Cooking calendar?

[groc426]

The most difficult part of cooking at home for my wife and me is knowing what to cook (we are newly weds). So we've decided to make a cooking calendar with what we are going to eat on which days. We also thing this may help with grocery shopping as well.

Have any of you created a cooking calendar? Has it worked well for you?

 

[mretzloff]

I have not made a cooking calender but here is a great tip: find recipes that use up other recipes. For example, let us say you make chicken breast some way (fried, baked, etc.) one night. The next night you could use the remaining chicken breast for a salad or a soup.

Also, looking in the Sunday paper and base your weekly meals on what is for sale.


I hope that helps, at least somewhat.

 

[The Nid Hog]

When I was in grad school, my wife and I knew a couple who had a cooking calendar of sorts. Years before, the wife had made up a schedule of fourteen dinners for fourteen days. She started the cycle on a Sunday and for two weeks she went through it. Then she started all over again and, from then on, she never deviated from in. The same fourteen meals in constant rotation.

 

[gollum83]

Cooking calendar? Well I sort of know what I want to do in during the next week or so, but generally speaking I cook by the seat of my pants. It's just how I operate, and well, to be honest, it makes shopping for groceries generally cheaper because if I see something that's on sale or has just came into season, I am usually like "Hey, I can do this or this for dinner with these."

So yeah, I kind of go in with a plan, but it's open to change.

 

[ouch]

I have not made a cooking calender but here is a great tip: find recipes that use up other recipes. For example, let us say you make chicken breast some way (fried, baked, etc.) one night. The next night you could use the remaining chicken breast for a salad or a soup.

Also, looking in the Sunday paper and base your weekly meals on what is for sale.

That's pretty good advice.

Also try not to be too specific. If you want swordfish, for instance, your market may only have mealy looking, expensive swordfish, but they may have beautiful, inexpensive chicken. Always try to buy whatever looks like the best deal while you're at the store.

 

[mretzloff]

That's pretty good advice.

Also try not to be too specific. If you want swordfish, for instance, your market may only have mealy looking, expensive swordfish, but they may have beautiful, inexpensive chicken. Always try to buy whatever looks like the best deal while you're at the store.

And find a fish monger and a butcher. If your grocery stores are anything like the ones near me, their fish is rarely fresh and usually stinks.

As for the inexpensive stuff, realize that most expensive meats have a cheaper alternative. Granted, you cannot use tilapia in place of every fish, but you get the point.

 

[gollum83]

As for the inexpensive stuff, realize that most expensive meats have a cheaper alternative. Granted, you cannot use tilapia in place of every fish, but you get the point.

Today's word is improvise.

 

[Luc]

I'm in charge of the calendar at home. I usually make mine during the week for the week after. I go to the market on Friday night and/or Saturday morning. I list the meals, pick-up a few things for lunch time and there we go.

As Matthew suggested, having recipes where you can 'recycle' your leftovers can be handy. I usually get the leftovers for lunch at work.

I usually make the list by myself as my other half likes surprises. She give me a few suggestions here and there sometimes and I incorporate them right away as she doesn't get cravings very often. The system works well for us as I do most of the cooking.

 

[mretzloff]

I usually get the leftovers for lunch at work.

+1

That prevents the dreaded leftover night and you save money.

 

[Confuzius]

We usually try to make a loose meal plan a week or two at a time and base groceries around that. All to often something comes up, or tastes change and we free for all it.

It's not a huge problem, because we probably have one of the fullest stocked fridge/freezer/pantry that a couple in their mid 20's could have, so I can just about make anything at any given time.

What's for supper is usually decided within 15 minutes of getting home from work, or the night before if we know we've got somewhere to be in a hurry, but because of the "plan" we know that there's always options available.

I generally eat leftovers for lunch, but occasionally, they make their way into pasta, salad, a fritatta or some other concoction.

I'm thinking tonight will be a simple southwest style "taco salad".

 

[Koss]

Cooking calendar? Well I sort of know what I want to do in during the next week or so, but generally speaking I cook by the seat of my pants. It's just how I operate, and well, to be honest, it makes shopping for groceries generally cheaper because if I see something that's on sale or has just came into season, I am usually like "Hey, I can do make this or this for dinner with these."

So yeah, I kind of go in with a plan, but it's open to change.

That is exactly what I do, and I notice savings since I always shop for quality products that are on sale. Meats and fresh seasonal produce most often. If not, frozen veggies are not bad at all.

What I do is have Grilling/BBQ night, which is Saturday. Mexican Mondays. Thursdays is Chinese Night. Friday is Italian/Pizza. Every other night is open for anything. Really I use my grill nearly everyday now since I love the new charcoal grill I got from webber. But I still stick to the BBQ Saturday night.

This way, you can deviate from the same dishes over and over, and just have a type of Genre of Food in your mind when you go shopping.

 

[_JP_]

I have never preplanned meals days in advance because I know that I wouldn't stick with it!

Experience will eventually help in meal decisions. But there are things that you can do to make it easier to decide on what to eat. Realize what unrefrigerated you use and always keep those on hand. You can do the same with refrigerated items such as produce and meat, but you won't be able to keep them as long. Those items should be used as fresh as possible anyway, so figure on quick shopping trips every few days to pick them up.

 

[rtaylor61]

I believe that we had fish every Friday from first grade through graduation. I don't need no stinkin' calendar...

Randy

 

[groc426]

Some great advice here! I think we are going to try and plan a weeks worth of meals ahead based on the ad's (sales) we recieve from local grocery stores. We decided to try one new meal a week at least too. Something neither of us has tried, to keep things fun. But I love the idea of making a meal to use in a meal. I'm going to remember that trick. Thanks for the help!