy camper.

Add to all of that the lack of a pantry in the new place and half my kitchen stuff in the garage and I don't even have room to keep what stock I used to keep. Very frustrating.

CB, I agree - cookbooks don't work for me. I have ...

2009-11-18T11:50:45.609-06:00

CB, I agree - cookbooks don't work for me. I have exactly 3. I find that I tend to use the recipes I already know and like, or I just look of something new on the internet.

Karen - I learned the "pantry principle" from the Tightwad Gazette also. It's worked very well for me for over a decade now!

Amy - very helpful suggestions. Thanks for your input :)

Thanks. I read this in the Tightwas Gazette this p...

2009-11-18T10:49:44.549-06:00

Thanks. I read this in the Tightwas Gazette this past week which. Going to give it a try

Hi Heather - I use to be a huge cookbook fan but a...

2009-11-18T10:32:35.372-06:00

Hi Heather - I use to be a huge cookbook fan but after years of them sitting on the shelf gathering dust, I realized how useless they were. My best recipes have always come from other people. If I have dinner at a friend's house and like what they made, I always ask for the recipe. I have recieved more great recipes by just asking friends what their favorite family meals are.

I find the easiest place to START meal planning is...

2009-11-18T10:21:33.267-06:00

I find the easiest place to START meal planning is to make the dishes your family already enjoys. Sit down and make a list of everything you already have a recipe for and that your family likes. Even list things as simple as grilled cheese. This is going to be the list that you pull from for the majority of your meals. Each week find one or two new recipes to try. If your family likes them, put them in a recipe book (we use a 3 ring notebook with page protectors) and add them to your list of meals. Trying to plan several new meals in one week is overwhelming.

I do meal plan by the week. Each Wednesday (when the sale flyer comes out) I sit down and make a rough menu for the week. I usually do this while looking at the calendar. Next week is crazy with a doctor appointment, feeding evaluation for my baby and preparing to go out of town for the holidays. I'm doing lots of crockpotting next week and I even included a trip to Wendy's for the night we get home from being out of town. Since my pantry is pretty well stocked I have most of what I need for my menus in my freezer or pantry. As I make my menu I add any ingredients I don't have to my grocery list. There are usually only a few. Then I look at the sale flyer. I buy any item that will store well and my family will use. Items that don't store well (ie fresh veggies) are added into the menu to be sure they don't get overlooked. I also make sure I have my menu with me when I go shopping. If I notice a great deal at the store I can glance at my menu and figure out how to incorporate it.

To start stocking your pantry look at the list you made of the meals your family already enjoys. When you find the ingredients for these meals at a good price stock up. Meat can store well in the freezer, canned goods have a long shelf life and there are probably certain staples such as onion or garlic that you find yourself using on a regular basis. Make sure to have these things available so you can throw together a quick meal when you have to. This is what I rely on when I realize at 4:45 that I forgot to buy turkey for the turkey meatballs and I have to come up with something really fast.

You will have to experiment and see what works for you and your family. I love having a menu posted on the fridge so we all know what's for dinner. I can plan ahead by taking meat out to thaw the night before and I can easily rearrange meals if we have a change in plans during the week. I don't always include side dishes because it's so simple to throw some veggies in the microwave or make a big salad and serve it several times in the week. Don't worry about making your menus perfect, just jump in and start knowing you will need to make adjustments along the way.