Yesterday several of you expressed shock at the number of meals cooking in the lifetime of a family. Yes, it IS shocking when you do the math and ladies, you must always do the math in these matters. I don't even allow myself to think about the number of laundry loads I've done. It's depressing.
After putting more thought into the subject of dinner, I've come to the conclusion that perhaps it's because I'm in denial. Everyday I deny that the fact that dinner needs to be prepared. That, and the fact that when it comes to dinner I'm woefully unorganized.
Maybe pie for dinner tonight.
There are some terrific food blogs out there and I've mentioned a few in the past. Although she's not primarly a food blog, Susan from SCHNITZEL AND THE TROUT always seems to prepare really interesting and delicious looking meals. She's retired and I know she's done a lifetime of dinners so I wonder what her secret is to keeping it fresh and interesting.
One of my better efforts.
I've mentioned MENNONITE GIRLS CAN COOK many times. Wow, those women can cook. And guess what? It's no surprise to me that they've gotten a book deal. That's terrific news. They deserve the deal and I'll be looking forward to what they have put together.
There are two blogs that I've recently been following that give me hope and give me an idea about how to change my attitude concerning cooking.
One is STONE GABLE. All I can say is .... my goodness!! Yvonne seems to have put her finger on what I need. A plan!! Each Monday she posts a weekly menu. I've never, ever been able to put a meny together and that means my trips to the grocery store are willy-nilly shopping events resulting in willy-nilly type meals. Think confusing mash-ups of food. HA.
I'm going to try and follow one of her weekly menu plans, working the previous week's menu to allow for shopping. Thanks Yvonne!
The other food blog I've been following is MOMMY'S KITCHEN. With grown children I'm not so much a "Mommy" anymore but heck, I'd love to be sitting in Mommy's kitchen myself and eating all the wonderful food she prepares.
Tina also publishes menu plans so perhaps between her and Yvonne I can get my act together.
I'm interested if any of you work off a menu plan. Do you buy what's on sale and work the menu around those items. How do you do it?
So.....wish me luck.
12 comments:
I shop my pantry and the sale ads. I build my menu around those things. I plan enough meals for the week but I never know what I am fixing each day. I usually play that by ear.
It's kind of a combination of things. I make a grocery shopping list during the week as things pop into my head (rolling around in there with all of the other quirky things that are in my head :) ) and I also pick up a few things that strike my fancy as I stroll the aisles of the store. Then when I get home I make a quick list of the main ingredients, and a rough idea of what I'm going to cook during the week. I admit, I am a major list-maker and it makes my demented little heart happy. You know what else makes my heart happy, Suzanne.... laundry. I LOVE to do laundry. It's darn near immediate gratification. You put rumpled, soiled clothes in the washing machine, and they come out clean and fresh and wonderful. I dry all of my own clothes on a drying rack, but my husband's Levi's and our bathroom towels and such go in the dryer, and then come out all nice and fluffy and wonderful and life is beautiful. Oh, it's a lovely world, isn't it?
I'm telling you, you should live down the street from me. I would happily do your laundry and you could sew for me. It would be grand indeed. I might even drop over now and then with a loaf of home-baked cinnamon bread. :)
But I don't do pie. Nope, no pie.
Thanks for another great post. I'll have to investigate the links!
Sometimes I write up menus and shopping lists from those menus, but by the end of the week I've usually strayed from the menu plan. For one thing, I'm horribly disorganized in this category and always wait until too late to start dinner. Another problem is that my family never eats as much as I think they're going to, and by day two or three we have tons of leftovers to finish off. It's even harder to gauge how much to cook now that my kids are growing up and moving out or just gone constantly with their activities.
Years ago when a mommy with little children, I often followed the menu plan in Woman's Day...or was it Family Circle? Anyway, it was helpful then. I think my tastes are considerably more sophisticated now, when I'm not on a peanut butter toast kick, so it wouldn't be as cool. I buy what's cheap or on sale. It's my current reality and I'm flying by the seat of my pants.
I don't do weekly menus. I've tried, but I just can't seem to follow them. With living on the farm, and being married into a family of hunters, we have a freezer full of meat all the time. I try to do a big once a month grocery trip for all the staples, but it still seems I'm at the store for all kinds of extras, often while the kids are at an activity. The one thing I'm good at doing is getting leftovers dealt with. My husband works out of town during the week, so the leftovers from our weekly meals go into the freezer for him to take to work the next week. It means healthier meals for him, and so much less expensive than eating out every day.
But, I have to say, with a husband not home for supper, and 4 children who each like different things and can always seem to find something to complain about, we've had popcorn for supper, sandwiches, fresh buns with jam, ice cream sundaes. Just don't tell my health nurse friend! :)
It is impossible to plan menus for one night much less a week at a time when you live on a farm! You never know who will be around, where you'll be at, or when you'll come home!
I've been following your blog for a little while now and have enjoyed your posts. Yes, stalker mode..I know kind of creepy...but really I'm not! Just tend to be shy. By profession, I must have a detailed menu plan. Although my dream clients are those that say "I trust you, your the expert, surprise us". I find that I don't do well at home with a detailed list. I love to cook for the creativeness it gives me. The more detail, the more it feels like work. And rarely, does it feel that way. To ensure that it doesn't I always fix at least one soup on Sunday, that will last several servings through out the week. This gives me that cushion for the days that are too busy to come up with a meal. For the days where I have time, I spend it creating. A stocked pantry will allow more time for creative juices. And although I read cookbooks like one would a novel, I never use a recipe. Now you've got me wondering just how many meals I've prepared...
Yvonne is amazing...and wonderful in real life too! I am glad you featured her blog.
Becky K.
Thanks for mentioning the Mennonite Girls Can cookbook, Suzanne. I'm one of them...and guess what? No menu planning happening over here anymore! When it is harvest time on the farm...I do a lot of list-making and meal planning for whoever may be around at mealtimes. The rest of the time...I go with the flow. I was much more organized back in the day...when kids were coming and going. These days, I keep the pantry and freezer stocked and cook as the mood dictates.
Oops, I don't cook at all, well hardly ever, especially since I've been on a serious diet. I did my stint of 3 meals a day when my boys were home and that was enough. My OH has always worked long hours but doesn't like to eat late so lunch was his main meal and he's continued with this now he is retired. While my adult son was living at home he did the cooking because I work full-time and I'm no one's servant. Of course when we have a full-house (an extra 9) I cook, bake all the bread & cakes and make everything from fresh ingredients.I make a plan then but usually I buy whatever's reduced or on special offer and we cook that.
Gosh, i just watched "raised on rice and gravy" on the Doc Channel. even though i tried googling up the recipes i didnt find anything. until you posted this. it is perfect. thank you, now i can quite obsessing and start cooking:)
Gina
ginakahle@ymail.com
It was certainly interesting for me to read this post. Thanks for it. I like such topics and anything that is connected to this matter. I would like to read more soon.
Julia Benedict
escort girl schweiz
Post a Comment