Scorecard and menu stuff.


How fun is this? Bug found one of these on Pinterest and hounded me until we made one. I have such a newfound respect for those people who create entire months' worth of menus at once -- I feel completely accomplished if I get one week done!

This is actually what we're doing this week. I've gotten chicken and beef out of the freezer in time to thaw without the microwave! Win!

The cards are mostly color-coded -- red for beef, blue for fish...pretty much like those flexible cutting boards sold in a pack. The orange circle means I need to do some prework -- in the case of Monday's menu item, it was actually the side dish that needed to start early. Gray circle means grill -- R Dub is involved, requires preheating the grill.

The little boxes hold blank cards, and the ones with other items to choose. For this week, R Dub picked through for his preferences, Bug added her input, then I made the decision -- total democracy.

I do so much better when I have a plan -- with the food as well as the mental work. Tonight, for instance, I was planning to go run at about 4:45, then come home and cook. I got delayed and it was 5:30 before I knew it. First thought was, no running for me. Then I realized I could put dinner in the oven, THEN run, and be back before it was finished. At that point it was like a challenge. I got my 2.5 miles in, came home to yummy meatloaf, AND I wasn't as hungry so I naturally ate less.

On the scorecard this week, I'm down almost a pound -- .8 this week for a total of 34.1 since I began the journey this year.

It will be a challenge to get meals planned in advance so that I don't have to 1) shop on the weekends, and 2) throw out produce. I leave for Florida a week from Sunday, and it would be great if I had a menu planned for those staying here. No promises, though! We've got a birthday weekend to get through first, so that may take all the time I have.

Busy, busy month around here. Hoping it doesn't derail me too much...

What do you do for menus? Wing it? Buy plans from others? Stick with tried-and-true recipes?

Comments

  1. MargotOctober 10, 2012 at 7:38 AM

    I love your menu board! I might have to try that.

    I menu plan each Saturday morning (for that weekend and the following week). If I don't, the next week is disastrous. Not only do I tend to be more stressed and make poor food choices, but we end up spending more money because my default is to call for delivery when I don't have a plan.

    I have a top ten list of dishes which I know are healthy, can be prepped from the ingredients in my pantry and hit the table with 20 minutes or less of attention. We probably eat 3-4 of those meals each week. Then I focus on using up food in my freezer or leftovers. And finally I try to try one new food or recipe each week. I love variety and adding in something new each week keeps me sane. I really look forward to that meal.

    Good luck with you planning. I might have to try your method of display. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WFHMomOctober 10, 2012 at 8:19 AM

      With your younger ones, picking the cards could be a game! Since going Paleo I've had to rethink a lot of my standard recipes, but I got a couple of awesome cookbooks to help me transition. Of course, notice how many GRILL nights we're having!

      Delete

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