Anthony wrote:
> For those who cook for the household how do you plan menus?
> Here's what I do: My wife and I (retired) seldom eat out and have our
> main meal, which I make, at midday. I try to alternate red meat, white
> meat and seafood, so I have a three day cycle, and I make one or more
> vegetables. Yesterday, for example, we had hamburgers, slow-roasted
> tomatoes, caramelized onions and stir fried spinach with garlic.
> Toaday we'll have ham and a salad and tomorrow I'll go to whole foods
> and see what fish looks good and decide what veg to go with.
> Interested to know how others approach this.

I pretty much shop the sales, freeze meat and cook with whatever
veggies are fresh and inexpensive that week. I also "stretch" meals by
making more than we can eat and recycling the meats - roasted chicken
becomes chicken quesadillas later in the week, or chicken soup, for
example. I have old standards - turkey meatloaf, roasted chicken,
pasta with meat-based sauce, chicken burritos. I fall back on those
when I am not feeling too creative.

We generally have a meat, a starch (rice or potatoes) and a green
veggies, and sometimes a second veggie as well (usually roasted or
sauteed veggie mix), and/or a salad. I sometimes throw in a fruit
salad or specialty item such as potatoes au gratin, but most of my
meals are thrown together in an hour with a little one underfoot, so I
don't have the luxury of getting too creative too often.

I also make and pack my husband's lunch daily (usually a salad and
fruit) and cook brekkies and hot lunch for my son and myself minimally,
so I do a lot of cooking all day and night. It's hard to stay
motivated and creative, sometimes.

-L.