# Menu Planning?



## skilletlicker

How do you plan your meals? Do you write it out? Use a spreadsheet? Is there any good software that helps?

I'm beginning to realize that I know nothing about this subject.  I'm pretty good at cooking without a recipe and adapting to what's on hand, but  lack of *any* planning is a serious handicap. I buy the same things over and over, so I make rice and beans twenty ways to Sunday, but it's time to expand my horizons. I want to plan for the next few days or a week and then shop accordingly.

Any suggestions?


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## CarolPa

I look at DH and say "What do you want for dinner?"  LOL  If we can't decide on anything, we eat out.

Actually, when my kids were still here, they were constantly asking what we were having, so I started planning the menu a week in advance.  My planning was based on what I could afford and what everyone would eat.  I posted the menu inside the cupboard door each week so they could just look and see what we were having.  I let each of them (2) choose 1 meal each week, and then I shopped according to what was in the meal plan.  Nothing fancy.  It was just what worked.


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## cave76

skilletlicker said:


> How do you plan your meals? Do you write it out? Use a spreadsheet? Is there any good software that helps?



I find that when I plan my meals my grocery bill goes down. Duh! 

I did it on paper before the Internet and apps came into being.
*I still do it on paper*. By the time I booted up the computer, opened the spreadsheet etc I could have it all done using a paper and pencil!

This is becoming an over-quantified world and over-apped world, if there is such a world as 'apped'!


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## skilletlicker

cave76 said:


> I find that when I plan my meals my grocery bill goes down. Duh!


I expect to save money *and* eat better. As it is I sort of have to buy for whatever I might decide to do later resulting in wasted money and food.


> I did it on paper before the Internet and apps came into being.
> *I still do it on paper*. By the time I booted up the computer, opened the spreadsheet etc I could have it all done using a paper and pencil!
> 
> This is becoming an over-quantified world and over-apped world, if there is such a world as 'apped'!


Yeah, doing something on the computer might waste time but the trick is to look at what you actually do on paper first. I assume you:

List what you want to cook.
List ingredients.
Cross off what's already on hand.
What's left is the shopping list.
Keyboard or pencil - either way it's okay.
I know that there is software out there but I'm thinking of just using GoogleTask and Calendar. Or maybe just paper.

If there was software that integrated the cuisines, recipes, nutritional values, grocery store sales, coupons and printed the shopping list corresponding to the isles in my favorite grocery store... well that would be neat.


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## cave76

Google Task (on it's Calendar) is good.

"If there was software that integrated the cuisines, recipes, nutritional values, grocery store sales, coupons and printed the shopping list corresponding to the isles in my favorite grocery store... well that would be neat."

LOL Wouldn't that be loverly.


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## CWS4322

I don't plan. I cook with what is in the fridge, pantry, root cellar, and freezer. When I shop, I pick up stuff on special and work with that.  Having said that, I always have dried beans, rice, onions, garlic, celery, various stocks, rice noodles, dried mushrooms, lemons and limes on hand. I think I have every spice and herb known to man and tons of different vinegars.


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## CraigC

We plan meals for a seven day period. The menu is based primarily on what we have in the freezer/deep freezer. We make a grocery list for the additional (vegis, sundries, etc.) items we need to fix what we planned. Shopping may require going to Penn Dutch, Costco, Asian Market and/or Publix. Any meals we "skip", for whatever reason, are forwarded to the next week.


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## Steve Kroll

I rough out a week's worth of menus on a whiteboard in the kitchen. A week, for me, is five meals. I leave two open nights for either going out or a "get yer own dinner" night where we just scrounge through the fridge rather than have a planned meal.

For the planned meals, I first check the ads to see what's on sale and then try to work around that. I also try to plan for things to do with the leftovers. So, for example, if I'm making ham one night, I know there will be leftovers, so I'll plan a meal later in the week where I can use them up.


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## CarolPa

I buy extra when things are on sale.  I freeze the meat in meal-size pkges.  Right now I have a lot of chicken pieces and enough ground beef and pork chops for a couple meals.  I usually only buy one roast when they are on sale and cook it right away without freezing it.  All other items, frozen veggies, canned goods, soups, rice, noodles, beans pasta are bought when they are on sale and replenished when they get low AND are on sale the next time.  There are things I grab just about every time I'm in a store, like canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce because I use them regularly.  Yesterday I was making tacos and DH had to go to the store for shredded Mexican cheese.  I usually only buy cheese when I'm going to use it.  Now there's a little left and it will get sprinkled on salads.


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## Aunt Bea

I take an old envelope and keep a running grocery list of things I need to restock or that I just have a desire for.  Then I jot down the main meat/protein things that I have on hand, next I look at the weekly grocery flyers to see what is on sale around town and finally I look at the few coupons I clip to see if I can use an item or two.  

I jot down seven possible meals using the items on my list including some nights of planned leftovers, gradually a loose menu comes together.  Sometimes as the week unfolds the ingredients I have planned for a meal morph into another meal or the planned meal moves to another night etc...

Even when I have the list in hand things may change when I hit the grocery store.  If I see a really good deal the plan can change on the fly to accommodate them.  If the bargain items I find don't fit into the weeks plan then one nights dinner may end up being scrambled eggs, Dreamfield's pasta with oil and garlic or some other quick and easy meal that can be made using staple items.  Scrimping a little to make room for these unplanned bargains can save a substantial amount of money in the long run.

I find a simple plan helps to control cost, reduce waste, and help me to eat a healthier diet, even if I don't follow the plan!


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## PrincessFiona60

I call Shrek and ask him what he wants me to pick up from the grocery store on the way home.  That way I don't get home and he has changed his mind.


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## skilletlicker

Aunt Bea said:


> I take an old envelope and keep a running grocery list... Even when I have the list in hand things may change when I hit the grocery store...
> I find a simple plan helps to control cost, reduce waste, and help me to eat a healthier diet, even if I don't follow the plan!



Thanks Aunt Bea. I think just having a plan in writing will help even if it, changes.  My problem is, I keep making mental lists and then forget to bring them.


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## cave76

Aunt Bea----- if Lincoln can (purportedly) write the Gettysburg address on an envelope I guess a grocery list will be o.k.


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## GotGarlic

I use a combination of Aunt Bea's method and a customized version of the second form on this page: http://www.theprojectgirl.com/2009/01/19/menu-planning-form-free-download/

Another benefit of using a system like this is I check my cupboards in advance to make sure I have all the ingredients I need for each recipe I want to make, nor do I buy duplicates because I can't remember in the store whether I have X at home.


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## taxlady

I have no suggestions for menu planning. It's something I keep saying I should do. 

Skilletlicker, do you have a smart phone or a tablet? A lot of us use OurGroceries. I type stuff onto my lists on my computer and it updates to my phone. I almost never forget to bring my phone when I go shopping. I often forgot paper shopping lists or lost them. I can cross stuff off the list on my phone or add stuff I remember. It syncs with the computer and with my husband's tablet.


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## Cheryl J

I'm kind of resistant to change (or so my daughter tells me ), so I don't use the grocery apps.  But I can see where they would be very helpful for those shopping for families.  I don't buy very much weekly, mainly perishable produce, since I'm only shopping for one.     

 I have a dry erase board on my fridge and write down things as I use them and think of them.  Then when I leave the house to go shopping, I take a picture of the dry erase board with my cellphone, and there's my list.   

 As far as planning, I do as others here have said and check what's in my freezer and what's on sale, and try to work around that.  I use the heck out of my foodsaver for breaking down larger amounts of chicken and meats into useable amounts for one.


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## Cooking Goddess

skilletlicker said:


> ....Thanks Aunt Bea. I think just having a plan in writing will help even if it, changes.  My problem is, I keep making mental lists and then forget to bring them.


I can't do the "mental list" thing because I quite often forget to bring my brain. 

First of all, I was raised by a depression-era Mom. I have a 5-shelf storage unit in the basement with all the basic staples: cans of veggies, fruit, cooking soups, grains, pasta...you get the idea. And I have a smaller baker's shelf that holds...baking goods. Choco chips, dried fruits, nuts, a box mix or two. If I was creative enough I could probably feed us for almost a month just on what I have stored - all bought on sale or at an infrequently-shopped store that is the only place I can find odd foods. When I take the last of an item from the basement I list that on a chalkboard I have in the kitchen. I use the chalkboard to keep track of what I need to get my next shopping trip, whether it be a basic staple or a certain fresh-food item I want/need.

Knowing that I have a good supply of basics, I then plan my menu when I sit down with the grocery ads. One grocery store gets most of my business because of their selections and prices, so I open that ad first, wide-tipped marker in hand, and start to circle the sale items I can use for meals in the coming week. If I need something that isn't in the ad (like something from my chalkboard list) I'll write it in with a narrower-tipped marker at the top of the page, using the items on that page as a department guide. The bonus of using the ad is if I can't find something on the shelves. I can point to the item when I ask a stock clerk so he/she knows exactly what I'm looking for - no confusion like what happens when I try to explain what I'm looking for. 

Lately I've been going through the plethora of recipes I've either clipped from magazines and newspapers, or saved online either through a cooking website or link to a random recipe. Making sure I try a new recipe using foods that are on sale in that week's flyer have both added interest to our meal rotation and savings with my shopping bill. Good luck planning, but always stay open to surprise deals.


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## Andy M.

Saturday morning I make a shopping list considering what I already have in the freezer, planning meals that use different proteins and are a mix of "meat, starch, veggie" meals and stews/soups/pasta dishes.  I have my laptop open to RECIPES so I can ensure I buy all the ingredients I need.  Then we shop, cook, eat.

I try to mix cuisines, types of meats, starches and veggies.  At least once a week lately, SO wants to have a salad for dinner so I have a duck breast (which she hates) or something else she doesn't like.

Other times we wing it and/or go out.


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## Zhizara

I keep a steno pad on my desk handy to write down replacement stock and anything new I feel like making.

I also keep another steno pad where I go through my grocery receipts and write down meats and special ingredients that I have to work with, leaving room to enter ideas/plans for meals.

After reviewing my potential meals list I decide what I want to cook first and prepare them.

I don't define exactly what I'll eat on a particular day.  I just have several possible meals ready and decide which I'm in the mood for when it's time for supper.


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## menumaker

A lot of what we eat depends on two things for me.
1. What is in season as  we enjoy eating that way and also this usually affects the price   ie. better
2. What inspires me at the time.
I like to do one big shop a week so I'm thinking about a week ahead at this point. After working out if we are having company that week at some point or if it's just the two of us I try to plan a mix of mostly economical but tasty meals so that we can also have some treats too, especially for the weekend. if there are bargains to be had I get them  for the freezer or the store cupboard. After a few weeks of doing this you should end up with some good options between the freezer, the store cupboard and  the weekly shop.


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## CarolPa

Andy M. said:


> Saturday morning I make a shopping list considering what I already have in the freezer, planning meals that use different proteins and are a mix of "meat, starch, veggie" meals and stews/soups/pasta dishes.  I have my laptop open to RECIPES so I can ensure I buy all the ingredients I need.  Then we shop, cook, eat.
> 
> I try to mix cuisines, types of meats, starches and veggies.  At least once a week lately, SO wants to have a salad for dinner so I have a duck breast (which she hates) or something else she doesn't like.
> 
> Other times we wing it and/or go out.




Welcome back, Andy!

  Many times I will make different things for DH and I.  Otherwise, I would never get to eat some of the things I like that he would never try.  

For 30+ years there has been a list and a pen on the counter where we jot down things as we run out, or nearly run out.  When we go to the store, I just grab that list to make sure I at least get those things.


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## Andy M.

CarolPa said:


> Welcome back, Andy!...





Thanks Carol but I'm still in Aruba.  I posted that during breakfast and now I'm having lunch.


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## skilletlicker

taxlady said:


> Skilletlicker, do you have a smart phone or a tablet?


No but I'm going to have to get one or the other.


> *Cheryl J*
> I'm kind of resistant to change (or so my daughter tells me ), so I don't use the grocery apps. But I can see where they would be very helpful for those shopping for families. I don't buy very much weekly, mainly perishable produce, since I'm only shopping for one.
> 
> I have a dry erase board on my fridge and write down things as I use them and think of them. Then when I leave the house to go shopping, I take a picture of the dry erase board with my cellphone, and there's my list.
> 
> As far as planning, I do as others here have said and check what's in my freezer and what's on sale, and try to work around that. I use the heck out of my foodsaver for breaking down larger amounts of chicken and meats into useable amounts for one.


I like Cheryl's ideal of a pic of the whiteboard. Also, all the stores now charge extra if you don't have their customer inconvenience card and the new wrinkle is loading coupons onto your card so you, supposedly, get the discount without cutting a coupon out of the paper. Problem is, without those little paper snippets how do you know what coupons you have unless you can view it online right there in the grocery isle.
Having the grocery list on everybody's phone would be great but like Cheryl I'm shopping for one. Haven't invested in a food saver but I break down those family packs and pork shoulders into smaller units for the freezer.


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## Katie H

I'm entering this discussion a little late in the game but I will share what I do.

Near the end of each year it seems we're slammed with calendars, which is good because I choose one of them that has a lot of open space for each day of the week.  This become my "menu" calendar.  Then the planning begins.

I plan menus for a month at a time, beginning by going in week increments.  Of the seven days in each week I begin by writing either a C (poultry), B (beef), F (fish), M (meatless), L (lamb), LO (leftovers), P (pork) in the upper corner of each day.  I do this throughout the whole month and try to space out each entree type so there is plenty of time between having one or another.

Once I've made the entree type notations, I go to my file of "recipes to try" and see which ones will fit.  Once I do this, I can check the ingredients needed and make a list, by the week, and have a rough grocery list set up.  Then, I check the pantry, refrigerator and freezer for some of the items and scratch off the ones already in my stock.

By doing this I can take advantage of specials in the market and also include fun meals for times like Valentine's Day, St. Patty's Day, etc.  

We get a variety of entrees and almost never have the same-old, same-old syndrome.

In past years I have taken one of the less active months and planned a whole month of nothing but our favorites.  That was a blast.

This may sound like a lot of work but, once I established my plan, it comes easy.  And looking back on past years' calendars really is fun.


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## Dawgluver

I use the Our Groceries app.  I have various lists, one for regular grocery shopping, one for Costco, Asian market, Cozumel, non-grocery, etc.  DH was hard to convert, he would copy the Our Groceries list onto little post-it notes, and lose them, defeating the whole purpose.  Now I've trained him to use his iPhone app, and he deletes as he picks up stuff.


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## skilletlicker

Katie H said:


> ... I plan menus for a month at a time, beginning by going in week increments.  Of the seven days in each week I begin by writing either a C (poultry), B (beef), F (fish), M (meatless), L (lamb), LO (leftovers), P (pork) in the upper corner of each day.  I do this throughout the whole month and try to space out each entree type so there is plenty of time between having one or another.
> ...
> This may sound like a lot of work but, once I established my plan, it comes easy.  And looking back on past years' calendars really is fun.


It doesn't sound like a lot of work. It sounds brilliant. I think the self imposed discipline is the key. It could just as easily be C (cajun), B (barbeque), F (french). Or *N*ew Recipe, *O*ld favorite, *O*ld favorite, *NOONOO*.

Thanks again. Glad you're still here. Hope all is well in with you.


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## Recipe Lova

*A good solution for me*

I have been using some software called Cook'n. It is really useful for my meal planning and grocery shopping. It lets me plan all my meals and then it lets me create a shopping list based on the meals in my menu. It has saved me a lot of time and has made my meal planning a lot quicker and easier. You can check it out and see if it might help make it easier for you too.


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## CraigC

Recipe Lova said:


> I have been using some software called Cook'n. It is really useful for my meal planning and grocery shopping. It lets me plan all my meals and then it lets me create a shopping list based on the meals in my menu. It has saved me a lot of time and has made my meal planning a lot quicker and easier. You can check it out and see if it might help make it easier for you too.



Does this product, or for that matter any of these planning products, allow you to account for what you have on hand before creating a shopping list?


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## taxlady

CraigC said:


> Does this product, or for that matter any of these planning products, allow you to account for what you have on hand before creating a shopping list?


Our Groceries does. When you say to add the items in a recipe to a shopping list it highlights each item and asks which list to add it to. It has a button for skip item.


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## Dawgluver

taxlady said:


> Our Groceries does. When you say to add the items in a recipe to a shopping list it highlights each item and asks which list to add it to. It has a button for skip item.



I haven't even begun to tap all the features of Our Groceries.  Great little app!


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## Somebunny

You folks are all so organized!  I rarely plan a meal unless I am entertaining.  I guess I just fly by the seat of my pants, but like Cooking Goddess I have quite a stockpile of dry and canned goods and the freezer is pretty full too. I think this comes from growing up when the "pickins were slim". Nobody's going hungry around here!
When I use the last of something or know that I will, before the next shopping, I put it on a list kept in a kitchen drawer, then when I do a big shopping maybe every couple of weeks, (except for fresh stuff) I leave it at home so I can strain my brain to remember what was on it. Lol! It used to be that once I had written something down, I would remember.....not so much now 
I also use the Our Groceries App when I remember to...
DH is our resident grocery flyer reader, coupon clipper, sale finder.  He reads the flyers and then tells me what is on sale and if we decide that we need/want it, it goes on the list and we plan to shop while the sale is still in effect. Our local grocery is pathtic, so we have to go to the "big town" to shop. It's 25 miles away, so shopping often gets done when there is another reason to be in town.  Sometimes DH will pick up a few things on his way home from work passing thru an adjacent small town, they have a Safeway, much better than our store.


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## PrincessFiona60

I have a small notebook by my computer, I write down whatever Shrek mentions, things I know about and then forget to take it with me.

The parking lot for the apartment building cuts through the city block.  We leave through one end and before we get to the corner I'm telling Shrek to circle around, I've forgotten the list...again.


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## Whiskadoodle

I do 3 things, all tied together.  I too keep a little note book beside my computer to jot down the Real grocery list esp when I use the last of something so I Remember to buy it again.  This works most times-- it's a long way from the kitchen to den.    2ndly,  I use an excel spreadsheet, with one tab marked groceries.  On that I have sub categories, things to buy at the Asian mkt, things for Costco, or where did I find xx brand product the last time,  a new product or brand to try.   If I want something on that page  I jot it to my scratch pad.   

 I have an add'l tab labeled Menus.  On that page I list a Main menu item, next to it I list the recipe source and recenty  I have been C/P the actual link.  Handy if you want to find a DC ( or other)  recipe without doing a long search.  I must have a half dozen ways to cook Kielbasa et al and Pasta as a main menu item is approaching the point of ridiculous.  Next column I may or not list what I might like to serve with the Main.  

 I found this page useful when playing Pac's PPPC football challenge.  Not that I followed what I write, but it was fun if I had a little time planning or searching ahead.

 Before shopping,  I look at the ads on line,  and that pretty much determines where I go shopping.  We are lucky,  neighborhood grocers,  big box, Costco, and several food co-ops.   I pretty much don't shop at Target, and the food co-ops not so much( too expensive).  Summers I add farmer's markets into the equation.  I prefer the neighborhood  mkt closest to DxW's house rather than my own.  They have increasingly upped their organic inventory on just about every product line.  

 A lot of the time I look for a main meat item that I can readily convert or use in successive dishes.   Which is mainly why I started writing down  menus.  My limited imagination vs what's in the frig need better coordination. 

 Now, this is all predicated on the assumption that I actually put the grocery list in my pocket when I go shopping.


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## PrincessFiona60

I do have a white board in the hall closet for toiletries.  I have it marked in permanent marker with the Store names and then the name of the item I buy there.  In wipe off marker I have the amount of each item.  When I take something out, I change the number.

I wanted to try this with the pantry, but there is so much in there...


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## Aunt Bea

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I do have a white board in the hall closet for toiletries.  I have it marked in permanent marker with the Store names and then the name of the item I buy there.  In wipe off marker I have the amount of each item.  When I take something out, I change the number.
> 
> I wanted to try this with the pantry, but there is so much in there...



Years  ago Amy Dacyczyn owner, editor of the Tightwad Gazette came up with a price book to track her routine household items.  Many of her ideas are still valid today.  This link has a brief explanation of the process.  Today with computerized grocery receipts that provide a detailed list of purchases it would be fairly easy to keep updated after the initial set up is complete.

Use a Grocery Price Book to Slash Your Food Spending


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## PrincessFiona60

Thanks Aunt Bea, I downloaded an Excel Spreadsheet that I can adapt to inventory.

I can use spreadsheets, but have never learned how to create them.


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## taxlady

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Thanks Aunt Bea, I downloaded an Excel Spreadsheet that I can adapt to inventory.
> 
> I can use spreadsheets, but have never learned how to create them.


Did you download on of the spreadsheets listed in Aunt Bea's link? Which one?

I am thinking about making a spreadsheet as a price book in Google Drive. That way I will be able to access it from my phone. I already have one that just lists various products and the brands and a note about what we thought of that brand.

If I make one in Google Drive, I will make it into a template and link it here. If anyone is interested, please let me know. I can make modifications based on other people's suggestions.


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## PrincessFiona60

taxlady said:


> Did you download on of the spreadsheets listed in Aunt Bea's link? Which one?
> 
> I am thinking about making a spreadsheet as a price book in Google Drive. That way I will be able to access it from my phone. I already have one that just lists various products and the brands and a note about what we thought of that brand.
> 
> If I make one in Google Drive, I will make it into a template and link it here. If anyone is interested, please let me know. I can make modifications based on other people's suggestions.



I nabbed this one: Creating Your Own Price Book, Free Downloadable Price Book

It comes already populated with some information so it might take me less time to set it up.


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## Kiwibird

I meal-plan with a small magnetic dry-erase board that stays on the fridge. Basically, It's drawn out in 3 vertical columns- Breakfast, lunch and dinner and then 7 horizontal ones for the days of the week. I bought mine years ago at Target already made (with the columns), but I think you could just use a permanent marker on any plain dry erase to make the columns "permanent" and use the dry erase marker to fill them out each week or buy a pre-made one online (they seem a lot more expensive then I remember paying though).

 I go shopping once a week, and fill out my meal-planner the night before. In the morning, I check through the fridge/pantry and see what I already have/need to buy and make my shopping list accordingly.  I go a little OCD and actually put on my list how much I need of what (3 pears, albs of potatoes, 2 cans of tomatoes ext...), but if you have a good idea of what you use, you probably don't have to go THAT crazy on it. In total, I spend probably an hour a week on it, but it saves a lot of money on buying stuff you don't end up using and  lot of time when you can see what you need to make right there.


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## taxlady

My issue with menu planning is that come the day, sometimes we aren't in the mood for what's in the plan for that day.


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## PrincessFiona60

Oh! Oh! Oh!  I have a Brother Label Maker, I could do an inventory on a board and use the labels for things I always have on hand and just scribble in how much I have.  It would be neat and easy to read.  I could hang it on the inside of the pantry door.


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## CWS4322

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Oh! Oh! Oh!  I have a Brother Label Maker, I could do an inventory on a board and use the labels for things I always have on hand and just scribble in how much I have.  It would be neat and easy to read.  I could hang it on the inside of the pantry door.


I label my cupboards so I know where the stuff is...when I run out, I either refill my stash or peel off the label...btw, I made Valentine's Day dinner without having to go to the store for anything. The DH brought the tomatoes and fresh blackberries, which I worked into the menu, but didn't really need. I emailed him a choice of 4 shrimp dishes for which I had all the ingredients in the house/freezer/pantry/fridge. He picked the Indian Spiced Shrimp. I haven't stepped foot in the grocery store for over 2 weeks. I picked the recipe for the dessert based on what I had on hand for the frosting.


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## PrincessFiona60

I'm just lazy and want an easy way to track what I do have...


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## cave76

Inventories: We had a huge chest freezer and grew most of our own meat and veggies a long while back. Of course chest freezers are the worst for ever finding things again. This might be amended to work in a small house freezer.

So I made a board labeled with names of items and with the heads of nails sticking out. Then I had small washers (for one item) and larger washers connotating a group of five (like five separate pounds of hamburger.)

Put one package of pork chops in---- put one small washer on that nail. 
Put 5 packages of pork chops in---- put one large washer on.

Oh--- and you also have to remember to remove the washers. Which may not work if some DH's or DT's (Dear Teenager) forget to do either one.

O.k.,---- so fuhgeddaboudit.


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## taxlady

Cave, I love your idea for freezer inventory.


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## cave76

taxlady said:


> Cave, I love your idea for freezer inventory.



I did too and it really worked.


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## JoFleischer

Does anyone have anny suggesstions about what kind of coffee to serve after a meal? I am hosting a dinner party and decided to do a four course meal consisting of paprika bruschetta starters, coconut, tomato and red pepper soup, some kind of chicken in a creamy sauce and a lemony tart for afters. 

Some of my guests are real coffee enthusiasts and I want to be able to offer a really nice blend for after the meal. I know nothing about coffee and don't know if certain blends go with certains meals in the same way wine does. There is a Lavazza store near me, which offers the following choices - Coffee blends: espresso blends for coffee at home - Lavazza but I don't know which oens to go for. Any help would be much appreciated!
*
*


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## PrincessFiona60

I would go for a nice dark roast for after dinner.  The darker roasts have all the flavor without too much caffiene.


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## cave76

JoFleischer said:


> Some of my guests are real coffee enthusiasts and I want to be able to offer a really nice blend for after the meal.]



My suggestion is to remember to also have a decaf coffee to offer those who won't drink caffeine in the P.M.


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## JoFleischer

oooh, good ideas. I hadn't even thought about decaf (this is exactly why I need help when it comes to coffee). I have had a few calls for dark roast as they seem teh most flavoursome, so I will go for that! 

Thanks for teh advice guys. Really much appreciated!


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## taxlady

If someone served me a very dark roast of coffee, I would be very disappointed. It tastes burnt. I wouldn't say anything unless asked, but I wouldn't want a second cup.

BTW, we really like the Lavazza coffees. There isn't a huge difference between the more expensive Oro and the Rossa. Haven't tried the "Espresso" 'cause I think it's dark, but the other three are all nice.

Since there is a Lavazza store, maybe they sell freshly ground coffee beans. If so, you could get smaller quantities of the various kinds. I wouldn't bother with both Rossa and Oro, just one or the other. I am assuming that you have an espresso machine and will be making individual servings of coffee.


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## Cooking Goddess

taxlady said:


> ...Since there is a Lavazza store, maybe they sell freshly ground coffee beans.....


Better yet JoFleischer, since it's a Lavazza store they might be able to provide samples of brewed coffee for you to try right there. IF you are a coffee drinker yourself, that is. If not, take a coffee geek friend if they're available.


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