I recently posted photos on Facebook of a meal I made (see one below). A friend asked me some questions and so I replied. It turned into a wonderful little article that I thought I'd put on my blog. I hope it is helpful to others besides her!
JH: How do you plan your menus, Camille? Do you think of what sounds good or shop sales and build from there? Do you get in ruts? What inspires you???
**Warning: this is kind of a long reply. **
I love your questions! I'm a once-a-week menu planner. I use a small whiteboard that is magnetic to write it out and attach it to my refrigerator. I usually look at the ads and shop the sales or look at what is on sale before I start my menu planning. I use seasonal veggies and fruits to cut cost on fresh produce. Menu planning usually happens on Sunday, so that gives me time to thaw meat from my freezer and make a shopping list. I always keep my lists on my phone, categorized by store. I also have a shopping list on my fridge so I can add those quickly to my phone.
I stock up on items when they are sale, so if there is something I want to make, I often just look at what I might need to buy to complete it. I will also look at items in my pantry and fridge that are about to expire and try to use them up. A huge factor in menu planning is to look at my week to see how busy I am and try to plan meals that are easy for those days when I have no time to spend in the kitchen. I might plan a crock pot meal when I know I'll be gone for most of the day. I also (believe it or not), look at the weather for the week ahead. If it's going to be cold, I plan meals that are warm and cozy and for days when we can grill, I plan a few meals like that. Dave and I cook together so often that he's become a factor in my menu planning! He will chop veggies and meat and I will cook it. He grills, I marinade the meats that go on the grill. If he comes home early, I usually put him to work! He also cleans up my kitchen every night after dinner. Making meals with leftovers is also important because Nathaniel has to take meals with him when he's gone all day. He loves leftovers, so that helps!
I also keep a running list of menu ideas on my phone. I have an app where I can write notes and when I think of things I haven't had in a while, I jot them down so as not to forget (sometimes in the summer I write up ideas for winter meals). It can be as simple as "beef stew" to as complex as an entire menu "meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and baked apples."
I do get into a rut at times and that's when I ask my family for ideas when we are sitting around the dinner table either eating or after dinner when we're all stuffed full. I've found more success when they are hungry! :)
I probably have 100 cookbooks in my personal library (mostly those Pillsbury ones), but I also have about 10 folders with recipes I've printed from the Internet. Some are ones I've made (I date them so I remember) and others that look good and I want to make. I try to separate them into categories, but that has gotten away from me, so one of my tasks this winter is to organize them even better.
My mom was a fantastic cook and planned menus all the time. I still have a few of her written menus and look back at them for ideas. She taught me to have a variety of proteins in the week, so I try to plan at least one beef, one pork, one chicken, one vegetarian, and one fish/seafood menu each week. Some weeks I don't cook them all, but that's my general guideline. I also have menus on my blog which I sometimes peruse for ideas. I also look at the Internet for menu planning ideas. All of these inspire me. Once in a while I go out to dinner and when I find something on the menu that sounds good (or I actually order it), I will try to re-create it at home. This is inspiring too. I've actually looked up menus on the Internet from restaurants and found inspiration.
I've told my children that a healthy meal has many colors, so planning meals has become a challenge to incorporate color into the plate. Taking photos has really helped me to see the colors (or lack thereof) and my family's love for a large variety of food has been helpful.Put simply, we eat just about anything!
Overall, I think I've found a good balance by making family favorites and then adding in a few new recipes so that we don't get tired of the same food. I found that there are so many ways to eat vegetables for example, so if I find I'm in a bit of a rut, I might even try a new way to spice up or cook a veggie (which may not be on my menu).
I hope this has been helpful. I think this just turned into a blog post for my food blog: www.mealsbycamille.blogspot.com
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