28 April 2008

Weekly Meal Plans

So, this is less of a post about a certain dinner, but a sharing of my "dinner planning" I've been trying out for the past few weeks.  

We live about 1 block from our local Kroger, so it has been much to easy to wait until 5 o'clock everyday, and think "Hmmm, what for dinner?" and stop almost everyday on the way home.  Or, worse, the wandering around le supermarche clueless as to what to buy.  This way of shopping inevitably added up to large grocery spending by the end of the month.

For the past few weeks, I have been planning 4 meals on Monday or Tuesday, and only making one trip to the grocery.  I use my seasonal issues of Everyday Food, Cooking Light, and internet sites for inspiration.  Often, I can combine items over 2 different  meals, or plan for leftovers from one to serve later in the week.  I have now done this for 3 or 4 weeks, and the average I have spent on groceries is $55.  Not bad.  That leaves just a little extra for a good bottle of wine, or a pint of jamocha almond fudge.

On the plan for this week:
Chicken Celery Stir-fry and Rice
Marinated Flank Steak with Potatoes and Green Beans
Stuffed Flounder Roll-ups with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Noodles
Roasted Spiced Pork Shoulder with Black Beans and Yellow Rice

Once I have everything in the fridge/freezer, we just pick what sounds best for that night.
How do you guys plan/not plan/shop for your weekly dinners?

1 comment:

Erin said...

That is actually a great idea, Carrie. We are sort of forced to do that each week because getting to the store in Chicago can be a real hassle. We used to just stockpile tons and food and figure out what we were having when we got home, but the planning has (1) allowed us to quick stockpiling; (2) save money; and (3) (most importantly) taken away some major stress. When we don't get home until 8 most nights, we need a plan--if we try and figure it out then, it's 10 before we eat!! Good call!!! Good post!!!