Making a Menu and Sticking to It

Here's the Scenario:
Your husband calls and says, "Hi honey! Just wondering, what's for dinner?"

You roll your eyes, shrug, and say, "I don't know."

Husband, " You better get on it, it's already 5 p.m., and we can't afford to order out again."

Wife, "I'll make something... Please, I have to go now."

How can you prevent this from happening again?
If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times. Make a menu, plain and simple. And for once in my life, my menu plans are helping me. At the same time every day, usually after homeschooling, I start making dinner. I don't have to think about, "What's for dinner?" because it is right here in front of me (on my blog). It has made an amazing difference in how my day goes, especially in the afternoon. I don't sit around and mope about the fact that I have nothing planned for dinner, I just get to it. And if I don't have time to make a yeast bread, then I can change that aspect of my dinner plans to suit the time frame I have to work with.

You don't have to make a monthly menu plan, start with a week at a time. If you have a freezer, you can plan meals with what you have in the freezer. I usually plan a meat, one or two vegetable(s), potato side, and a bread. If it is a mixed dish, like a casserole with all the veggies added, then I might make a bread or a grilled sandwich that will go well with the main dish.

One thing that my mother taught me was to make at least one item that all the children liked. Yes, they have to eat what you fixed, but they also have something on their plates that they like.

I post my menu on my blog. I update it weekly, usually on Monday. Monday is a quick and easy meal day because that's the day I plan my meals. It takes maybe 20 minutes to sit down and plan a weeks worth of meals. Do you have 20 minutes to plan your meals? I can tell you this, if you don't take the time to plan, you can spend hours instead of minutes trying to figure out what to fix. Take it from me, I have been there!!!

Plan Your Work, and Work Your Plan
This works with menu planning, believe me! Once you have your menu established, stick to it. That doesn't mean you can't change the day you want to cook something. Alterations may have to be made due to certain unexpected circumstances, but if you keep to the basic structure of your menu, your bound to find success!

Have a great day!
Blessings!
Heather