My sister and I talk about this often. And it still is mind boggling. One of the main things that makes us feel like our day, week, month is going smoothly? Meals. Yep, if we have the meals under control for our crowd of hungry little people and menfolk, we somehow feel better about things, even if the washer is broken and the house is a disaster, meals are somehow the standard by which all other things are measured.
I found a system that works for me. And I don’t always follow it, but when I do, I’m amazed.
Here’s what I do:
1. Over the weekend plan just 3 meals for the next week
I don’t assign a day to each meal, because life is crazy I want to be able to make my mind up the morning or night before about what we are having. And if I plan a meal for a certain day and we don’t have it on that day, because I’m a control freak, it puts me in a funk. So I don’t match the meals to the days so I can stay sane. But usually I cook on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s really nothing fancy for example, this week:
- tacos
- Thrifty Decor Chick’s Chicken and Dumpling’s {my sister made them the other day and her kids loved it}
- Pioneer Woman’s Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken
THAT’s it. That is ALL the meals I have planned for the entire week. And it’s enough because, of rule number 2
2. Keep a few items on hand all the time
- pork loin in the freezer
- beef stew meat in the freezer
- chicken in the freezer
- rice
- italian turkey meatballs
- pasta
- pillsbury pie crust for chicken pie
- cheese {how embarrassing}
- fruit
- vegetables that my kids will actually eat {carrots, brocoli, asparagus and cucumber}
I try to always have a pork loin in the freezer so if I need to make this I can. The other ingredients are always in my cabinets and my boys would dip legos in the sauce and eat it. It’s that good.
3. Sunday or Monday: make bread dough. Yes, I just wrote that.
I PROMISE, it’s SO easy, like 3 or 4 ingredients. I HATE to bake, I hate perfect measurements and this dough is really forgiving and takes literally 5 minutes to make. You don’t knead it. You just let it rise and then put the big batch of dough in the fridge. You pull off a hunk and let that rise whenever you need bread and the dough lasts in the refrigerator–for 14 days!
You can find out all about that dough in the book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. Call your local bookstore right now and have them hold it for you. There is also a website, and here is the master recipe if you are ambitious and want to make your bread NOW. Wow, that website has lots of information, maybe you don’t even need the book? I like having the book because I like books and it’s easy to find everything. I’m so glad my friend Heather told me about A.B.I.F.M.A.D. now my kids are bread addicts. They would rather have fresh bread when they come home from school than cookies–it’s that good. We should make ABIFMAD tee shirts.
this is the first loaf I ever made, I DIED that it was so beautiful! ME! I made real bread! in a real loaf shape! and it tasted good! I am now a 5 minutes a day bread evangelist!
4. Sunday or Monday Make A Big Salad
Sometimes I buy a salad kit and pour that into a big bowl sometimes I buy heads of lettuce and actually chop and junk, and then I put in whatever vegetables we have around depending on what I’m planning for dinners that week. We eat the salad every dayish and sometimes we have Big Salad night where we have hardboiled eggs and ham in our salad and we call that a meal. My husband is ok with that~and of course there is bread so everyone is happy and I feel like a real adult even if I used bagged salad because hello, homemade bread people.
5. Regular Days
For the past four years I’ve made pizza EVERY Friday. I did that until my boys started playing Hockey and now sometimes Friday is busier for us. But, if we are home I can use the bread dough for pizza or I make whole wheat pizza dough.
- Friday is pizza night
- Saturday is soup day–so my sister just told me this one and I’m already doing it and loving it. Kendra, from the now closed blog, My First Kitchen says she makes a batch of soup every Saturday and then eats it for lunch all week. I think that is brilliant so now I make soup on Saturday too.
- Sunday is cheese night. We are healthy, no? Really, grilled cheese or dang cheese quesadillas and cut up apples or strawberries and whatever is around the house–yogurt, left over brocoli casserole, soup? My husband eats at church every Sunday night so it’s just me and the boys so we get cheese.
- Leftover night
Usually, Thursday is leftover night, after making a meal Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we usually have leftovers and some salad and hey, I can make a batch of bread!
6. Grocery Shop Online
This is one of those luxuries I only afforded myself if I was deathly ill or hugely pregnant. But now that Nesting Place is growing into the work that I love, I’ve decided it’s worth the $16.95 a month to have someone else do my grocery shopping for me. This morning I placed an order at Harris Teeter after 8am and at 9:30 Melissa called to let me know my order is ready. I’ll have time to get the chicken in the crock pot for dinner tonight.
Once I decided to focus on doing the things that ONLY I can do – {I’m the only one who can be a wife to my husband, mom to my boys, writer of Nesting Place, exercise for me, make my own friends} and get help in the areas that someone else can do for me, I saw spending that $17 a month differently. It saves me hours a month to pay someone else to shop for me and since I have my own business, I can afford to pay someone. Our grocery store even lets you use coupons with your online order–I’m seriously considering paying someone to clip coupons for me.
It’s taken me ages to figure out what works for me, but a mixture of planning, flexibility and routine and allowing someone else to help has worked for me. And when I actually take a few minutes over the weekend to think about our meals, our days magically go better.
Now, lay it on me, I know you have some life changing meal tips that will change my life, what are they?
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Girlfriend, you are brilliant. This is the easiest plan I’ve ever seen and I think it will work!! Thank you!
Oh my gosh. This is a lifesaver. Mealplanning is seriously the bane of my existence…it is SO. HARD. But I can do the imperfect thing. This could actually work for me…!
I haven’t read ABIFMAD, but my second son recently bought me their second book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, after borrowing it from the library twice. It has a gluten-free chapter, which is the only one we use, but it was worth the price of the book just for that one chapter. We have been using the recipe for a year and love it. It is the best gluten-free bread we have made (and better than almost all of the store-bought we have tried) and we have been at it for four years. We make up the entire batch of dough (usually double, actually) and eat it fresh for two or three days and IF there is any left, it goes in the freezer. The dough-in-the-fridge thing didn’t work for me. We also use the recipe for our pizza nights.
Thank you for the menu ideas. You inspired me to finally sit down and get one on paper this afternoon, while watching Miss Pattycake with my youngest :)
Elizabeth
Wife of The Engineer and Mama to The Six Sibs (one with type-1 diabetes and one with Celiac Disease)
Elizabeth, can you please tell me what is in the gluten free bread? We have other food intollerances, so I’m wondering if its worth tracking the book down.
Nester, I love the idea of set nights. I really should do that.
Meal planning is a must at my house!! I dread the grocery store and so do my kids. I have used Peapod for grocery delivery, but I have found something even more efficient….it’s called Dinner by Design. They have locations all over the country. I live in the Chicago suburb area and use their delivery service. There is a new menu posted on their website every month, from main entrees, side dishes and even dessert!! You can choose the number of meals you want to order as well as whether you want full family servings to half servings! The food is delivered in foil containers or bags, with directions to cook and suggested sides for each meal. The meals are ready for the stove, oven, grill or crock pot….no prepping needed!! Since husband gets home first this makes life easier for him. He throws dinner in the oven, helps with homework and shuffles kids to sports etc…tada!! A true life saver in this house!!!
lucky. that is all.
Dinner by Design is FAB!!!! Best baby shower gift I EVER! I was given that for 2 months for after my baby was born. It ROCKED.
I love this meal plan! Sadly, meals determine my level of sanity each week too. We also have breakfast-for-dinner once a week. I don’t feel too guilty about it because my kids are terribly picky and the sausage/egg part is one of their biggest portions of protein all week. I like the idea of planning only three meals a week and being flexible! Thanks for the tips!
I think breakfast for dinner is a great idea, my kids always loved it.
:) Awesome post! I love hearing how others do their meal planning. Two questions:
- When someone browns a ton of hamburger to put in the fridge/freezer, how do you drain it all? Without making a huge mess, that is.
- Second the question on the salad staying fresh. My lettuce browns so badly and wilts! I hate that!!! I won’t eat it, and then it sits in the back of the fridge until I throw it out. :( Bah.
Personally, for myself & the 3 men in my house, we plan most dinners. Lunches happen with the leftovers or the kids’ lunch at school. I don’t plan breakfasts, we just sit out the choices and let everyone pick. I do plan after-school snacks most days, as we have an extra child come over & hang with us while doing homework, etc. so if I fail to plan, the boys gravitate towards the leftover Halloween candy…not good! :) Thanks for another great post, Nester! :)
Emily, I’m not a big ground beef girl here but, I know that Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam has all sorts of amazing tricks– http://beautyandbedlam.com/draining-ground-beef/
For the ground beef I take a large metal bowl and place it in the sink. Then place a large metal colandar (like you use for pasta) and place it inside the bowl so it rests above where the grease will drain. Then pour all your meat in and press with a spatula to drain the grease. Let the grease cool and reserve in a recycled jar or can and freeze, continue to use this container till full and dispose on trash day. The reason I use metal bowls is because the grease is easier to clean with super hot water verses plastic. I picked up an ancient but perfect metal colandar at the Metrolina Expo for $5. Used and old but they just don’t make them today like they use to.
I love this! So simple and doable. I’ve enjoyed simple mom’s meal planning too but I like not assigning days. I share the same controlling sentiments as you. I can’t wait to try this bread too! Thanks!
I LOVE ABIFMAD too!! Very convenient and delicious! I didn’t make it much this summer, but I’m planning to mix up a batch tomorrow. I need to get the book and try some varations on the main recipe. That book would be a great Christmas gift for moms! I plan five meals every week, and try to figure which one might work best with which day so that I have easy meals planned for busy days. BUT, like you I want things to be flexible and I change it around as needed. The other days we eat leftovers. We have soup every week in cool weather, but not the same night every week. I might need to try that. I haven’t done a pizza night either, but my boys would love it. I do often have breakfast as diinner. I am required to be on a low sodium diet due to postpartum heart issues, so I have to cook my food from scratch. This requires more planning and more time in the kitchen, but it seems to be working out ok so far. I like your easy meal planning method.
Being an avid meal planner, what gets to me is that I have so much waste. SO much… things spoil or go bad. I love your plan because it is SO simple… We do a lot of breakfasts in our house (4-5 home cooked meals and then 2-3 days of cereal, oatmeal or bagels, etc.) but i could allot for that. Honestly it is just genius…. YOU are a genius.
Great thoughts! I usually plan three meals a week, too, although I double each one. That gets me through (almost) every day of the week with something simple like tacos or sandwiches (or a variety of leftovers) on the extra day. I’m also a big fan of making Monday night’s soup last for the week’s lunches. Mmmm!!! Deelish!
I love you. How easy is this. A system. I work full time and I need a system. And $16.95 and they deliver your groceries?! I would prefer doing that over paying someone to clean my house, which is way more than $17 a month. Wow.
well, they don’t deliver but, I can pull up to the store and not even get out of the car–they bring it out and put in right in my trunk for me!
i love your plan and i love that you shared it with us.
it’s so easy and doable…like everything else you tell us!
my meal plan?
I make my menu on fridays bc that’s my grocery store day.
I’m with you…I can’t give meals to specific days…I just come up with 5 meals per week and I typically get them ALL from pinterest these days.
we have a breakfast night.
we have a mexican night.
we have a soup/sandwich night.
we have an italian night…usually some kind of pasta with a meat and salad.
we have a southern food night…like I grew up on.
that’s it.
easy and doable.
now, if my kids could politely come to the table without complaining or crying about what I’m serving, life would be perfect. :)
it works best here too to not “assign” a meal to a day – it’s called the no plan, plan!! ;) i’d rather eat on impulse and what i’m in the mood for~
brilliant tips. yet so doable!
feel the same that life goes smoother when the meals are planned/ prepared. isn’t it kinda a crazy thought God’s design w. food!! so tasty and comforting and SO MUCH centers around it, right. i mean, He could have just had us eat grass or whatever like the cows. but aren’t ya glad He got a bit more creative for us humans!! :)
have a great rest of the week!
the no plan plan.
That would have been a much more clever title!
Love this! My little business is at a turning point where things could potentially get much busier, and I’ve been second guessing letting it grow in fear of taking away from my roll as wife and mother. It’s good to see there are little tricks to help with the balancing act.
I hear you loud and clear, nothing gives me the joy that wifing and mothering does but surely there are some tricks, right!?
I just love you, Nester. I’ve been wanting to get more intentional about meal planning and not just wing it all the time. This fits right in. And I can make bread?!! Get out.
Thank you!
we will make bread.
it’s a movement.
This is a great post! I have been looking for a better way to meal plan. Great timing!!!
Thanks for posting this! I love reading about everyone’s menu plan ideas. I have 3 preschoolers and work out of the home full time. I am getting very bad at remembering things, especially things like What did we have for dinner last night??? So I keep a spreadsheet of everything we have had and try to plan ahead a week or two for my own sanity and grocery shopping purposes. But we don’t have to eat the thing I have planned on the exact night it’s in the spreadsheet – as long as I have the groceries on hand it’s ok to switch things around. My next goal is to try to cook a few things ahead on weekends so weeknights are not so rushed.
The last 8 months I had returned to the work force and with 3 very young boys, we weren’t having time to take care of us as a family if we were cooking. So I had to give cooking up in order to survive. Clearly not the right choice. As of this week, I have retuned home to be a SAHM to put family needs first including cooking and I am so happy this is happening!
I also operate on the 3 planned meals during the work week. Left overs and un planned evenings can make food go to waste if we don’t eat 5 planned meals a week. Friday is pizza night as well. No real suggestions, but just that we do about the same thing.
Love this! I kind of loosely follow this same idea of planning for 3 days with leftovers and sandwiches/easy pasta built in. But I like the idea of having meals the first 3 days; we do something like meal, leftovers, meal, leftovers. And for us, friday night is eat out night. Sat. is cook with friends, and sunday is “buffet night” meaning, whatever is in the fridge becomes a meal, and we might all have something different that night!
Love this post! I realized while reading it that I’ve been doing something similar. 3 planned meals a week and I end up having 1 night for leftovers and the rest of the week i’m normally making something easy out of what we already have in the house. I’m loving that bread receipe though, will definatly be looking into this! Thanks so much!
I LOVE this post. Mostly because it makes me feel normal. I just started doing the artisan bread thing too. Amazing. I felt like a domestic goddess when that first loaf came out of the oven! Like you I also try to plan a few meals on the weekends and it makes the rest of the week seem less stressful. I’ve tried “systems” and they just never seemed to work for me. Turns out I was smart enough to figure out a “non-plan plan” that works for us. And so sad that it took me FOREVER to figure that out. : )
I was an “ABM” – “Amish Bread Maker” every day – well every 10 days. It was pure joy. But then I had to go away and sadness, my starter died.
I have seen the Artisan Bread idea. Wondering, will I gain 20 lbs like I did thanks to the Amish?
Pinning this. Want to ponder on it! And that is where all good ideas go – to Pinterest to live until I have time to do them.
FYI: I just found out you can freeze your Amish Friendship Bread starter! Just mark on the bag what day to start on again and you’re good to go! :)
Hi Nester! I love this post today. My husband and I have only been married a little over a year (no children yet, hopefully soon) but creating a routine like this now will help when l am hugely pregnant or on days like today when I’m not particularly motivated :)
And baking bread! WOW! Talk about intimidating. That looks incredible though and I would love to have it down pat in time for holiday entertaining.
QUESTION: I’ve heard that roasting a chicken is actually super easy (but it also scares me) any tips or hints on that front?
Best, Canny
Canny, I used to roast my own whole chickens, and it’s SO easy, just stuff the cavity with lemons or something BUT…now every sunday at our grocery store they sell Rotissery chickens for $4.99 and I really cannot beat the price so I buy them made!
Nester, I am writing every bit of this down and want to start it PRONTO! Thank you for such practical ideas to help with meal planning.
this is mostly what i do. we also have grocery delivery here…but it was taking me longer to pick everything out online that it was to just run to the store and grab it all. :) i’m sure it gets quicker with time…but, it was slightly annoying. xo!
When cold weather starts, I start “Souper Thursday” where I make a big pot of soup each Thursday. I let my kids pick the soups each week and we’ve tried lots of fabulous soups which have become favorites. (Zucchini Rosemary, Vichyssoise, Carrot Ginger.) Soup is always accompanied by grilled cheese sandwiches and sliced apples. Easy and nutritious.
YEARS ago I read that the cheapest meal I can fix my family for supper is breakfast. For more than two decades now, every Monday is Breakfast Night. A no-brainer. I don’t even have to fret: It’s Monday! Oh! I forgot to plan supper. It’s done. My married daughter even does that now, too.
Sometimes it’s French Toast Casserole and breakfast sausage or bacon. Fruit for dessert. Sometimes it’s eggs, toast and bacon. Or eggs, biscuits and gravy. Or omelets and hot grits. Or pancakes and sausage. You get the picture!
I am searching Gluten Free ABIFMD right. stinking. now…my 11 year old can eat an entire loaf of bread..in a bout 5 minutes. And since they milk our cow and WANT to make their own butter ( it seems a little TOO little house on the prairie to type that) the least I could do is provide the bread.
Smile.
BLessings!
Please share the process of doing online grocery shopping. Is this only available in large cities? I would DEFINITELY pay $17 for someone to do that chore for me. I just thought I could only get pantry items online and then would have to go get the milk anyway, so I have never looked into it. I would love to know how and what you buy and how often, etc.
My trick is to make a list of what recipes I have ingredients for. I do this right after I grocery shop (and I shop for ingredients specifically) so for the next 2 weeks or so I always know what I can make on any given day. All I have to do is remember to thaw meat.
I am pretty sure … I just fell in love!
Girl, you and I think alike. I buy enough ingredients for two meals, cook Monday’s and Wednesdays, and ALWAYS have left over for the next day. Fridays are my whatever days! Weekends the kitchen is closed! Love your thinking.
oh my word: A CLOSED KITCHEN DAY!?
I love that!
I rarely make blog comments, but since your blog was mysteriously my introduction into the blog world (almost two years ago now) I felt a comment was in order today. :) I say “mysteriously” b/c I can not remember how I stumbled across your blog, but I distinctly remember how I felt when I did. I felt grace, and I actually cried a bit as I read and resonated with the truth of imperfect beauty. Anyway…sharing all that sentimental stuff to simply say… you’re funny. :) I usually never laugh out loud when I’m reading blogs, except when I read your posts. It’s a good thing. I’ve always considered it a high compliment to be called funny. I’ve not been called funny too often, so when someone says it (ok, when my sister does; she sweetly appreciates my feeble comic attempts), I’m really excited! But in addition to being funny :), you’re also so on target about what’s do-able and practical in real life. Soooooo…this is one of the best meal “plans” I’ve seen because it takes into account our humanity and REAL LIFE!!!! I’ve tried more structured meal planning systems, but can’t sustain them for very long. This seems reasonable and again gives me hope. Some planning is necessary, but flexibiblity is also necessary; this takes into account both. -Yay!!! I appreciate ideas that are truly helpful and truly do-able. And finally… aren’t you just amazed at the vastness of the audience you’re reaching and how your ideas so resonate with people!? It’s exciting, isn’t it? Happy Thanksgiving! God bless you.
Thanks so much for posting this meal plan – this is one of my worst areas and my family struggles with it. I do appreciate your sharing because it will so help me and us!! God bless you – you are tops!!
I love all of your little tips! This has taken me 5 years to figure out and I’ll try to make it brief!!! First, we have a Master grocery list with all of our staples listed, which includes the aisle in the grocery store where they are located (for when my husband shops). Second, I divided all of our family favorites into a list of Weekly Menu Plans (9 weeks with about 3 -4 meals each) and nubmered them. Third, I spent the time to create a grocery list with all of the ingredients necessary for those meals. So when we go to the store, once a week we grab the Master list and then the Weekly Menu Plan list that we have chosen. Whatever we already have on hand just gets crossed off the list before going to the store. I spent a few hours prepping all of this but it was well worth the time! Like most people, I love to cook but hate to think about what we are having and shop for it.
Funny you should ask. I just did a blog post about this on Monday.
http://plumnearly.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/a-streamlined-meal-plan-with-links/
This is AWESOME. Recipes that look easy, and yummy! I started to read a website about “clean” eating and got completely overwhelmed… it was just too rigid. Love the grace and flexibility of your game plan. Thanks $1,000,000.
Great idea! Having meals planned does make me feel like everything’s working right around here too. I usually plan for at least 3 meals too and since I work 3 nights/week have easy crockpot meals and frozen dinners on stand by. My 4 (5 w/ my hubby) appreciate it!
I love this post!! Meal planning is…. yuck! But I just went to Target and bought all the bread making essentials and chicken and dumplings ingredients tonight :) Thanks sooo much!!
Thanks for sharing the bread recipe! I tried it out today … and success! I’m not a big baker either, but it is so doable. And tasty. Great meal-planning ideas as well.
Well, my littles have flown the nest – but back in the day I homeschooled and had loosely planned dinners with the idea that we’d use the leftovers for lunches the next day. Now I work away from home and sweetie works from home and eats all my leftovers for lunch :) we do the artisan bread (he will even bake it for himself at lunch if I have the dough in the fridge!) – love love love it! My biggest meal sanity saver was (and still is) randomly freezing extra homemade meals (soups, casseroles, etc that could be easily popped into an oven or crockpot when life got crazy :)
loved this post! If only I would get this area in gear, girl!
I’m a big meal plan fan! My husband has been medicated for diabetes for years but recently went on insulin, so we HAVE to plan meals, period. His carbs have to be closely monitored, and going out has become (gasp!) more trouble than it’s worth to find someplace that has a meal that he can eat that isn’t too carb heavy (it’s a lot more difficult than one might think!).
The other benefits though have really started to show themselves-with a meal plan you use things up (saving money), with a meal plan you know you have that stuff on hand (use your resources wisely) and with a meal plan you can move things around so that if you have a busy day that crock pot can sit on the counter and feed people as they come through (use your time wisely). NOT TO MENTION-we’ve lost weight, DH and I both. I went on the low-ish carb diet with him and gave up soda as well. My clothes are all lose, and I don’t feel deprived at all, because I have a PLAN and I put things on it that I love to eat and make sure they’re in the house.
Meal plan-good for everyone!
Great idea. I sort of do what you’re doing. Saturday is soup day (my mom did that growing up and I’ve just recently brought it back to my household), Sunday is big meal day (Beef roast, Roast chicken, lasagne, etc). Leftovers of this meal are eaten for lunch or regurgitated for a meal or two during the week. Then we have a breakfast or quick meal night. I am gone two dinners of the week so the hubs makes a quick meal or gets pizza or other take out for himself and my two girls. The week is done before we know it. :)
Nester, thank you so much for this post. It was like 37 things I needed to hear at once. I feel *wrong* when I don’t have the meal plan all together but not planning every day usually works out better. And I’m seriously trying the bread now!
I really like your view on the grocery shopping thing. Sometimes I feel like if I’m not doing something that’s part of “my job” – say grocery shopping – then I’m not doing what I should be. But it’s not true. Some things are more important than others, and some things we don’t need to do all by ourselves. I’m going to be thinking about this a lot I think…. thanks for the honesty!
Hi nester! Do u use your kichenaid when u make the big batch of dough?
yes I do, with the dough hook, it just takes a minute or so to mix
I’m not a rigid meal planner, but I also end up going to the store a few times a week. I love your ideas. Love them. Especially the idea that fresh-baked bread at home is easy. This sounds amazing. I’m going to check out the book. Thank you!
What a great post! I’ve come back to check out links a couple of times – its such a doable plan!
Thanks for sharing the bread recipe – I will certainly be trying this very soon!