- Keep a calendar - I'm not going to cook if no one will be here to eat it. Before I do anything I keep a calendar on the fridge of games, appointments, etc. I teach my kids how to write their own stuff down.
- Make a menu - based on who's home when I will decide what kind of meal to make. Ball game on Monday? Maybe we'll pack sub sandwiches! Be gone most of the day? Get out the crockpot! Busy week? Cook once eat two, or even three times.
- Shop - I shop one week at a time, list in hand.
It helps if:
- you keep an organized pantry
- know what you have on hand. Keep your favorite recipes close! I use Pinterest, Evernote and my old faithful recipe box. When I don't know what to cook I rely on family favorites,
- and finally, be brave. Cooking is a work in progress. But the payoff is the reward of knowing your are bringing your family together, round a table, where happiness, conversation and sharing takes place.
That's the real reason why I do it anyway!
Here's what we had this week:
Sunday - Cinnamon Coffee Cake & fresh, seasonal fruit (thank you farmer's market!)
Monday - do you like Taco Bell's seasoned potato burrito? Yeah we do too! With some leftover tator tots I recreated my own! It was easy! Tots, seasoned salt, nacho cheese, tortilla shell ... warm it all together!
Tuesday - Night out! Local pizza joint had a great deal and the family took a walk & dined in. It was a real treat for us!
Wednesday - Pioneer Woman Calzones (first time I made these and I will certainly make them again! plus, a bonus, I had extra defrosted rolls that I used as personal pan pizzas and got an extra meal out of this one purchase! I love when that happens!)
Thursday - Grilled Chicken Breasts with Kraft Easy Pasta Salad
Friday - Pizza-Dillas (think pizza when you imagine quesadilla. we like the combo of mozzarella cheese & pepperoni)
Saturday - Fettuccine Alfredo & Oven Roasted Grape Tomatoes with Deen Brothers Garlic Bread (grape tomatoes slathered in olive oil, salt & pepper cooked in the oven until they split open - toss with noodles & olive oil ... yum!) (p.s. the kids don't eat tomatoes & noodles so they get their pasta with Alfredo sauce.)
