Meal Plan Curiosity

I may have my shortcomings in organization (hard with three kids), but one thing that I am good at is meal planning.  I meal plan for 3 reasons:

1) I control costs by balancing economical ingredients and luxury ingredients (do I want saffron....?  $12.00 per jar?  No, this week will be paprika - again)

2) There is no guessing at 4 in the afternoon as to what we are having for dinner.

3) I can search for recipes based on common ingredients I am already using.  If I find a recipe using freshly grated Parmesan cheese, I will try to use that item twice that week.

I shop every Sunday or I online shop on Monday.  Sundays I have Thad to watch the kids, Mondays I drive through and pick them up at our local Harris Teeter (three kids in the grocery store is my own personal hell).

I do NOT clip coupons.  Only for diapers and formula.  I cannot get into couponning.  I buy what I like, I do not buy things because I have a coupon for them.  Also, we should as a society be eating more whole foods on the perimeter of our grocery store and there are never coupons for grapes and milk!

Coupons remind me of my love/hate for Costco.  Do I really save when I walk out those doors with my "box" of goods?  No, I can find good deals through store promotions down the street (and I walk out with 30 Lady Bics and a half a pound of Dentyne Ice that were not on my list).  Do I really want 25 frozen chicken cutlets?  No, because I don't like my meat frozen in time unless I do the freezing and it will sit in my freezer longer than I am comfortable with (I have OCD about food by the way, thought I should mention that - Jack does too).   I still love to go to Costco though!

This post won't save you any money, but maybe reinforce how easy meal planning can be.  Because I am a "foodie" and have am quite an epicurean, I am going to try to post my meals on Monday....or Sunday for that matter.  I have had requests for recipes and requests for my meal plans - sharing with you will be helpful for me as well!

Enjoy!