tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24913093529728126782024-03-05T18:46:18.541-06:00Menu Planning 101Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-54590692503016008032008-02-21T06:41:00.001-06:002008-02-21T06:42:58.195-06:00Oops!You're in the wrong spot!Menu Planning 101 is now part of Tummy Treasure.com! Check your bookmarks- the correct address should be Menu Planning 101.Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-66113152469813141112008-02-20T06:58:00.001-06:002008-02-20T06:51:35.775-06:00A Week At A GlanceWell, the last week or so it seems I have been entirely unable to stick to my designated meal plans. This is okay when we're eating out of the pantry and fridge anyway, but my little forays to the store have got to stop! Here is the next weekly meal plan I have. Hopefully I can do better this week.Wednesday: Sloppy JoesThursday: Braised Chicken Legs in Mustard Sauce, Egg Noodles, Fresh Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-57951257492935986702008-02-16T09:39:00.004-06:002008-02-16T10:13:23.978-06:00About CookbooksWhen you have a cookbook collection like mine, it can be daunting to try and think of a way to organize the books themselves, let alone the recipes within. My method is far from perfect, but so far it seems to suit me okay, and maybe it could be helpful to someone who is just too overwhelmed.First, I need to break down my cookbooks into categories. Basically, there are three types of cookbooksErika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-83023513828047612232008-02-15T13:32:00.002-06:002008-02-15T13:39:16.995-06:00Revamping The MenuSee, this is what I mean by flexibility.Today Zander and I were at the store to pick up milk and I happened to glance in the direction of the hams. I found a fantastic deal on a great brand of ham, and right away, Zander lit up when I mentioned buying a ham. My whole family loves ham. So I picked it up, and while I thought briefly about tucking the ham into the freezer, it's been awhile since Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-69092962723413450472008-02-14T09:31:00.002-06:002008-02-14T09:37:37.879-06:00Quick Tip: Flexibility!One of the things about menu planning is that sometimes you do need to have some flexibility available. Today is the perfect example of that for me. Tonight's planned meal, Southwestern Pork with Sweet Potatoes was totally dependant on me doing my weekly grocery shopping today. Since we're in the middle of a snow warning, with about 4 inches on the ground and potentially more on the way, I'm Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-76750665208351108092008-02-13T08:27:00.003-06:002008-02-13T08:55:49.418-06:00A Week At A GlanceSince I've been sick for oh, 5 days now, last week's menu plan really went out the window. It happens, and the beauty of it is that some of the things I'd planned for this week just get bumped to next week- and since I shopped for that last week, everything's already here for those dishes. Today's menu plan is also going to be a bit longer, as I'll include a few days from this week, just to Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-25997421057914454462008-02-12T15:28:00.000-06:002008-02-12T15:30:55.907-06:00Quick Tip!Here's a quick little tidbit for anyone just starting out with menu planning.Don't get all fancy-schmancy your first few times out there. Start with recipes or meals that you already make well. Maybe make a list of your standby tried-and-trues to refer to. Then as you get more comfortable making a plan, then start incorporating some new recipes.Remember- menu planning is all about saving you Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-3818437673931653822008-02-08T16:14:00.000-06:002008-02-14T09:31:24.424-06:00Organize Those Recipes: Part OneWait! Don't run away! I promise, it's totally do-able. But first, I need to warn you and let you know that it's an on-going process. Seriously, if I sat down and decided to organize all the recipes in my posession...well, let's just say that I would probably be in the same chair for two weeks straight, and I'd have just begun to make a dent. So we're going to do this one step at a time, andErika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-54391924606737634672008-02-06T07:38:00.000-06:002008-02-06T07:25:40.243-06:00A Week At A GlanceI decided the best way to do a few meal plans here would be to show my week-at-a-glance, and explain a few things as I go along. I usually do my grocery shopping for the week on Thursday or Friday every week, so I make my plans go from Thursday to Wednesday. I do have a few constants each week to work around too. Sunday's are always Sunday Company Dinner nights, meaning we have about 20 peopleErika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-60714724161803552042008-02-02T08:08:00.000-06:002008-02-05T07:26:17.830-06:00My Basic Stocked PantrySince having a well-stocked pantry can be a major component of meal-planning, I thought I would devote an entire post to it. Stocking up a pantry and freezer doesn't happen overnight. While you could take this list and dash to the store and buy one of everything on it, I tend to be the one to stock over time. I keep a mental checklist of what we have on hand and replenish what needs it, when Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-84839520278485467492008-01-30T09:45:00.000-06:002008-01-30T09:47:06.527-06:00Part 1I've been trying to think of the best plan of attack for menu planning...there are so many avenues that can be gone. But I think what we'll do is just forge straight ahead down one way, one method of doing so, and then we'll come back and try a second method. And maybe a third method or a fourth method, as far as it will take us.Today we are going to walk through planning a menu for two days. It Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491309352972812678.post-87589303673290856372008-01-29T10:46:00.001-06:002008-01-29T10:46:49.095-06:00IntroductionWhy Menu Planning? Well, I'll tell you, it has really been an asset to me, and I really think that anyone can benefit from even the smallest bit of menu planning. Planning out what you're going to eat during any given period of time is a benefit in so many ways. First of all, it's a money saver- you're not heading to the store every day of the week and buying much more than what you need. Erika W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16817539364974864595noreply@blogger.com0