Menu and Miles

Well, it's not Monday, but I normally plan my menus on the weekends.  Our menu weeks usually run from Saturday-Friday, so I am just going to go ahead and post today and link up to Menu Plan Monday on Monday.

I have been married for almost 23 years, and I still have to motivate myself to plan a menu and create a grocery list each week.  It takes me about 10-30 minutes, depending on how involved our upcoming week is and whether or not I want to try out any new recipes.  But, like most tasks, the anticipation of the task is worse than actually doing it!  You would not believe how many menus I have typed and saved on my computer and of course there are all of those on this blog as well.  Anyway, weekly menu planning, for me, has benefits that far outweigh the sometimes unpleasantness of doing it.

For a refresher course, this is the simplest way to make a weekly menu plan.

1. Use your computer or a piece of paper to create a grid for the meals you need to plan for for a week.  I create a simple table in my word processing program--well, actually, I just use the same one each week, but I delete the previous weeks' menu and start over.
2. Look at your calendar and see if you are going to be out for any of your meals.  That's easy.  Just mark that block off!  Also make note of any meals you need to take to people or any potlucks, etc., you will be participating in.  Write (or type) it all on the grid.
3. Fill in the blanks with meals.  I rarely fill in breakfast or lunch because we usually have the same things.  If I need a special breakfast or lunch, I type it in.  
4. As you list a meal, highlight on your master grocery list or write on your grocery list all ingredients you will need to prepare that meal.  Don't forget to shop your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer first.
5. Ask your family members if there is anything that they need from the grocery store.  Remind them that you won't be going again for a week.
6. Check the list that you (hopefully) keep on your refrigerator or pantry door where people can list items as you run out of them--like ketchup, grits, etc.
7. Check your inventory of staple items to see what you need to stock up on.  For instance, I keep a certain amount of each type of non-dairy milk we drink each week, so I check to see how much of each kind we need.
8. Fill in your grocery list, check over it one more time, and then you are ready to go to the store!
9. Post your menu in your kitchen so that your family knows what's for supper.  I also make a note on the menu if I need to do something the night before like soak beans.

Menu This Week:

Saturday:  Bible study--taking quinoa salad and black beans

Sunday:  Leah's Birthday!  Breakfast:  hash brown casserole,  Lunch:  restaurant

Monday:  chili

Tuesday:  refried beans tacos

Wednesday:  roasted cauliflower, asparagus, sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes

Thursday:  black-eyed pea cakes, leftover mashed potatoes, salad

Friday:  pizza

Miles This Week:

Since I had the flu, I did only one workout this week (while I was sick!--I was in denial that I was sick.)  Beginning Monday, I hope to resume my workout plan that I began the week before last.

Alternate three days of running (3 miles, 4 miles, 10 miles) and three days of T25 workouts.  Rest on Sunday.

Beginning Monday, you can visit Org.Junkie for more menus.