Menu Planning

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't happen
unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit down and do
a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a few pounds so I
figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and veggetables even
though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on fish for protein.
Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be very difficult.

I tried, but found that I just couldn't adhere to the plan, and the
groceries I bought for those planned meals went to waste. Now I just do as
many Europeans do, and go shopping on my way home from work every day,
picking up whatever looks best to me for that day. And I *especially* never
shop for seafood in advance.

Really, though, coming up with menus is mostly a matter of practice. I used
to have difficulties with it, but now it's fairly commonplace. Plenty of
cookbooks give you entire suggested menus with their recipes. I can
recommend "20-Minute Menus" by Marian Burros; that book gives you a shopping
list, recipes, and "game plan" for cooking an entire meal, and the recipes
aren't bad either.

Bob

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? [snip]

Not me. People with busy daily schedules need to plan their shopping
and therefore their meals. People with medical/dietary requirements
need to plan their meals. Neither of these applies here, so we eat
what looks good that day or the day before at the market, or what
someone voices a craving for. Or what I can create out of leftovers or
from our garden. Very enjoyable, really.

I'm expecting that soon we'll find asparagus for reasonable prices.
That always sets off a round of good eats, as we have several favorite
things to do with it. -aem

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? [snip]

I make a menu and shopping list for the week on Monday evening. I shop on
Tuesdays. I have to do this or we end up paying way too much every week for
groceries. I would come in at night and then have to run out to the store.
I almost always bought stuff that was way too expensive, or was a duplicate
of what I already had and wasn't aware of.
This doesn't mean we're not flexible. If we get invited out to eat (we try
to eat out only once a week, but our friends go out almost everynight) I'll
still fix at least the main part of the meal when I come home. I can either
freeze it or have it for lunches. I also will go "off" my shopping list if
something doesn't look good at the market or if there is a particularly good
sale on something. Say I want green beans, but the asparagus is great.
That's what goes into the cart.
Hubby and I own a sign business, so a routine is essential to keep us sane!
My budget and my mental health is saved this way!

Lisa aka Pagemaster

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

I can plan ahead for one or two meals, but that's it. We don't tend to
eat meals as much as just graze for food, but I'm trying to have
healthier options ready in the fridge. I have to hide any fresh
vegetables in the house on trash day or they mysteriously disappear.
Fresh fruit is usually safe.

I've given up alcohol until I lose the weight I gained over the
holidays. I've lost about half (I would lose a lot faster if I would
get myself to the gym) I may stop at the liquor store tonight and get a
6-pack of Tubourg beer to try it. Don't know if I'll drink one tonight
or wait another 5 pounds. Maybe go to the gym and *then* drink one as a
reward and save the rest for later. Beer in the house is safe; I'm
pretty determined. I have almost a case of premium cold beer already
and I've left it alone since Jan 1.

I tend to make pots of soup and eat them for several days. I have a
fish soup that is rather slimming; I dilute a can of chopped stewed
tomatoes with a couple cans of water. Add a chicken bouillon cube,
carrots, celery, a potato, and assorted spices. Simmer until vegs are
done, then add several frozen whitefish filets and cook until the fish
flakes apart.

Bob

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

I couldn't do it for a week in advance, but do try to do a couple of
days ahead. I have a stocked pantry and freezer, so can pull what I
need most of the time. I only shop once a week. There are only two of
us, so some recipes will yield leftovers and we don't mind that. I also
cook for my mom and even though she lives two hours away, each time we
visit, I take frozen dinners for her. A lot of our meals are one
nighters, but I use my slow cooker a lot and it's not unusual to get
three or four meals from one cooking session. That's where the freezer
comes in handy.

.....Sharon

Menu planning is pretty much part of my routine and something I tend to
do on public transit when I've run out of things to read - I can be a
somewhat compulsive menu/list-maker, though not generally the most
organized person otherwise (understatement).

I stock up on meat on sale (Chicken seems to go on sale a lot...I have
a whole chicken, boneless skinless thighs and breasts, and leg quarters
in my freezer.) I plan menus around not eating the same animal multiple
days in a row, not eating the same cuisine more than once or twice in a
week, and planning some menus based on things that are either in the
freezer or canned or would keep reasonably well because I know that I
tend to plan for more food/menus than my husband and I realistically
eat in a week. There seem to be some menus that keep reapearing on my
weekly plan until whatever ingredient I was trying to use up with that
menu has turned into a science project...

Last weeks plan (trying to use up some fennel, arugula, tomatillos and
blood oranges that I bought when I went nuts at the produce store the
previous week):
Mon: Garlic chicken, roasted cauliflower, fennel and blood orange salad
Tues: Frozen pizza doctored up with arugula, peppers and pinenuts
(planning on going to swim practice which means a quick dinner when I
get back at 9:30pm)
Wednesday: Dijon chicken, kale and potato stew (from this month's
Cooking Light - I recommend it)
Thurs: Cider glazed porkchops, baked sweet potato, green vegetable
Fri: Beef stew with winter veggies, popovers or bread, raspberry gratin
Sat: Tortilla casserole with green chiles and tomatillos, sliced mangos

Actual consumption as far as I remember:
Mon: Chicken in tomato white wine sauce with peas, roasted cauliflower,
fennel and blood orange salad
Tues: skipped swim practice; I don't remember what we ate, quite likely
cereal (me) or salami sandwiches (husband)
Wednesday: Doctored up pizza after making stir-fry at the group home
where I volunteer
Thursday: Cider glazed porkchops, baked sweet potato, sauteed broccoli
with garlic
Friday - I don't remember, but I don't think we ate until late
Saturday - Ate a very heavy late lunch, cereal for evening snack
Sunday - I went out for tapas with my sister, husband made fried
potatoes (setting off the smoke detector and scaring the dog, who
didn't come out of her crate for the rest of the evening. At least we
know the smoke detector works...)

So this week was planned:
Monday: Dijon chicken/kale/potato stew
Tues: Leftover beef/barley/veggie soup from freezer (easy to nuke after
swim practice)
Wed: Thai red curry chicken with winter squash, rice, cucumber salad,
mangos
Thurs - going to sister's for dinner; husband eating leftovers
Fri: Sauteed greens and beans with garlic and bacon, polenta, raspberry
gratin
Sat- going out
Sun: Beef stew with winter veggies

Actual this week:
Mon: as planned
Tues: as planned
Wed: Broiled the chicken in chunks with Spanish/North African spices,
couscous with raisins and pinenuts, cucumber/parsely/green onion in
yogurt salad
Thurs - as planned
Fri - probably as planned because I don't have any other fast ideas and
I'm going to the gym

Upcoming in the plans at some point:
French onion soup - I made a pot of beef stock last weekend and it's
sitting in the freezer just waiting for me; I bought some nice cheese
for it too, some sort of hearty salad, and an orange [censored] recipe that I
want to try out but probably won't actually get around to making

Hot mustard glazed salmon (from this week's NY Times), braised leeks or
radishes, some sort of starch

Lentil and pumpkin stew, good bread and olive oil

Tortilla casserole and mangos if the tomatillos and mangos haven't gone
bad yet...

Something with lamb - maybe Indian-inspired - if there's any decent
looking lamb at the grocery; there often isn't, veggie stew or curry,
probably involving eggplant and/or cauliflower and potatoes

Pasta or gnocchi with some sort of veggie sauce and beans

Something asian-ish...

Any other ideas/menus that strike my fancy or seem to take advantage of
good deals at the grocery. So far on my grocery list:
Onions
Oranges
salad greens
Leeks or radishes
Green veggies - broccoli or asparagus
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Red/yellow peppers if they look good/cheap - they were very much on
sale last week and still may be, in which case I'll probably use them
to make a pasta sauce
Zuchini (sp?)
Cucumber
Cilantro

Milk, juice, salami, soy sauce

Ok, that was probably way more than anyone wanted to read...did I
mention I tend to get carried away with my food ruminations?

Melissa

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more
on fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus
would be very difficult.

I do it roughly a week in advance, and I do it roughly. Sometimes I get
this craving for a particular dish so it's, right, we're having steak
and kidney pie on Sunday, and I make sure I get the necessary. Other
times I just have a vague idea of several things, depending basically on
the butcher.

I always get my meat first, usually on Thursday. Earlier in the week can
be difficult because he hasn't had his deliveries or made all his
sausages and bacon and so on. I've tried getting the veggies first, and
it doesn't work. I mean, if there's no kidneys then I've just got to
make something else and maybe change the veggies, which we buy on
Friday. If you buy veggies first then you can be left with the mushrooms
intended for the steak and kidney, but the reverse situation is highly
unlikely. After all, you can always pop out during the week and get
something you suddenly need, if worst comes to worst.

As to the actual menus, what I cook on which evening depends on the
weather and how I'm feeling. At this time of year it's mostly too hot
for heavy duty cooking, so it's just a matter of will we have the
sausages or the lamb cutlets and will we have lentils or tabbouleh with
it? In the winter I make soup which we have for several meals, and
usually a casserole cooked in advance. We rarely have dessert.

I wouldn't dignify what I do with the term "planning" exactly; I suppose
my approach is more strategic than tactical.

Christine

"L'Espérance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't happen
unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit down and do
a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a few pounds so I
figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and veggetables even
though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on fish for protein.
Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be very difficult.

I used to do a whole month's worth in advance. I only got paid once a month
and it was the only way I could be sure of having every thing on hand at the
end of the month to feed us. It really isn't all that hard to do.

Ms P

On Fri, 10 Feb 2006 15:29:40 -0500, L'Espérance <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

I never plan. But I do work on limiting our carb intake. And the
only fat I use generally is olive oil, tamales not withstanding. The
South Beach idea is to avoid cabs entirely for the first two weeks,
which allows one's metabolism to shift, as it were. During that time
you should eat no fruits or sweets nor consume any alcohol. That's
phase one. After that in phase two, you can have limited fruits and
moderate amounts of whole grain carbs and wine and such. I'm reducing
all this horribly; you'd be better served by looking at the books,
particularly the recommended food lists near the front of the South
Beach diet book.

You clearly know your way around the kitchen. Just look at the stuff
they suggest and run from there.

modom

"ms_peacock" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I used to do a whole month's worth in advance. I only got paid once a
month and it was the only way I could be sure of having every thing on
hand at the end of the month to feed us. It really isn't all that hard to
do.

Ms P

I get paid once a month also. We'd never plan ahead though. We just keep
enough stuff around to make what we want when we want it. Major shopping is
done once, but bread, fresh veggies, and the like are bought as needed. No
way do I want to decide today what I'm going to eat the second Tuesday of
the month.

We buy what looks good and when the mood hits, it comes out of the freezer
for dinner, that day or the next. Today, we didn't decide what to have for
dinner until 5:30.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

"L'Espérance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm envious of those who can sit down and do a week's worth of menus at
a time.

I feel sorry for anyone that plans every part of their life so rigidly.

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

I can't, my schedule is so unpredictable. It's easier in the winter when I
have fewer things going on, but once summer hits I'm lucky if I'm home for
dinner more than twice a week. I usually shop and get the basics and the
things I'm in the mood for and try to work them together or I'll have a few
ideas of what I am wanting to make.

I just cant make menus because I just can't ever really say for sure that I
will be home certain days.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

The Bubbo said:

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

I can't, my schedule is so unpredictable. It's easier in the winter when I
have fewer things going on, but once summer hits I'm lucky if I'm home for
dinner more than twice a week. I usually shop and get the basics and the
things I'm in the mood for and try to work them together or I'll have a few
ideas of what I am wanting to make.

I just cant make menus because I just can't ever really say for sure that I
will be home certain days.

I make tentative plans for about 2 weeks at a time, depending on what I
have on hand and what is on sale. It's not set in stone, though. I work
and do most of the housework around here, so if I wasn't a little
organized about it, dinner would be bologna sandwiches all the time 🙂

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

email:
anisaerah at s b c global.net

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

As I started reading your post I was thinking that you were talking about
daily menu planning and then when I got to the end I realized that you were
talking about weekly menu planning. I have to confess that there is noneof
that around this house. I eat oatmeal for breakfast almost every day, or
sometimes Shredded Wheat, so I always make sure we have both on hand, along
with some [censored] milk and demerra sugar. I don't usually eat lunch, but I try
to make sure there is some cheese and cold cuts on hand.

I stock up on meat at my butcher shop once a month and get a lot of whatever
is on sale. I go shopping on Fridays and pick up some fresh fish for that
night and something special for Sunday dinners. Those choices will depend
on what looks good, or what is on sale.

Other than that, our menu planning is limited to what is available and what
one of us gets out of the freezer. Most times my wife will get something out
of the freezer around noon. When dinner time comes along I look to see what
she got out, what vegetables we have, what needs to be used up, and then I
decide what I am going to cook.

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

I do the grocery shopping and tend to use the "European" method. I take
a look at the meat counter and see what the featured items are and then
check the produce to see what looks good. Then I buy what looks good and
whatever incidental items are necessary items to prepare them. Obviously
this works best in stores that have a real meat department.

"Dave Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more
on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would
be
very difficult.

As I started reading your post I was thinking that you were talking
about
daily menu planning and then when I got to the end I realized that you
were
talking about weekly menu planning. I have to confess that there is
none of
that around this house. I eat oatmeal for breakfast almost every day,
or
sometimes Shredded Wheat, so I always make sure we have both on hand,
along
with some [censored] milk and demerra sugar. I don't usually eat lunch, but I
try
to make sure there is some cheese and cold cuts on hand.

I stock up on meat at my butcher shop once a month and get a lot of
whatever
is on sale. I go shopping on Fridays and pick up some fresh fish for
that
night and something special for Sunday dinners. Those choices will
depend
on what looks good, or what is on sale.

Other than that, our menu planning is limited to what is available and
what
one of us gets out of the freezer. Most times my wife will get something
out
of the freezer around noon. When dinner time comes along I look to see
what
she got out, what vegetables we have, what needs to be used up, and then
I
decide what I am going to cook.

Exactly the same in our house🙂)

"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"ms_peacock" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I used to do a whole month's worth in advance. I only got paid once a
month and it was the only way I could be sure of having every thing on
hand at the end of the month to feed us. It really isn't all that hard
to do.

Ms P

I get paid once a month also. We'd never plan ahead though. We just keep
enough stuff around to make what we want when we want it. Major shopping
is done once, but bread, fresh veggies, and the like are bought as needed.
No way do I want to decide today what I'm going to eat the second Tuesday
of the month.

We buy what looks good and when the mood hits, it comes out of the freezer
for dinner, that day or the next. Today, we didn't decide what to have
for dinner until 5:30.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

I didn't plan a specific day for any thing. I picked 30 meals to make
during the month and made sure I had the ingredients on hand to make them.
I didn't have the money to go shopping at every whim, it had to be done
pretty much all at once. The only exception was milk, and even then I would
buy powdered milk so in case we ran out of money at the end of the month
we'd still have some milk.

Ms P

Edwin Pawlowski said:

"L'Espérance" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm envious of those who can sit down and do a week's worth of menus at
a time.

I feel sorry for anyone that plans every part of their life so rigidly.

'Zactly! Plus in the US there is never any reason to plan every detail
of what one will eat so far in advance, or at all for that matter. I
may plan if I want to make something special for the weekend, for
company, for a holiday, but anytime I didn't plan it's no biggie to
peruse my larder, or window shop any stupidmarket and something will
reach out and holler "Eat me!", no, "EAT ME!", and "ME!"... in the US
there's a zillion choices every minute of every day. Most times the
best laid plans go awry anyway, there are always last minute schedule
changes to contend with, and there are always restaurants... in the US
what to eat is not ever an issue... in the US the issue is what *not*
to eat.

Sheldon

In article <[email hidden]>,

George said:

L'Espérance said:

How many do this in advance? Menu planning is not my forte basically
being finally acomplished by lunch time most days. It just doesn't
happen unless we are have an event. I'm envious of those who can sit
down and do a week's worth of menus at a time. DH's trying to drop a
few pounds so I figure reduce the red meat, increase the fruits and
veggetables even though we eat a lot of those already, and rely more on
fish for protein. Still coming up with a week's worth of menus would be
very difficult.

I do the grocery shopping and tend to use the "European" method. I take
a look at the meat counter and see what the featured items are and then
check the produce to see what looks good. Then I buy what looks good and
whatever incidental items are necessary items to prepare them. Obviously
this works best in stores that have a real meat department.

That's kinda what I do. :-)
I plan meals during the week around what I have on hand. I plan meals
based on my mood the day before and make sure the meat is thawed since I
cook meat with _every_ meal.

I buy what is on sale or affordable, or looks good.

When the mood strikes, I'll splurge (like on fresh live crab) and plan a
couple of days ahead of time for whatever fancy veggies (or not) I might
want with it.

I have some jumbo shrimp out thawing right now. I'll sautee' those in
some butter and olive oil with just a smidgin of garlic powder and lemon
pepper, then toss some chopped asparagus and sliced mushrooms into the
pan to be sautee'd separately.

I'll add the cooked shrimp back to them when they are done, then serve
that mess over some raw baby spinach leaves.

The heat will cook them slightly.
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson