5/23/10

Menu Planning / Pantry Organization

So, after going to Aldi today without a grocery list, I have an overflowing pantry once again. I know, I know, what was I thinking! I didn't go hungry, so its at least all healthy-ish. I am still going to have to go to a grocery store or maybe just the produce store to finish buying my needed ingredients for this week's menu, but because I fell off the cook-what-you-have-in-the-pantry wagon I am REALLY in the mood to get organized. I've been googling like crazy and have come across a few awesome websites I just had to share!

The art of meal planning has tagged a few excellent articles - I especially like the 50 Tips for Grocery Shopping!

I think I have fallen in love with Menu Plan Monday I really should do this. I cook like this but I don't feel its showy enough to post. Eh, something to consider! I will see if my tastes shadow hers as the summer progresses!

I was looking for a pantry/grocery list and found this website where you can get Free pantry/grocery list in word/excel or PDF versions. I love lists. I stopped myself after I downloaded 6 of them :-)

Now I'm off to actually use them! Dinner tonight is panko breaded baked tilapia with baked Kale chips and slaw.

2 comments:

  1. I clicked through to that link, but honestly, I find that site a little hard to understand. But the idea seems to be that you plan your meals once a week with the circular of your favorite grocery on your lap and cross reference all the sale items for your grocery shopping. I usually also do the majority of my cooking on Sunday, which saves me a LOT of money because I have food ready to go in my fridge and that makes it much easier for me to prepare a lunch and to avoid the I'm-too-tired-to-cook-tonight incentive to eat out. I find I save about $20 every week that I invest in Sunday cooking. Sad but true. I often reward myself with a movie night.

    I've been trying to clean out all the meat in my freezer. There is so much of it I'm simply giving a lot of it away. Also, I have had a great amount of success realizing that it doesn't always save me money to buy in bulk. Those extra large bottles of condiments go bad before I can use them up...plus, they take up a lot of real estate in my fridge. Cleaning out my fridge once a month also helps me keep a handle on what's in there. Then I start planning meals around stuff I already have on hand.

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  2. That is all so true! (Just saw this comment... need to check settings so I will know when I get comments on my blog, not 6 months later!)
    Guy and I have been planning our meals based on what we have in the fridge, then freezer, then pantry. We have been buying minimal for the last few months and still have a TON of food in our pantry. My fridge historically has had 1/2 a shelf dedicated to just condiments because the door is already full. This weekend, all condiments now fit on the door - including dry fruit and there is still space on the door! I know its a small accomplishment, but it took a long time to get there without wasting food!

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