Wednesday, March 7, 2012

March Menu & My Methods

Ok, ok, I know it's been....like... forever since I've blogged. I have been texted, emailed, called & just generally chewed out for it. I don't really have an excuse other than, I was just plain ole uninspired.

Tonight, though, I am gonna share some very inspiring information about how I do groceries/menus. Wooooo*Hooooo!!!

First of all, let me preface this by stating that I have had (yet again) very few original ideas in this area (as with most areas of my life). There are some wonderful books/blogs on this very topic. I've tried a lot of methods, & this is what is working for us. For now.

My method is this:
1:
I consider our month; when we will be out, special events, church nights & so forth.

2:
We usually have date night several times per month. I don't know when those days will be, so I am very flexible with my menu.

3:
I pull out a couple of my numerous recipe books/magazines/print-outs from Pinterest & choose several new things to try.

4:
Several years ago, I decided to sit down & make a list of everything I make that our family likes. I divided it into sections: Beef, Chicken, Pork, Meatless, Soups, Crockpot, Sides....etc. This is my *Go-To* list to choose from for the month. I update it periodically as we decide that a new thing we've tried is a new family favorite.

5:
Using the menu I have just created, I make my grocery list. I do not buy for the whole month...cause it's sorta a pain. I have done it, though.
What I do, is buy for about 10-14 days at at time. This puts me at the grocery store roughly twice per month.
I confess that I am somewhat a creature of habit. When I go to a store, I tend to head to the same section first every single time. With that in mind, I created a grocery list for the Wal*Mart in my area based on my method of shopping. This is one of the SINGLE BEST, TIME-SAVING activities I have ever done! I simply print it out & check off the items I need. Doesn't get much easier! :)

6:
Now the part of this process I hate more than any other part....heading to the grocery store.
Sigh.
I usually spend 2+ hours, use 2 baskets, & spend $300+ each time. I take the time to put find it, put it in the basket, stand in line, unload it (according to how I want it bagged, thank you), re-load it (according to how I want to put it in the car), & unload it again. When I get home, I....only carry in the bread & bananas...things I can't bear to have mushed, then I sic the kiddos on it. We ALL pitch into the job of putting stuff. Everyone from toddlers to Daddy are in on the job. It takes 8-10 people 30 minutes to put it all away.

When I am done...we usually eat out for dinner!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!

I have been trying to get the forms I use into some sort of format that I can insert into my blog....but I'm pretty much stumped as to how to go about it. So, I will type this out, and at the end of this posting, I will list the documents that I use. If you are interested in having a copy, please email me & I will happily send them to you as well as any recipes that look interesting to you.

Here is our menu for March:
1st
Out

2nd
Oven fried chicken
biscuits
edamame

3rd
out

4th
*Crockpot Chicken & Dumplins

5th
Baked Ziti
Okra
Breadsticks
Salad

6th
Date Night/Mini meatloaves (previously made & frozen)
stuffing
green beans

7th
*Crockpot Salisbury Steaks
Mashed Taters
Cabbage

8th
*Crockpot Island Kielbasa
Rice
Veggies
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

9th
Chicken Pot Pie
Sauteed Broccoli
Deviled Eggs

10th
Beans (Pinto) & Sausage
Cornbread

11th
BBQ Baked Potatoes

12th
Creamy Chicken Stew
Skillet Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Salad

13th
Frozen Lasagna (cooked, of course)
Carrots
Salad
Breadsticks

14th
*Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken
Rice
Stir-Fry Veggies
Asian Salad (still looking for recipe)

15th
Pork chops
Corn on the Cob
Broccoli & Rice Casserole

16th
Little Ceasar's Pizza

17th
Irish Beef Stew
Crusty Bread

18th
Smoothies
*Farmer's Casserole

19th
Poppy Seed Chicken
Rice
Veggies
Rolls

20th
Beef Stroganoff
Green Beans
Salad

21st
*Crockpot Beef Enchiladas
*Corn, Bean & Avocado Salad
Spanish Rice

22nd
Cheese Stuffed Shells
Edamame
Salad

23rd
Homemade Burgers
Pasta Salad
Baked Beans
Banana Pudding

24th
OUT

25th
*Baked Potato Soup
*Herbed Muffins

26th
Chicken Spaghetti
Pea salad

27th
Beef & Bean Chile Rellenos
Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

28th
Taco Salad

29th
*Spicy Chicken Kebobs with mushrooms & peppers
Okra, corn & tomato saute

30th
Homemade Pizzas
Salad

31st
Pot roast with Horseradish sauce & vegetables


NOTE: Items marked with * are new recipes.

Here is a list of the forms I use:

Blank Calendar

WalMart Master Grocery List

Master Meal List


You may email me at: diayoung (at) sbcglobal (dot) net


Let me know what you think...was this helpful at all?