I’m going to try something new… perhaps you’re familiar with it; it’s called meal planning! You’d think I would have fallen into this habit easily as a Type A foodie; but it wasn’t until I moved in with my new foodie roommate that I was inspired to do so.
The two of us decided to make dinner for each other once a week. She set the standards high with creamy cashew butternut squash risotto and the most delicious raw kale & brussels sprouts salad.
I found a cute menu planning template online and began browsing Pinterest and my favorite blogs and websites for recipes. Then, I created a shared Pinterest board to pin ideas for future roommate dinners.
Recipes:
- Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup
- Penne with Balsamic Sweet Potatoes, Baby Spinach & Parmesan
- Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers
I’m starting with a modest meal plan, with just three “real” recipes for the week. I’m banking on leftovers and a couple big salads to fill in the blanks.
Yesterday, I shopped – at Trader Joe’s and the farmer’s market – for this week’s recipes and my weekly staples. See my {fall} kitchen staples list for the gist of how I stock my kitchen.
Do you make a meal plan for the week? Any tips for a novice?
hillontherun
hillontherun
hillontherun
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE meal planning (maybe a little too much!). I use a Google spreadsheet to track meals and create my shopping list. I find that it saves us time and money when I plan meals in advance (I’m cooking for two: me + the husband). It can be intimidating/overwhelming at first, but once you get a system down that works for you, then it’s quite simple! Good luck with it. :)
I actually get excited about meal planning every week. Kind of silly, but I like to be organized and well prepared. I like grocery shopping too, and it helps to have an organized list with meals already set in place. Your meals sound great!
Where did you find your template for your meal planning? I think it’s great!
http://www.sweetbellaroos.com/2012/06/08/free-menu-planner-printable-freebie-friday/
What a cute template! I keep my grocery list in a Google Doc, so then I can just look it up on my phone while I’m in the store. But I love this idea for if I was going to write it down.
This is adorable! You two are adorable. A little birdie told me that the kale and brussels sprout salad was…life changing. I must try it soon!
It is life changing. We vowed to make it once a week ;)
Meal planning can become kind of an obsession once you get into it, lol. Being able to save so much time while eating so well is addictive! But I used to still find it difficult to really find the time to plan for the upcoming week. I managed to come across Online Meal Planning at In The Kitchen (http://truewebservices.com/InTheKitchen/online-meal-planning), and so far it’s working really well, but it all comes down to what works for you! Every now and then I still branch out to do my own thing.
Thanks for the link! I can certainly see how it can come an obsession :)