Planning - the next step

How do I go about planning my meals?

1. Boil the kettle and put the cook books and calendar on the dining room table.
2. Make tea.
3. Grab menu planner and a pencil.
4. Look at what activities or social commitments we have on for the week, Stef's shifts for the week and his days off.
5. Look at what I have left in the fridge and the pantry to use as a base or work with.

6. Find at least one new recipe to try and sweeten the deal with some favourites either side of the new dish.
7. Make sure there is one meat free meal in the week and the days Stef is working there will be enough 'left overs' to take to work or, in the case of pasta and meat sauce, enough for 2 meals and his lunches.

Monday we have an after school activity that doesn't finish till 7pm  so dinner is something that is light and easy to digest, can be prepared and cooked early in the day or reaheated quickly while madam is in the shower. Egg and Bacon pie/pasta bake/tuna pasta salad (salad nicoise)/macaroni cheese and peas are a meal that usually appear on Mondays menu. Stef doesn't like cheese sauce and Amelia doesn't like thinks mixed in together (like lasagna) but she is getting better as she gets older, Stef won't budge on the cheese sauce stance!


Tuesday & Thursday are 'normal' days, we don't do anything after school as a rule (except for music till 3.30 on Thursday at school so that is just getting home a bit later than 'normal') so I can spend a bit more time in the kitchen. We will usually have a 'meat and 3 veges' meal with salad or steamed veges depending on the meat and the meal.

Wednesday I work at school in the dining hall and there is usually left overs from school lunches that come home with me or I make enough of dinner on Tuesday as I am quite tired and don't feel like cooking!


Friday we have swimming at 4.30 and I am usually knackered after running around all week so it's pizza or ovenbaked fish and chips on our menu! Easy is required.


The weekend can be social or busy and there is usually a roasted something with a bevvy of veges and gravy. This has to be one of everyones favourite meals so it is always clean plates at the end. The weekend also usually means a slow and lazy start at least one day and egg and bacon breakfast, either scrambled eggs or french toast with bacon will be on the cards. If this is on the cards then a meal with egg in it is usually mid week. In the case of the Monday egg and bacon pie mention, we would do the cooked brekky hastily before school on a Friday when Stef isn't working.


I am about to boil the kettle so will share my weeks meal with you in a post over the weekend.