Menu Planning

I am getting started on menu planning for fall. This summer has been so super busy and we have been away so much, that added to my hubby's deep love for barbecuing and flying by the seat of his pants menu wise means that I have not had a menu plan since June! Yikes!
I love to have a menu plan. It makes me feel like I am in control of my day, I know what to buy on grocery day, I can save money and I never have to wonder what I am going to throw together at the end of the day. I thrive on lists and plans and order and feel all askew and unsettled when there is no plan not just with menus but in general so I am really looking forward to the settled pace and routine of fall as much fun as we have had all summer.

So what I am doing to start is spending the time to go through all my recipes and writing a list of meal ideas and where to find them so when I get down to actually planning the monthly menus I have a list of ideas and I can write where the recipe is right on the plan for each day. I have done this before and it saves so much time when you go to prepare your meal. Instead of just reading Katie's Taco Casserole on Monday I can know that it is in the Fix it Fast Gooseberry Patch cookbook on page 84. Also doing this gives us so much variety and prevents me from getting into a rut. I can use this list for all my future menu plans and won't have to go through cookbooks, recipe cards etc. every time I menu plan.

Just a little glimpse into what I am planning. ~smile~
Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Liisa

P.S. As you may be able to tell from the picture I love Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. They are so cute I love all the little tidbits and drawings on each page and the recipes are really good. ~smile~