Manic Monday: Weekly Meal Planning
Food. Grocery shopping. Menu plans. Meals. 
Every day things, right? Not a problem, right? Wrong. For some reason, I have struggled with the basic concept of these four things for as long as I can remember. I don’t like thinking about food. I hate grocery shopping. Menu planning stresses me out. And the thought of three meals a day always comes as a surprise to me.
You see. I’m a grazer. Like a horse, or a goat. I like to eat a little bit, here and there, all day long. I don’t necessarily need to sit down to a big meal at any time of the day. I feel the best when I graze throughout the day.
My family, on the other hand, expects there to be food prepared at meal times. The nerve. Like I said before. I am always surprised when 5:00 comes around and they are looking at me expectantly like I should know what they want. WHAT? Um…what’s for dinner? Dinner? oh. Yeah. I guess you guys want dinner. Well…it’s going to be great! (as soon as I figure out what it is)
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not always so unprepared. I go through phases where I try really hard. I’ll use a new meal planner, or an online weekly menu plan. I’ve even tried batch cooking and freezer cooking. But, like the best phases, mine come and go. Especially when things are extra busy around the house. Cooking seems to be the first thing to get chucked out the window. We tend to have a lot of YOYO nights. YOYO = You’re On Your Own
The time has come for me to break this cycle! July is going to be a very busy month for me. I start rehearsing for the musical Lizzie Borden, plus I will still be working my nanny job and working at Titanic. I don’t want my family to starve! I NEED YOUR HELP! Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to cook for me. Wait a minute…do you want to cook for me? By all means…if you want to, feel free!
I find that when I do cook, I cook the same few things over and over. They are good, I mean, I’ve got them DOWN. However, I”m sure my guys would love a little change to the repertoire.
I would love it if you all could leave me a comment with some of your family’s favorite recipes. What do they beg for you to make? I don’t want you to give me anything too gourmet now, ok? We’re talking simple things for simple folk. Crock pot recipes would be great too! My goal is to plan the weeks out so I can have stuff ready to go during my busiest days. It’s a pretty lofty goal. I’ve been trying for 15 years. Do you think maybe I just got a big head since I cleaned up a few messes in my house?
Well, send in the recipes and we’ll see how it goes. Thank you in advance!
oh my gosh beki i have some many things you should try! I like to make big meals because it gives david something to take to work the next day. Although i love to cook, i too hate spending hours in the kitchen. so these are really simple and quick, but taste just as gourmet as if you spent the whole day in there.
I gave this recipe to connie a couple weeks ago and she told me its her new favorite: http://kelsies-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/cucumber-salad.html?spref=fb
This one is by far my most favorite thing. you could substitute for whole wheat pasta as well: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/penne-with-roasted-asparagus-and-balsamic-butter
This one i know like the back of my hand, although its noth the healthiest i bet the boys would love it!: http://www.thewaytohisheartblog.com/mexican-stuffed-shells/
This one may turn you away with the bleu cheese, but it really adds great flavor to the chops. David doesnt like strong cheeses.. but this one had him sold!: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pork-chops-with-blue-cheese-gravy/detail.aspx
ONE MORE, lol
You asked for crockpot.. how about soup with fresh veggies? i added lots of different cheese to this, Italian mix and such, and i used an immersion blender to make it less chunky, but this in a bread bowl is a great idea on a chilly night, like that will ever happen in florida, right?: http://utah.todaysmama.com/2012/03/20/tomato-basil-parmesan-soup-in-the-slow-cooker-or-on-the-stove-top/
Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying these, especially the Mexican stuffed shells!
I have the same problem. These people want dinner EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! It’s ridiculous! Two things that help me…1) I attempt to have each family member choose a meal each week and I add in what is already in the pantry. 2) I don’t stress about things being gourmet anymore. Somewhere along the line, as moms, we got the message that we had to spend long periods of time preparing food that our family inhales in 10 minutes. (My sister told me once that she was having chicken parmigiana. I was impressed, but later realized she used frozen chicken patties, Ragu, and a sprinkling of mozzarella.). Can that count as my recipe?
Absolutely! (and I have totally made that before!)
I like to keep things simple…just brown some ground meat, add some chopped onion, garlic, to taste. Then, mix in a bowl or measuring cup a brown gravy packet or two, with the required water as directions say. Add the gravy to the ground meat mixture, and simmer for a minute or two to thicken the gravy. Then serve over cooked rice or potatoes. A nice, quick comfort food. You can serve it with a salad or veggie if you want or a good toasted french bread.