Let the fun begin!
So, I started out my meal planning efforts with a google search looking for some tools and found this wonderful Excel template developed by Vertex42. I love technology and I know this template will help me in this challenge.
The template allows you to pre-enter common meal items by category (Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast, Sides) which makes it much easier to do the meal planning each week. You then select the items from a drop down list in the template. There is a grocery list and notes section to help with the logistics of menu planning. I am hoping to use the notes section to track the costs but we will see how I do with that. It may be enough of a challenge just to do the menu planning for now.
I customized the template a bit and added the recipe book and page number (or web location) to the menu items. I have started building a database of sorts in the spreadsheet to make planning easier and will continue to enter items over the next few weeks (I have a LOT of favorite recipes LOL).
I am focusing mostly on dinners - breakfast and lunch is generally up to each person in the house. If there are leftovers from the previous dinner, that is normally eaten at lunch.
Here is what my first menu plan looks like. The grocery list is not complete for each of the recipes but is the items I don't currently have on hand. I will be shopping for these items tomorrow.
For tonight's dinner I am making Smackeroni and Cheese from the Eat, Shrink and Be Merry cook book for the non vegans and a vegan version of macaroni and cheese (first time making this so wish me luck). I am hoping for leftovers for lunch tomorrow since I will be home.
If you are interested in any of the recipes posted, let me know. Some are on the web and can easily be shared. Others I can let you know what book they are from - or if you are really lucky, I may have it typed out. I have started a section on my blog with recipes and will build on this.
I hope I will find some new recipes from other challenge participants as well!
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