Menu Planning

Last year I vowed to start cooking at home more and taking lunch to work everyday.  So on September 1st, I began and I loved it.  I would cook meals two days a week - Sunday and Wednesday, have leftovers on Mondays and always made some kind of seafood on Fridays.  Saturdays were anything goes (usually takeout), Tuesdays and Thursdays were some type of sandwich or salad.

To get ideas of meals that were quick and easy I searched the web.  Boy did I find a lot of ideas.  My favorite sites are Kraft Foods and Better Homes &Gardens.  I also like Cooks.com, Land O Lakes and Taste of Home. 

Planning meals was fun and plus it gave me a variety as opposed to always wondering what I want to eat and wound up eating the same fast foods.  It was an opportunity to try dishes that I would never thought to try. 

Well once the holidays arrived I fell completely off course.  I tried to get back in to it the first of the year but couldn't get motivated and so I stopped.  Then I tried it again in the spring.  Well needless to say, it was a losing battle.  Once summer came and the cookouts started, I threw up the white flag and admitted defeat.  Now that the cooler temperatures are once again upon us I have made the committment to plan meals at home.  So far so good.  And this time I am determined not to let the holidays throw me off so I have come up with a plan.  Some  time in November I am going to have a mini cooking session.  Once I have the menus planned for December (actually starting Thanksgiving weekend), I will purchase all the ingredients and cook my meals in advance and store them in the freezer.  So all I will have to do is see what's for dinner that night and head straight to the freezer.  I really want this to work so ya'll pray for me.

Well it's nearly lunchtime and today I brought in chicken salad.