I often find that when I come home from work, I don't know what I am making for dinner, so a am grabbing things that are fast to make and often not the best to be eating. I also am so used to cooking for a large family, it has taken some adusting not to make large meals, and I wind up eating the leftovers.
So...I planned out two weeks worth of dinners, including the side dishes, before I went shopping. I planned each dinner so that the portions were just enough, with no leftovers. I also planned each dinner so we are having more veggies and salads, and not so many potatoes and pasta. So if we have Hamburgers on buns, we are not having the normal potatoes, but steamed veggies and a salad.
Then when I got home from shopping I did any prepwork I could do, like pulling the skin off the chicken breasts and cutting them in half, and freezing them individually. Making and freezing meatloafs, turkey meatballs, and forming and freezing hamburgers ect.
Then I put the list on the fridge. Each night we mark off what we had and they choose what they want for the next night, (they seems to enjoy this.) We are in our third week of doing this and it is working so well. When I come home, I don't even have to think about what I am making, plus often some of the work has already been done. I also have two weeks until I shop again, to be looking for new recipes, and plan out what is we will be having for dinners the next two weeks.
The big plus is this is helping me with my night time eating. I am down 7 pounds in the three weeks.
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"Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy." 2|2|Send me your menus! (m)|iteachca|iteachca@aol.com|10:56:19|01/24/2009|
I usually cook up ahead too but have gotten into a rut. My ds is in scouts, school basketball and league wrestling so my life is insane right now! I would love some new ideas that I can work up ahead!
Donna
I wanna soak up the sun
3|1|that is an awesome idea|ab6333|aimee@accountant.com|13:06:33|01/24/2009|
Thanks for sharing that! I would like to try that.
And congrats on the weight loss.
Aimee 4|2|some other helpful hints|cathy|coggle@hotmail.com|13:49:12|01/24/2009|
I used to plan my meals ahead too. Something I did that really saved me time was to cut up veggies (onion, peppers, celery) ahead of time and either freeze or keep in frig till needed. Onions and peppers can be added to ground beef frozen and they will thaw as you brown your meat.
I have been in a huge rut with dinners. Dh has been working out of town for the past month and since it's only older ds and I we have been getting fast food a lot.....bad, bad, bad. To make matters worse, theis week ds goes on night shift ao i will only have myself to cook for. It's going to be hard but I'm going to try and make a few casserol type dishes that will be easy for him to heat up when he gets home and things that we can take for our lunch.
"I"m not suffering from insanity...I'm enjoying it!"
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thanks, Cathy