Meal Planning 101

Grilled pork chops are a
quick and easy meal.

Being prepared takes time and the more time you put up front the better the week will be. This means that you have to put in some planning time before the week begins to plan out your week.  Grab your calendar, let's do this!

Looking at my calendar I add anything I don't already have on it.  Then I look over each day and see where I will be and what I will be doing.  This helps with the next step.  I look to see if there are days I am going to be out for dinner or lunch.  Then I look to see if my last appointment buts up to a meal where I won't have time to cook or make it. I don't have a job where I am in an office.  If I did, then lunches would be easy.  When I did have a job in an office, I packed my lunch every day.  I usually packed leftovers from last night's dinner.  I planned dinners where I would have leftovers for my lunches. If I didn't have leftovers then I packed a frozen meal or a sandwich. 

Now, let's talk dinners.  On my calendar where an appointment buts up to dinner time, I try to plan a meal that cooks all day in the crock pot with minimal additional prep.  I plan those first. Next I look at what I have in our freezers or what needs to be eaten soon.  I make sure those items are on the menu somewhere. We are a "meat and potatoes" family so I plan the meat first then add in the sides.  This whole process so far takes me about 5 minutes.  If I know we are tight on money then I make sure I shop my pantry (this is where a well-stocked pantry comes in handy). 

One of our favorite dinners is
crockpot spaghetti sauce. 
See below for the recipe.

Once I have a menu planned.  I start my grocery list. 

Truly it is that easy.  That little bit of time will save you from my life right now.  It is 5:43 and I didn't plan dinner.  I have no meat thawed and have nothing that can be quickly cooked.  We tend to be an "ingredients" house.  We don't do prepared foods because 1. it isn't good for you and 2. it isn't that good. So whatever we eat we have to make, like actually make. Tonight might become "Pizza Friday" and that is okay.  Tomorrow I will meal plan for next week and grocery shop.  

A big part of being prepared is forgiving yourself when you have dropped the ball.  I see my mistakes and I see the results when I don't menu plan. When I fail I forgive myself and jump back on that wagon. So tomorrow I menu plan.

Quick Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or (our favorite) ground Sweet Italian pork sausage

2 16 oz. jars your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Brown the meat in a saute pan. Drain any fat. 

Mix the two jars of spaghetti sauce and the browned meat in a crock pot.  Turn on low and let cook 4 to 6 hours stirring occasionally.  

Serve over pasta noodles with warm, crusty bread and a salad. 

Why put this in a crock pot and cook all day when you can quickly mix, heat and serve immediately?  Because the flavors meld together and take a mediocre jarred spaghetti sauce to the next level.  It tastes homemade and amazing!!  Give it a try!!