Absolutely for 2 reasons. In the short term, it helps to point out what you've done to reconstitute a previously cooked meal like the extra meat, extra veggies, and extra casserole. In the long term, people tend to drift into only 5 to 10 dishes and flipping back through helps you decide that it's time to drag out a cook book for something totally new and different.
I have Seasonal Menus, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. These categories are so helpful for planning for a year. After pantry inventory, I can do Garden Planning, then the Canning Planning.
This is absolutely awesome I went through my freezer and my pantry and came up with 12 freezer meals that I was able to make out of everything in my freezer and pantry so now I have those to fall back on on my busy days thanks so much for all your hard work Lisa you are amazing
I'm horrible about my freezers. So- on Sat. I hit up the freezer and pick out proteins for the week. Then stroll to the pantry and toss in the staples for each meal in a basket. If I need something from the store- I get 3. One for the meal and 2 to have that meals prep 2 more times. That is how I built my pantry. Bought what we ate...If I went to the store knowing I only had 1 can of beef broth left, I bought 3. It was slow and steady but over time it became a good stable pantry filled with food we ate. Menu covered..freezer rotated.
It is a great way to use up stuff that’s coming up on expiration dates. I’ve been menu planning from waaaay before 2020, but it’s even more important now that groceries are more expensive. It DEFINITELY saves money.😊
I write out a month worth of dinner ideas that I can pick from and decide each night what we will have the next day. This week has been difficult due to unpredictable power outages (heavy wet snow), but still been able to eat at home. I've been menu planning for decades so it's old hat and I only plan dinners. I remember asking my husband what he wanted for dinner and he would almost always say "I'm easy". My response was always "I know. That's how I got you" 😂
I will be honest,I am doing inventory this week and going through and trying to get organized enough to menu plan. Never have been good at it,but I need to learn.
I just get hungry when I meal plan, lol On the other hand my kiddos have a hearty wholesome homemade lunch or dinner. AND it makes me happy when my Granddaughter says that tastes mummy Grandma mamma 🥰
This week's menu is based on my indoor freezer I cleaned out last week + the fridge perishables: leftover turkey pasta soup and garlic toast (2 meals); sauteed kale seasoned with beef bacon & a side of cheesy-grits (I store cheese surplus in my freezer); pecan-crusted chicken and a kale/apple salad (2 meals including using the left over chicken mixed with the salad); chicken sausage/kale/sweet potato soup (2 meals). I have a TON of eggs from my city hens, so I will hard-boil a batch of eggs for quick protein snacks as needed.
Never written out my meal plans, but can always throw together a quick meal from my pantry if I forgot to thaw meat! Been doing it over 50 years! We rarely eat out more than once every 4 months and usually regret it because we grow better veggies almost year round.
wow! I. never have menu plan, sounds like a good idea. I will try this out.i will try it for a week. I'll see what I have in freezer and go from there. Thank you for ideas
I have menu planned for years. I currently plan for a week at a time, I plan a breakfast for the week and then dinner each night. I always cook enough dinner for my husband and I to take for lunches the next day. My biggest hurdle is getting burned out on the menu planning from time to time.
This is interesting, but I know full well I will never menu plan for the week or month. The thought of doing that stresses me out, I am one that just never stresses or is bothered by what is for the next meal. I always shop my pantry and my fridge and what is in season from my gardens. Love ur channel and ideas!! 👍👍
Living by myself, I don't formally 'menu plan'. With that said, I do go through the shelves routinely and choose items that are close or over the best buy date and put them on a special shelf. I 'go shopping' in the freezer and in the home canned goods and put it all together. Every 6-7 days I batch cook - in winter mostly. When the garden has produce, I menu plan around that. I never buy food out in drive throughs or restaurants. My truck has a small container of snacks, which changes according to the seasons, for instance, no chocolate stored in there during summer! Back not that long ago, it didn't bother me, if I was really hungry and had more errands to do, to spend $1 on something at McD's to tide me over. Too expensive now. I take my coffee or water in a travel mug so I don't need to buy a drink. Self-contained unit, self-sufficient unit at home or away. :)
I'm just emerging from a 2-week sick cocoon and haven't cooked much at all since Christmas except a pot of minestrone. I've been menu planning 20+ years and all your suggestions are things I do regularly. I need to do a pantry inventory now that I'm on the mend to plan for next week. Tonight it will be pork chops, baked sweet potatoes & green beans. Simple yet tasty. I'm only planning 1 meal a day now too but when the kids were young I did 3 meals a day plus snacks since I homeschooled them and those kinds of decisions were best made with a clear head once a week. Thanks for the reminder that planning makes the day a little easier.
I menu plan weekly. I write it down in my planner that sits on my desk in the kitchen so that everyone can see what we're having. I only plan for dinner. I'm also very flexible if I need to switch something around. This week, the week of January 9th through the 15th, we are having: M: Leftovers (we always have leftovers on this day), T: Baked Cod with Broccoli/Cauliflower salad, W: Quesadillas (with ugly chicken), Th: Hamburgers, French Fries and Green Beans, F: Homemade Pizza S: BBQ Chicken, baked potato and corn, Su: Bean Soup and homemade bread. Thanks for being an inspiration and for always being so encouraging! ~ Stephanie
when my children were small we had no extra $$, meal planning and sale shopping were the only way we made it threw1 as they got older, I got busier, and it was a great way to stay organized, now it is just the 2 of us, we are not so busy, but we work strange hours and schedules, and it's a stress reliever for me! canning, drying and freezing just make it that much easier (and cheaper)
I’ve never menu plan. I just choose meals from my meat. I take frozen meat out the night before and go with it. I should plan more- good video to help!
Mondey Tomatosoup w beans and sausage, Tuesday Porkribs potatoes and red cabbage. Wednesday. Cauliflower soup with bacon bits Thursday. Fish cakes potatoes and grated carrot Friday Pizza SatSaturday lamb ribs mashed turnips Sunday Leftovers.
My hubs and I are empty nesters too. I also only plan dinner. Most of the time, lunches are leftovers. Also, I do prep on weekends and generally have lunches in the freezer. I’m enjoying your channel!
I HATE menu planning and I hate to cook. So I do a lot of crock pot meals. No one seems to mind, but if they did, they can cook, lol. Seriously, I have a two week menu plan and rotate it. It's Pizza/Pasta night, Chili/Spanish Rice night, Soup & sandwich night/ Casserole night, rice bowl night, burgers/hot dog night and breakfast for dinner night. Occasional gotta have it, steak, roast, fried chicken night. Kids are grown, so it works. Breakfast and lunches are on their own, but i keep a good stock of cereals, frozen waffles pancakes etc on hand and lunch items as well. Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner the night before. I'm old, lol and have earned the right to keep it simple, inexpensive, and tasty.
I have graduated to menu planning by the month. Saves so much money and time. Decision fatigue is real!! I am behind on planning this month, guess it's on todays agenda.
Our main meals for the week: Sun & Mon--black-eyed peas and ham, collard greens, cornbread, sweet potato pie (freezer, left over from Thanksgiving); Tue & Wed--chicken Alfredo with pasta, green beans; Thurs--3-bean chili; Fri--chili dogs; homemade pepperoni pizza.
Did she just say “hug it, squeeze it, name it George.” That is too funny. I cooked everyday when my children were younger, now everyone is grown. I hate the “what’s for dinner?” I still get that question and I can’t write it down because my family is so spoiled some may want to hold me to what is scheduled that day lol. I will try and write it down for myself in a planner hopefully I can stick to it this year. Thank you for Canuary. I will look forward to seeing and trying new canned food. Have a blessed day!
Hi Leisa. Meal planning is my only goal for this year. I have never done it before. I am not good at it, but I am tired of eating peanut butter toast for supper lol. So this week is planned. I did a crustless ham quiche today. Tomorrow is beef and noodles, Wednesday is chicken legs, Thursday is chicken and Stuffing casserole using leftover meat from the chicken legs, and left overs the rest of the week.
I'm so glad I came across your channel through these canuary videos! You are sharing so much great information and videos. I'm really enjoying watching your channel this past week! You've got such a great character and shared so much useful information here. I can't wait to start using this meal planning you've shared. I'm in the kitchen all the time and just new to this canning stuff. I can't wait to start canning some of these recipes and start with the meal planning ahead.
I actually bought a meal planning book with calendar and removable shopping lists. I used to be great with meal planning, not so much in recent years so trying to get back to it because I despise the “what do you want for dinner” question. This video is very timely for me.
Okay I just finished watching this video, yes, ur " menu planning" is different from what I thought or I have ever seen. I think I will actually print that out and give it a try 👍👍
I saw the idea of packing your meals in a Ziploc bag with directions and if you need something from the refrigerator freezer you can add a note in there and then everything's all put together you grab your bag and start cooking.
Gotta make my menu plans but...my challenge is using leftovers an freezing individual helpings, gotta stop throwing those leftovers out. Thanks 🙏💖from Arkansas
This is very helpful Leisa……I can prep all day with one hand tied behind my back…but menu planning is the bain of my existence…..I’m tired of throwing out food because I lose track of what’s in the fridge……just bought your pantry planner and have high hopes it will get me on the right track….amen to that…!!
Thank you Leisa and thank you to all the comments!! Between the video and the comments I have found meals that I like and have not made in quite a while! Thanx!!!
I found this channel due to the Canuary 2023 collaboration. One could say better late than never since I am getting ready to retire but I am looking forward to having more time to work on my small patch of land.
Our menu plan for this week, looks like this: From the Freezer Mon-Frozen pizza, Tue-baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, frozen broccoli, Wed-lasagna bake using hamburger from freezer, rotini & the open jar of sauce in fridge, French bread from store the cupboard, Thur-left over baked chicken with frozen vegetable melange, teriyaki sauce, Angel hair pasta, Fri-baked cod, twice baked potato & a jar of pc baby carrots, Sat-beef roast, potatoes & carrots in the crockpot, Sun-meatloaf, mashed potatoes, canned corn. I’ll also have a pan of brownies & a cherry pie for during the week, Sunday I’ll make whatever dessert my son wants for his birthday cake, from scratch. I only plan 1 meal a day, since Our daughters both work opposite hours off the farm, hubs & I do leftovers for lunch, his breakfast is cereal before milking & mine is usually an egg & toast or cereal.
We menu plan one week at a time. This week lunch is choice of salad/ sandwiches, dinner is Monday- chicken Caesar salad, Tuesday- instant pot chili, Wednesday- yellow chicken curry, Thursday- , Friday- cold meat and cheese sandwiches and turkey/ rice/ bean soup, Saturday and Sunday- scrambled eggs with breakfast sausage bowls, veggies, sandwiches, salads. I put this all on a white board and everyone is welcome to write their opinions on it so I know if I'll need to leave leftovers for someone not enthused about a meal. If you don't like what we cook, then you get to eat leftovers 😁
Reasons to plan menus make such sense. Thanks for this video. Guess what I'll be doing? Yes, inventory of my freezer and fridge and then menu planning.
I'm still doing my inventory. My household is just two of us. I have some restrictions and I have an adult grandson with tastes that are different than mine. I think I'll try planning evening meals 2 days a week for my first goal. We will see how it goes...
I went through my kitchen freezer after your last video, and started listing my canned goods in the basement. I have several meals that immediately came to me. That never happens! So far I’ve made chili, beef stew, tuna fritters with coke slaw, and scalloped ham and potatoes. I’ve thrown a zucchini bread on the counter to be used up. I’m going to make homemade crackers from some almond meal I’ve had in the freezer like forever. All things made from what I have in the house already.
@@ronelsmith6906 sorry, that was auto-corrected. Should be cole slaw. That just took me 3 times to get the right word and it’s still marking it as wrong! Grrr…. Lol
My menu plan is very different. I made a list of meals that I can make without needing to buy anything. I just look at my list and choose whatever I want to make. My husband and I are the only people in our household, and my husband is always happy to eat whatever I make. There are a few meals on my list that my husband usually makes, so I get a break from cooking once in awhile. We usually use our leftovers for our lunches, so I only plan meals for breakfast and dinner.
I currently menu plan and I am sooo lucky because my husband eats whatever I cook and he never complains. My menu plan creates my groceries that I need and I could not just wing shopping or dinner! I do need to name my crock pot though....
I love meal planning. Work full time. Teenagers are just stomachs on legs and the price of EVERYTHING is going up. If I can just have meals planned and the menu and grocery list set, I'm good.
I was asked that 3x .. Confused look from bf, when I said stew in 20 min!! I grabbed pints jarred veggies, opened them, added quart beef n broth, set the stove to simmer. Done!!
I like a little square per day most dont have for prep. Most times its smaller than any of the eating event squares. Most times it is filled with "xyz from freezer". The biggest killer for any meal plan I've ever had has been that I haven't remembered to take a featured item from the freezer. When I'm on a roll, I prep veggies for the meal at hand plus an additional meal or two. And my prep square often says "dice 2 onions" or something similar. Don't ask but it is important to fill write your prep tasks on the day the tasks need/ are intended to be done not when the result (ie thawed meat) needs to be done.
I made a roasted whole fryer on Sunday, so I'm using leftover to make chicken enchilada casserole in the slow cooker. Tomorrow I'm making chicken pot pie with the rest of it. I'm saving the bones for making broth and bone meal. I just did my menu for the month. Thank you Leisa, your the best!!
Italian Week! Tue: Canning meatballs tomorrow- will keep some out of jar for dinner to go with my too many Carrabba's copycat stuffed mushrooms with tomato cream sauce....SO much cream sauce, so fettucine and chicken with the sauce, also, and green beans. Wed: French Onion Baked Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, veggie. Thur: Pork Medallions with mushroom gravy over garlic mashed, veggie. Fri: Cheddar-topped Italian Goulash, salad, garlic toast. Sat: Steak and Lobster tail that I bought for Christmas Eve dinner that we were too busy to make, parmesan- crusted potato wedges and leftover sides, probably. I need to start thawing meats and cooking again, versus eating all of the home-canned meats.
After you did that inventory on your refrigerator freezer I did mine and I’m starting to pay a little more attention to what we have in the freezer and plan our menus as well.
I have from now until February 11th planned out, using mostly stuff in my house! I may need to get milk, lettuce or sour cream towards the next month. It will probably last a few extra days because or eating leftovers. This week we had left overs on Sunday and Monday to clean them out of the fridge. Tuesday swedish meatballs, Wednesday goulash (canned ground beef)with corn pudding, Thursday tomato soup (home canned)and grilled cheese. Friday stir fry (with ugly chicken) and Saturday is buffalo chicken tacos. (With ugly chicken) .
I moved all our frozen food that needs to be used up quickly to the fridge freezer. I then said to my husband, who does most of the cooking for us, to take out of the fridge freezer. I control the pantry inventory and he controls the menu plan. Win Win Win.
My menu today is what I found in bottom shelf of freezer... corn on the cob and zucchini fries😂 May add packaged noodle that needs to move. Just me tonight as the hubs forgot to grab his lunch so he's gonna eat that. PERIOD! Tomorrow is an actual meal lol
Beef Ziti, Chicken Cutlets, cabbage and noodles, leftovers, chicken/rice/broccoli casserole. Ziti gets done as a meal, lunches and put in freezer for later. Cabbage has been in freezer for awhile (yup an experiment), leftovers - I usually plan for one night to clean up fridge. I have a list of meals we like to eat, so I base my weekly plan off of that. I'm trying to base my pantry stock off of that also.
Sun (2 days ago) air fried panko breaded chicken thighs with rice and roasted peppers. Mon - buffet / finger food (cheese profiteroles etc) with friends games night. Tues - lamb chops / baked potato / mushrooms / asparagus - air fried. Weds - butternut squash thai soup with added ugly chicken (bells canning) & homemade bread. Thurs - Beef (canned) bourginon & rice. Fri - air fried salmon fillets (freezer) with roasted veg & baked potato. Sat - ham, egg, chips. Guess who got a Cosori air fryer from a friend for Christmas? Bloody love it. And yes, we dared to open the smallest freezer. Ps - meal planning isn’t something we have done regularly or routinely. We usually have the “what do you want for dinner convo” answered by the “what’s in the fridge? Shall we get a take away?”
All good tips, Leisa...thank you! I've gotten away from menu "planning", but definitely want to get back to it to avoid waste and better manage my food budget.
Yahoo! I am so bad at menu planning! We have "that conversation" each and every day. Leftovers get first priority. I like to have leftovers to work with, you only have to "plan" half the meals! The problem is, our "plans almost always change. Tonight was going to be Middle Eastern, but one tired person and one with a sudden back injury adds up to cheese omelets or grilled cheese with tomato soup instead.
It’s very helpful to me that you keep saying to use your pantry. It hit me and you’re absolutely right. you cannot save all your work and then it go bad. Thank you for that insight. The pantry is something that is in motion instead of something that is finished done or at a stand still. that is so helpful to me really really helpful to realize I CAN use my pantry now and shouldn’t be saving it.
Meal planning helps us eat healthier. I did it for years when my girls were young. After that, I still worked and did it sporadically. Now we’re retired and I need to go back to it. My freezers are stupid full. We vacuum seal everything in a 2 person sized portion. It got so bad my upright freezer scared me😂 frozen things falling out are dangerous! My daughter suggested we should just have whatever fell out.😂taking your advice I’m going to inventory my kitchen freezer, I know I won’t have to go to the store for weeks.
Tuesday - spaghetti and garlic bread Wednesday - fried pickle pork burgers & fries Thursday - gnocchi with sausage in a cream sauce Friday - Pizza!!! That’s as far as I’ve planned.
I'm curious...what is a fried pickle pork burger? Is it fried pickles on a pork burger, like a hamburger, or do you make like a fritter/schnitzel/tenderloin with pickles inside it? The possibilities are really intriguing. Thank you.
@@terrisutton5559 it’s a pork burger and I add fried pickles on top of it. I love pickles on my burgers and this is just a different spin! Lol. Hubby says it’s one of my crazy meals. Lol
Turkey soup, taco salad ( leftover chili), sweet and sour chicken and shrimp and veggie sushi on the side, brats with German potatoe salad, acorn squash soup, pesto pizza, leftovers if any from above.
I actually started eating strictly out of pantry back in November, then December doing the same thing again. Hubby shops for his extras for his truck every Sunday, he always ask me what do I need picked up? Nothing dear! He asked my son does she shop on Monday after I leave? No !! I believe other than fresh fruit/veggies and milk, I could keep going until early summer without any problem. If it’s not canned, dehydrated, frozen, it’s in a bucket! Lol. You will understand that quote!
Monday- pot of pinto beans and cornbread Tuesday- use leftover beans to make refried beans, rice and my canned Mexican steak. Wednesday- meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn Thursday- meatloaf sandwiches Friday- chicken and dumplings Saturday - leftovers Sunday- roast beef I will be using food from my freezer and pantry. No shopping for me!
Sunday was venison, with onions and mushrooms, fried potatoes, and mac and cheese, Monday was pork steak and mashed potatoes and gravy, Tuesday is left over day from Sunday and Monday, Wednesday is ugly chicken and gravy over biscuits, Thursday is blt's, Friday is something mexican, Saturday is cod. All items I already have in the house.
I like to plan the same thing for two nights in a row. That way I cook every other day and warm up the second day. I might change out the vegetable or a side but it works for us.
grilled brats, burgers, and steak yesterday for meals/lunches. Made pasta salad and macaroni salad also for sides. Tonight we had chicken parm, grilled zucchini and salad. Tomorrow leftovers. Wed-ham, sweet potatoes, and a veggie (probably green beans). Thurs-tacos, fiesta ranch beans and spanish rice. Fri any leftovers. Sat-chicken, poblano, red pepper & cheese quesadillas for lunch and dinner chef salad. sun-ham & beans with cornbread. Breakfasts are whatever we want. I have premade breakfast burritos, sausage & cheese biscuit sandwiches, cheesy grits, oatmeal or cold cereal. Lunches are always leftovers, yogurt parfaits, and a baggie of carrots/celery.
Leisa, you crack me up!!! I also get the dreaded "What do you want for dinner??" (UUUGH!!) I laughed out loud thru your entire video. Lots of really good reminders to use what's in the fridge and freezer. I admit I have to be better about that. The problem is not coming up with ideas to make for dinner, but how to use up leftovers. My husband can eat leftovers forever. Me, I can't eat them for more than a couple of days before I want to move on. Next week, it's eating from the freezer: Day 1: Italian zucchini soup (frozen) with home made rolls, Day 2: Stroganoff (frozen) over noodles with sautee'd garlic greens. Day 3: leftovers, Day 4: hot ham and cheese sandwich with a bowl leftover soup Day 5: Taco Casserole and canned beans from the pantry Day 6: Corn and Zucchini Casserole (filling from freezer) with garden salad, Day 7: Potato and Egg brunch, Leftover casserole and salad or Taco casserole. Thanks for the tips and Blessings to you and your husband and for the New Year!!
Weeks menu plan: Italian Sausage, Spagetti, Sauce and Broccoli, BLT's carrot and celery sticks, Chicken potpie, Beer battered cod, long grain and wild rice and mixed veggies, Cube steak mashed potatoes and canned green beans, Sheet pan quesadillas, Hamburgers with baked beans. I like to "shop" in my pantry to create meals. I do a weekly menu plan and I save the menu's I create so that I can look back and see what I've cooked and when. Helps me not fix the same things over and over so soon. Meal planning for me gets boring and tedious if I don't do this. It also gives me inspiration. I also keep a running grocery list in the kitchen so that when I take items from my pantry, I put them on the grocery list to replace what I've used. That way I keep my pantry stocked and rotate everything to minimize running low on something. My husband does the grocery shopping. He sticks to the list and rarely impulse buys. He's better at it than I am. I make the list and the day before he goes to the store, I load all the digital coupons I find on the store's website and check for specials on their circular.
I am having to learn to meal plan for just myself now that my husband has passed. I only cook 2-3 times per week. Trying to not have any food waste and anything I don't eat becomes frozen leftovers for days I don't feel up to cooking.
I have finally got out my Food Saver vacuum sealer.. I haven’t used it in 3 years. On Jan 2. The grocery had a deal on ribeye bone in roast, so my hubby bought some and we asked the butcher to cut them into steaks. Took the ribs off and saving those for stock or stew.. You Lesa are the one that made do it and I thank you for giving me the push! ❤
I am bad about saying what I want to eat next Thursday. I live alone, I do the shopping, I watch the “best by” dates. I bought frozen shrimp and fresh garlic today… frozen chicken patties and hamburger buns. Actual Thai oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sweet chili sauce (but no coconut milk). I am craving Thai food! Small bottles of the Thai ingredients @ about $5 each (in Mexico). Probably next Tuesday would be an easy border crossing (to Asian grocery market). It can take up to 3 hours to cross @ Tijuana/ San Ysidro (most often 1.5 to 2 hours). I have food staples. What I “want for dinner” is a project.
Home canned Bean soup and cornbread Meatloaf, mixed veg, Mac & cheese Chicken salsa verde in the crock pot served over rice 5 ways Sheet pan sausage & shrimp with potatoes, onions, peppers and broccoli Cheeseburger soup Chorizo & egg soft tacos I plan it out but not for any particular day. And I bring all the ingredients up from the basement pantry or freezer, to add to the kitchen pantry, freezer. If I’m having a bad foot day, I don’t want to run to the basement. Having it all available and ready helps a lot. And don’t forget to thaw out that meat or freezer meal a day or two ahead of time.
Awesome tips. I actually inventoried my freezer last week so I will be transferring it to your sheet. Thanks so much. I do menus each week. With 6 adults and an 11 month old in the house it is the only way to get it done. Looking forward to more of this challenge.
![Quando Rondo - Life Goes On [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eIf3fhMXAow/mqdefault.jpg)
AND KEEP THOSE MENU PLANS! Then you can rotate between them or have ideas for creating your next one!
Yeah! What she said! 🤣🤣
Absolutely will do that thanks yall
Absolutely for 2 reasons. In the short term, it helps to point out what you've done to reconstitute a previously cooked meal like the extra meat, extra veggies, and extra casserole. In the long term, people tend to drift into only 5 to 10 dishes and flipping back through helps you decide that it's time to drag out a cook book for something totally new and different.
After inventory in pantry, I pull all the items that will expire this month into one box. That is how I start my menu planning for month
Menu Planning helps with Canning Planning!
I have Seasonal Menus, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. These categories are so helpful for planning for a year. After pantry inventory, I can do Garden Planning, then the Canning Planning.
Great idea!
Yep, seasonal planning. It gets really cold here in the winter and super hot and muggy in the summer.
I love your channel. I bought forjars last year and I have been completely satisfied.
This is absolutely awesome I went through my freezer and my pantry and came up with 12 freezer meals that I was able to make out of everything in my freezer and pantry so now I have those to fall back on on my busy days thanks so much for all your hard work Lisa you are amazing
I'm horrible about my freezers. So- on Sat. I hit up the freezer and pick out proteins for the week. Then stroll to the pantry and toss in the staples for each meal in a basket. If I need something from the store- I get 3. One for the meal and 2 to have that meals prep 2 more times. That is how I built my pantry. Bought what we ate...If I went to the store knowing I only had 1 can of beef broth left, I bought 3. It was slow and steady but over time it became a good stable pantry filled with food we ate. Menu covered..freezer rotated.
It is a great way to use up stuff that’s coming up on expiration dates. I’ve been menu planning from waaaay before 2020, but it’s even more important now that groceries are more expensive. It DEFINITELY saves money.😊
So true!
I write out a month worth of dinner ideas that I can pick from and decide each night what we will have the next day. This week has been difficult due to unpredictable power outages (heavy wet snow), but still been able to eat at home. I've been menu planning for decades so it's old hat and I only plan dinners.
I remember asking my husband what he wanted for dinner and he would almost always say "I'm easy". My response was always "I know. That's how I got you" 😂
I will be honest,I am doing inventory this week and going through and trying to get organized enough to menu plan. Never have been good at it,but I need to learn.
Thank you for all of the ideas! Wow!
I just get hungry when I meal plan, lol
On the other hand my kiddos have a hearty wholesome homemade lunch or dinner. AND it makes me happy when my Granddaughter says that tastes mummy Grandma mamma 🥰
ALL AMERICAN PRESSURE CANNER 🤩
This week's menu is based on my indoor freezer I cleaned out last week + the fridge perishables: leftover turkey pasta soup and garlic toast (2 meals); sauteed kale seasoned with beef bacon & a side of cheesy-grits (I store cheese surplus in my freezer); pecan-crusted chicken and a kale/apple salad (2 meals including using the left over chicken mixed with the salad); chicken sausage/kale/sweet potato soup (2 meals). I have a TON of eggs from my city hens, so I will hard-boil a batch of eggs for quick protein snacks as needed.
Never written out my meal plans, but can always throw together a quick meal from my pantry if I forgot to thaw meat! Been doing it over 50 years! We rarely eat out more than once every 4 months and usually regret it because we grow better veggies almost year round.
wow! I. never have menu plan, sounds like a good idea. I will try this out.i will try it for a week. I'll see what I have in freezer and go from there. Thank you for ideas
I have menu planned for years. I currently plan for a week at a time, I plan a breakfast for the week and then dinner each night. I always cook enough dinner for my husband and I to take for lunches the next day. My biggest hurdle is getting burned out on the menu planning from time to time.
Thanks for covering this topic. It is a good reminder for me
I menu plan and shop for 3 months at a time. I plan for 15 meals and buy all the ingredients x6. Saves a ton of money.
Yea! Just in time! Perfect! You are awesome!
Thank you!
This is interesting, but I know full well I will never menu plan for the week or month. The thought of doing that stresses me out, I am one that just never stresses or is bothered by what is for the next meal. I always shop my pantry and my fridge and what is in season from my gardens.
Love ur channel and ideas!! 👍👍
Living by myself, I don't formally 'menu plan'. With that said, I do go through the shelves routinely and choose items that are close or over the best buy date and put them on a special shelf. I 'go shopping' in the freezer and in the home canned goods and put it all together. Every 6-7 days I batch cook - in winter mostly. When the garden has produce, I menu plan around that. I never buy food out in drive throughs or restaurants. My truck has a small container of snacks, which changes according to the seasons, for instance, no chocolate stored in there during summer! Back not that long ago, it didn't bother me, if I was really hungry and had more errands to do, to spend $1 on something at McD's to tide me over. Too expensive now. I take my coffee or water in a travel mug so I don't need to buy a drink. Self-contained unit, self-sufficient unit at home or away. :)
Thanks for sharing
If you're a canner at heart, try 1/2 pint "meals in a jar" .. heat n serve soups & stews are my favorite.
I want to know what kind of snacks you keep in your truck?
I'm just emerging from a 2-week sick cocoon and haven't cooked much at all since Christmas except a pot of minestrone. I've been menu planning 20+ years and all your suggestions are things I do regularly. I need to do a pantry inventory now that I'm on the mend to plan for next week. Tonight it will be pork chops, baked sweet potatoes & green beans. Simple yet tasty. I'm only planning 1 meal a day now too but when the kids were young I did 3 meals a day plus snacks since I homeschooled them and those kinds of decisions were best made with a clear head once a week. Thanks for the reminder that planning makes the day a little easier.
Need more work with this!
I menu plan weekly. I write it down in my planner that sits on my desk in the kitchen so that everyone can see what we're having. I only plan for dinner. I'm also very flexible if I need to switch something around. This week, the week of January 9th through the 15th, we are having: M: Leftovers (we always have leftovers on this day), T: Baked Cod with Broccoli/Cauliflower salad, W: Quesadillas (with ugly chicken), Th: Hamburgers, French Fries and Green Beans, F: Homemade Pizza S: BBQ Chicken, baked potato and corn, Su: Bean Soup and homemade bread. Thanks for being an inspiration and for always being so encouraging! ~ Stephanie
I too hate so much, that “What’s for dinner” question! It saves so much money!
when my children were small we had no extra $$, meal planning and sale shopping were the only way we made it threw1 as they got older, I got busier, and it was a great way to stay organized, now it is just the 2 of us, we are not so busy, but we work strange hours and schedules, and it's a stress reliever for me! canning, drying and freezing just make it that much easier (and cheaper)
As always, lots of great information.
I’ve never menu plan. I just choose meals from my meat. I take frozen meat out the night before and go with it. I should plan more- good video to help!
Mondey Tomatosoup w beans and sausage,
Tuesday Porkribs potatoes and red cabbage.
Wednesday. Cauliflower soup with bacon bits
Thursday. Fish cakes potatoes and grated carrot
Friday Pizza
SatSaturday lamb ribs mashed turnips
Sunday Leftovers.
Love it!! I have to come to Norway haha
My hubs and I are empty nesters too. I also only plan dinner. Most of the time, lunches are leftovers. Also, I do prep on weekends and generally have lunches in the freezer. I’m enjoying your channel!
Thanks for sharing!!
Keep those good ideas and advice coming
I HATE menu planning and I hate to cook. So I do a lot of crock pot meals. No one seems to mind, but if they did, they can cook, lol. Seriously, I have a two week menu plan and rotate it. It's Pizza/Pasta night, Chili/Spanish Rice night, Soup & sandwich night/ Casserole night, rice bowl night, burgers/hot dog night and breakfast for dinner night. Occasional gotta have it, steak, roast, fried chicken night. Kids are grown, so it works. Breakfast and lunches are on their own, but i keep a good stock of cereals, frozen waffles pancakes etc on hand and lunch items as well. Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner the night before. I'm old, lol and have earned the right to keep it simple, inexpensive, and tasty.
Thanks for sharing
I have graduated to menu planning by the month. Saves so much money and time. Decision fatigue is real!! I am behind on planning this month, guess it's on todays agenda.
I love canuary!!
I feel that just scoping out three possible dinner menus eases that whole “what’s for dinner” tension.
Our main meals for the week: Sun & Mon--black-eyed peas and ham, collard greens, cornbread, sweet potato pie (freezer, left over from Thanksgiving); Tue & Wed--chicken Alfredo with pasta, green beans; Thurs--3-bean chili; Fri--chili dogs; homemade pepperoni pizza.
Did she just say “hug it, squeeze it, name it George.” That is too funny. I cooked everyday when my children were younger, now everyone is grown. I hate the “what’s for dinner?” I still get that question and I can’t write it down because my family is so spoiled some may want to hold me to what is scheduled that day lol. I will try and write it down for myself in a planner hopefully I can stick to it this year. Thank you for Canuary. I will look forward to seeing and trying new canned food. Have a blessed day!
Hi Leisa. Meal planning is my only goal for this year. I have never done it before. I am not good at it, but I am tired of eating peanut butter toast for supper lol. So this week is planned. I did a crustless ham quiche today. Tomorrow is beef and noodles, Wednesday is chicken legs, Thursday is chicken and Stuffing casserole using leftover meat from the chicken legs, and left overs the rest of the week.
Sounds delish! You've got this!
The easiest way I have found to menu plan is to chose 4-6 meals for the week and decide the night before which one I will make tomorrow
I'm so glad I came across your channel through these canuary videos! You are sharing so much great information and videos. I'm really enjoying watching your channel this past week! You've got such a great character and shared so much useful information here. I can't wait to start using this meal planning you've shared. I'm in the kitchen all the time and just new to this canning stuff. I can't wait to start canning some of these recipes and start with the meal planning ahead.
I actually bought a meal planning book with calendar and removable shopping lists. I used to be great with meal planning, not so much in recent years so trying to get back to it because I despise the “what do you want for dinner” question. This video is very timely for me.
Okay I just finished watching this video, yes, ur " menu planning" is different from what I thought or I have ever seen. I think I will actually print that out and give it a try 👍👍
This has always been my weak point! Great inspiration!
I saw the idea of packing your meals in a Ziploc bag with directions and if you need something from the refrigerator freezer you can add a note in there and then everything's all put together you grab your bag and start cooking.
Gotta make my menu plans but...my challenge is using leftovers an freezing individual helpings, gotta stop throwing those leftovers out. Thanks 🙏💖from Arkansas
This is very helpful Leisa……I can prep all day with one hand tied behind my back…but menu planning is the bain of my existence…..I’m tired of throwing out food because I lose track of what’s in the fridge……just bought your pantry planner and have high hopes it will get me on the right track….amen to that…!!
Meal planning from your inventory list blew me away!! Can’t wait to get started!!!
Thank you Leisa and thank you to all the comments!! Between the video and the comments I have found meals that I like and have not made in quite a while! Thanx!!!
Wonderful!
I found this channel due to the Canuary 2023 collaboration. One could say better late than never since I am getting ready to retire but I am looking forward to having more time to work on my small patch of land.
You have really given me some ideas. Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Our menu plan for this week, looks like this: From the Freezer
Mon-Frozen pizza, Tue-baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, frozen broccoli, Wed-lasagna bake using hamburger from freezer, rotini & the open jar of sauce in fridge, French bread from store the cupboard, Thur-left over baked chicken with frozen vegetable melange, teriyaki sauce, Angel hair pasta, Fri-baked cod, twice baked potato & a jar of pc baby carrots, Sat-beef roast, potatoes & carrots in the crockpot, Sun-meatloaf, mashed potatoes, canned corn. I’ll also have a pan of brownies & a cherry pie for during the week, Sunday I’ll make whatever dessert my son wants for his birthday cake, from scratch.
I only plan 1 meal a day, since Our daughters both work opposite hours off the farm, hubs & I do leftovers for lunch, his breakfast is cereal before milking & mine is usually an egg & toast or cereal.
Thanks for sharing!
I never meal plan, after watching your inventory videos , I started doing an inventory , needless to say I am doing a menu plan weekly! Thank you!
You can do it!
We menu plan one week at a time. This week lunch is choice of salad/ sandwiches, dinner is Monday- chicken Caesar salad, Tuesday- instant pot chili, Wednesday- yellow chicken curry, Thursday- , Friday- cold meat and cheese sandwiches and turkey/ rice/ bean soup, Saturday and Sunday- scrambled eggs with breakfast sausage bowls, veggies, sandwiches, salads. I put this all on a white board and everyone is welcome to write their opinions on it so I know if I'll need to leave leftovers for someone not enthused about a meal. If you don't like what we cook, then you get to eat leftovers 😁
Reasons to plan menus make such sense. Thanks for this video. Guess what I'll be doing? Yes, inventory of my freezer and fridge and then menu planning.
Yes!
I'm still doing my inventory. My household is just two of us. I have some restrictions and I have an adult grandson with tastes that are different than mine. I think I'll try planning evening meals 2 days a week for my first goal. We will see how it goes...
I went through my kitchen freezer after your last video, and started listing my canned goods in the basement. I have several meals that immediately came to me. That never happens! So far I’ve made chili, beef stew, tuna fritters with coke slaw, and scalloped ham and potatoes. I’ve thrown a zucchini bread on the counter to be used up. I’m going to make homemade crackers from some almond meal I’ve had in the freezer like forever. All things made from what I have in the house already.
How do you make your coke slaw?
@@ronelsmith6906 sorry, that was auto-corrected. Should be cole slaw. That just took me 3 times to get the right word and it’s still marking it as wrong!
Grrr…. Lol
My menu plan is very different. I made a list of meals that I can make without needing to buy anything. I just look at my list and choose whatever I want to make. My husband and I are the only people in our household, and my husband is always happy to eat whatever I make. There are a few meals on my list that my husband usually makes, so I get a break from cooking once in awhile.
We usually use our leftovers for our lunches, so I only plan meals for breakfast and dinner.
I currently menu plan and I am sooo lucky because my husband eats whatever I cook and he never complains. My menu plan creates my groceries that I need and I could not just wing shopping or dinner! I do need to name my crock pot though....
Menu planning is my new goal for this year! I keep meaning to do it, but always put it off! You have some great ideas, so now I’ll try again!
I love meal planning. Work full time. Teenagers are just stomachs on legs and the price of EVERYTHING is going up. If I can just have meals planned and the menu and grocery list set, I'm good.
I love to hear meal planning ideas.
I was asked that 3x .. Confused look from bf, when I said stew in 20 min!! I grabbed pints jarred veggies, opened them, added quart beef n broth, set the stove to simmer. Done!!
Great job!
I like a little square per day most dont have for prep. Most times its smaller than any of the eating event squares. Most times it is filled with "xyz from freezer". The biggest killer for any meal plan I've ever had has been that I haven't remembered to take a featured item from the freezer. When I'm on a roll, I prep veggies for the meal at hand plus an additional meal or two. And my prep square often says "dice 2 onions" or something similar. Don't ask but it is important to fill write your prep tasks on the day the tasks need/ are intended to be done not when the result (ie thawed meat) needs to be done.
I made a roasted whole fryer on Sunday, so I'm using leftover to make chicken enchilada casserole in the slow cooker. Tomorrow I'm making chicken pot pie with the rest of it. I'm saving the bones for making broth and bone meal.
I just did my menu for the month. Thank you Leisa, your the best!!
Italian Week! Tue: Canning meatballs tomorrow- will keep some out of jar for dinner to go with my too many Carrabba's copycat stuffed mushrooms with tomato cream sauce....SO much cream sauce, so fettucine and chicken with the sauce, also, and green beans. Wed: French Onion Baked Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, veggie. Thur: Pork Medallions with mushroom gravy over garlic mashed, veggie. Fri: Cheddar-topped Italian Goulash, salad, garlic toast. Sat: Steak and Lobster tail that I bought for Christmas Eve dinner that we were too busy to make, parmesan- crusted potato wedges and leftover sides, probably. I need to start thawing meats and cooking again, versus eating all of the home-canned meats.
After you did that inventory on your refrigerator freezer I did mine and I’m starting to pay a little more attention to what we have in the freezer and plan our menus as well.
I have from now until February 11th planned out, using mostly stuff in my house! I may need to get milk, lettuce or sour cream towards the next month. It will probably last a few extra days because or eating leftovers.
This week we had left overs on Sunday and Monday to clean them out of the fridge. Tuesday swedish meatballs, Wednesday goulash (canned ground beef)with corn pudding, Thursday tomato soup (home canned)and grilled cheese. Friday stir fry (with ugly chicken) and Saturday is buffalo chicken tacos. (With ugly chicken) .
Awesome that you can plan out that far.
i am inspired to learn more about crock pot/instapot cooking 😁
You can do it!
I moved all our frozen food that needs to be used up quickly to the fridge freezer. I then said to my husband, who does most of the cooking for us, to take out of the fridge freezer. I control the pantry inventory and he controls the menu plan. Win Win Win.
My menu today is what I found in bottom shelf of freezer... corn on the cob and zucchini fries😂 May add packaged noodle that needs to move. Just me tonight as the hubs forgot to grab his lunch so he's gonna eat that. PERIOD!
Tomorrow is an actual meal lol
Sounds great!
Hopefully I will stick to the menu plan.
So glad I found your channel love watching your videos
I'm so glad!
Beef Ziti, Chicken Cutlets, cabbage and noodles, leftovers, chicken/rice/broccoli casserole. Ziti gets done as a meal, lunches and put in freezer for later. Cabbage has been in freezer for awhile (yup an experiment), leftovers - I usually plan for one night to clean up fridge. I have a list of meals we like to eat, so I base my weekly plan off of that. I'm trying to base my pantry stock off of that also.
I usually see what is on sale at the grocery store, check my pantry, then plan my menu. With the exception of this month with the pantry challenge.
Sun (2 days ago) air fried panko breaded chicken thighs with rice and roasted peppers.
Mon - buffet / finger food (cheese profiteroles etc) with friends games night.
Tues - lamb chops / baked potato / mushrooms / asparagus - air fried.
Weds - butternut squash thai soup with added ugly chicken (bells canning) & homemade bread.
Thurs - Beef (canned) bourginon & rice.
Fri - air fried salmon fillets (freezer) with roasted veg & baked potato. Sat - ham, egg, chips.
Guess who got a Cosori air fryer from a friend for Christmas? Bloody love it.
And yes, we dared to open the smallest freezer.
Ps - meal planning isn’t something we have done regularly or routinely. We usually have the “what do you want for dinner convo” answered by the “what’s in the fridge? Shall we get a take away?”
All good tips, Leisa...thank you! I've gotten away from menu "planning", but definitely want to get back to it to avoid waste and better manage my food budget.
Great subject
Yahoo! I am so bad at menu planning! We have "that conversation" each and every day. Leftovers get first priority. I like to have leftovers to work with, you only have to "plan" half the meals! The problem is, our "plans almost always change. Tonight was going to be Middle Eastern, but one tired person and one with a sudden back injury adds up to cheese omelets or grilled cheese with tomato soup instead.
You got this!
It’s very helpful to me that you keep saying to use your pantry. It hit me and you’re absolutely right. you cannot save all your work and then it go bad. Thank you for that insight. The pantry is something that is in motion instead of something that is finished done or at a stand still. that is so helpful to me really really helpful to realize I CAN use my pantry now and shouldn’t be saving it.
Exactly! You've got this!
Meal planning helps us eat healthier. I did it for years when my girls were young. After that, I still worked and did it sporadically. Now we’re retired and I need to go back to it. My freezers are stupid full. We vacuum seal everything in a 2 person sized portion. It got so bad my upright freezer scared me😂 frozen things falling out are dangerous! My daughter suggested we should just have whatever fell out.😂taking your advice I’m going to inventory my kitchen freezer, I know I won’t have to go to the store for weeks.
Leisa your suggestions are awesome! I’ve always felt that planning a menu was overwhelming you’ve simplified it for me. Thanks
Tuesday - spaghetti and garlic bread
Wednesday - fried pickle pork burgers & fries
Thursday - gnocchi with sausage in a cream sauce
Friday - Pizza!!!
That’s as far as I’ve planned.
I'm curious...what is a fried pickle pork burger? Is it fried pickles on a pork burger, like a hamburger, or do you make like a fritter/schnitzel/tenderloin with pickles inside it? The possibilities are really intriguing. Thank you.
@@terrisutton5559 it’s a pork burger and I add fried pickles on top of it. I love pickles on my burgers and this is just a different spin! Lol. Hubby says it’s one of my crazy meals. Lol
Turkey soup, taco salad ( leftover chili), sweet and sour chicken and shrimp and veggie sushi on the side, brats with German potatoe salad, acorn squash soup, pesto pizza, leftovers if any from above.
Super information!
Glad you think so!
I actually started eating strictly out of pantry back in November, then December doing the same thing again. Hubby shops for his extras for his truck every Sunday, he always ask me what do I need picked up? Nothing dear! He asked my son does she shop on Monday after I leave? No !! I believe other than fresh fruit/veggies and milk, I could keep going until early summer without any problem. If it’s not canned, dehydrated, frozen, it’s in a bucket! Lol. You will understand that quote!
That is awesome!
Monday- pot of pinto beans and cornbread
Tuesday- use leftover beans to make refried beans, rice and my canned Mexican steak.
Wednesday- meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn
Thursday- meatloaf sandwiches
Friday- chicken and dumplings
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday- roast beef
I will be using food from my freezer and pantry. No shopping for me!
Sunday was venison, with onions and mushrooms, fried potatoes, and mac and cheese, Monday was pork steak and mashed potatoes and gravy, Tuesday is left over day from Sunday and Monday, Wednesday is ugly chicken and gravy over biscuits, Thursday is blt's, Friday is something mexican, Saturday is cod. All items I already have in the house.
Thanks for sharing
I am horrible with meal planning
You are a inspiration
Lol… that’s how our conversation goes every day!!
I like to plan the same thing for two nights in a row. That way I cook every other day and warm up the second day. I might change out the vegetable or a side but it works for us.
grilled brats, burgers, and steak yesterday for meals/lunches. Made pasta salad and macaroni salad also for sides. Tonight we had chicken parm, grilled zucchini and salad. Tomorrow leftovers. Wed-ham, sweet potatoes, and a veggie (probably green beans). Thurs-tacos, fiesta ranch beans and spanish rice. Fri any leftovers. Sat-chicken, poblano, red pepper & cheese quesadillas for lunch and dinner chef salad. sun-ham & beans with cornbread. Breakfasts are whatever we want. I have premade breakfast burritos, sausage & cheese biscuit sandwiches, cheesy grits, oatmeal or cold cereal. Lunches are always leftovers, yogurt parfaits, and a baggie of carrots/celery.
Leisa, you crack me up!!! I also get the dreaded "What do you want for dinner??" (UUUGH!!) I laughed out loud thru your entire video. Lots of really good reminders to use what's in the fridge and freezer. I admit I have to be better about that. The problem is not coming up with ideas to make for dinner, but how to use up leftovers. My husband can eat leftovers forever. Me, I can't eat them for more than a couple of days before I want to move on. Next week, it's eating from the freezer: Day 1: Italian zucchini soup (frozen) with home made rolls, Day 2: Stroganoff (frozen) over noodles with sautee'd garlic greens. Day 3: leftovers, Day 4: hot ham and cheese sandwich with a bowl leftover soup Day 5: Taco Casserole and canned beans from the pantry Day 6: Corn and Zucchini Casserole (filling from freezer) with garden salad, Day 7: Potato and Egg brunch, Leftover casserole and salad or Taco casserole. Thanks for the tips and Blessings to you and your husband and for the New Year!!
Weeks menu plan: Italian Sausage, Spagetti, Sauce and Broccoli, BLT's carrot and celery sticks, Chicken potpie, Beer battered cod, long grain and wild rice and mixed veggies, Cube steak mashed potatoes and canned green beans, Sheet pan quesadillas, Hamburgers with baked beans. I like to "shop" in my pantry to create meals. I do a weekly menu plan and I save the menu's I create so that I can look back and see what I've cooked and when. Helps me not fix the same things over and over so soon. Meal planning for me gets boring and tedious if I don't do this. It also gives me inspiration. I also keep a running grocery list in the kitchen so that when I take items from my pantry, I put them on the grocery list to replace what I've used. That way I keep my pantry stocked and rotate everything to minimize running low on something. My husband does the grocery shopping. He sticks to the list and rarely impulse buys. He's better at it than I am. I make the list and the day before he goes to the store, I load all the digital coupons I find on the store's website and check for specials on their circular.
I am having to learn to meal plan for just myself now that my husband has passed. I only cook 2-3 times per week. Trying to not have any food waste and anything I don't eat becomes frozen leftovers for days I don't feel up to cooking.
Sounds so easy
I have finally got out my Food Saver vacuum sealer.. I haven’t used it in 3 years. On Jan 2. The grocery had a deal on ribeye bone in roast, so my hubby bought some and we asked the butcher to cut them into steaks. Took the ribs off and saving those for stock or stew.. You Lesa are the one that made do it and I thank you for giving me the push! ❤
That is so awesome!!
Thank you for your excellent advice and tips.
My pleasure!
I am bad about saying what I want to eat next Thursday. I live alone, I do the shopping, I watch the “best by” dates. I bought frozen shrimp and fresh garlic today… frozen chicken patties and hamburger buns. Actual Thai oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sweet chili sauce (but no coconut milk). I am craving Thai food! Small bottles of the Thai ingredients @ about $5 each (in Mexico). Probably next Tuesday would be an easy border crossing (to Asian grocery market).
It can take up to 3 hours to cross @ Tijuana/ San Ysidro (most often 1.5 to 2 hours).
I have food staples. What I “want for dinner” is a project.
Home canned Bean soup and cornbread
Meatloaf, mixed veg, Mac & cheese
Chicken salsa verde in the crock pot served over rice
5 ways
Sheet pan sausage & shrimp with potatoes, onions, peppers and broccoli
Cheeseburger soup
Chorizo & egg soft tacos
I plan it out but not for any particular day. And I bring all the ingredients up from the basement pantry or freezer, to add to the kitchen pantry, freezer. If I’m having a bad foot day, I don’t want to run to the basement. Having it all available and ready helps a lot. And don’t forget to thaw out that meat or freezer meal a day or two ahead of time.
This is a definite goal to do much better meal planning this year. Thanks for all u share & do.
Awesome tips. I actually inventoried my freezer last week so I will be transferring it to your sheet. Thanks so much. I do menus each week. With 6 adults and an 11 month old in the house it is the only way to get it done. Looking forward to more of this challenge.