Menu Plan Monday

I follow another great Blog, Frugal Granola, which I highly recommend.  Michelle writes about "Living a Simple & Sustainable Life of Passion for God, Family, Organic Food, & Bargain Shopping."  So much how I wish to live my life as well!  She does a "Menu Plan Monday" each week where she plans out breakfast, lunch & dinner for the week, including activities she needs to do to prepare foods for those meals.  This kind of planning definitely lends to a more simpler life in my household.  While I only plan out dinner, it makes the week go so much smoother.  I'm happier because I am not frazzled, my kids are happy to have good food, my husband gets to come home to a fresh cooked meal, and we can enjoy a family dinner together.  Let's face it, there are those days when I don't plan, and when the 5 o'clock hour rolls around, I am frazzled, tired, and stare at the fridge & cupboard with no idea what to make, and totally unmotivated to cut up produce or cook at all.  However, if I put a little effort into planning dinner for the week, I find dinner prep to be a much easier experience.  When planning, I take into consideration activities for the week.  If I have a particularly busy day, or if we have an evening activity planned, I make sure to do a super easy dinner, perhaps even a slow cooker meal.  Also, if there's any prep involved, I try to cut things up or defrost if necessary the day before.  This doesn't always happen, but when it does, I am so glad I prepared!  This preparation also helps me utilize what I already have & have less food spoil or go to waste.  I'm not caught in the "I don't have anything to make so I'm going to go shopping again mode."  I also have heard of people planning on a longer term scale, such as the whole month.  This allows for use of value sized foods that can be split up & frozen for the month, saving money.  Do what works for you.  I personally like planning on a weekly basis.  I also plan on shopping at a local farm more often, so the fresh produce I get each week will have a lot to do with my planning as well.  Cheers to healthy eating & some added simplicity to the crazy evening hours!