Oct 13 meal board

Meal planning to save money, headaches, and bored tastebuds

We had been feeling pretty tired of the same-old foods cooked week in and week out. We'd go to the grocery store with a list of foods that needed to be replaced and so we usually would end up cooking the same thing over and over. Well, I was sick of it! This realization happened to coincide with the Reavey's gift to us--a new fun cookbook, 100 Days of Real Food (100DRF).

This is the third week of our new meal planning system (see pics below). We now follow a prescribed weekly line-up that is freeingly rigid. Yes, it may sound rigid and boring BUT we can try new recipes while not being overwhelmed with finding, choosing and planning five meals/week. Sometimes choice is not your friend!

• MONDAY: "Monday, Fun-Day Fish Day!"-- we make fish-based food like "Gaga's Cracker Fish" (saltines, butter and Old Bay on haddock) or fish cakes (100DRF) or anything with fish in it (I try to use sardines as much as possible). This week I added garlic-butter-shrimp to a previously frozen Broccoli-Rice casserole (100DRF) and it was delicious.
• TUESDAY: "New Food Tuesday" -- This is my chance to introduce Isaac to new foods and for me to try new recipes. I've made quinoa burgers, homemade (hm) chicken nuggets with a broccoli-like veggie called romanesco and hm chicken potpie. The trick here is to make the new food with an old favorite (French fries, for example). Everyone must have a "no thank you portion" and I refuse to offer meal alternatives: you either eat what I make or wait until breakfast.
• WEDNESDAY: "Noodle-Me Wednesday" -- Any noodle-based food. That means casseroles, lasagnas, meatballs and spaghetti (I can slip in new foods here too, but it can also be old stand-bys if I'm feeling uninspired.
• THURSDAY: "Good Morning Thursday" -- Breakfast for dinner!  The key here is to make healthy versions of breakfast food but not removing the fun from the meal. This is also an easier meal to prepare so it fits nicely into a busy day. We include green eggs (6 eggs+ milk+kale/Swiss chard/beet greens---all in the blender and scrambled=green eggs!). 100DRF has an amazing banana waffle/pancake recipe that we adore.
• FRIDAY: "Pizza Day" -- Just like at the Oberlin Co-ops! One special touch is that Josh has been grilling the pizza. Trust me, this is incredible. I mean, the Best Pizza I Have Ever Had In My Life. Whole wheat crust+sauce+fresh mozzarella cheese= One Happy Wife!
• Saturday: "Remember Me Saturday" -- Leftovers if company isn't coming over or we aren't going out. 

One helpful tip from Margot was to freeze foods by making 2x of most dishes. Also when I freeze, I freeze flat in gallon Ziplock bags  (Moms, think freezing breastmilk!). We freeze pizza dough, unbaked casseroles, and the inside of chicken pot pie.

That's it! This has transformed us! Basically, I just need to buy all of my usual foods that need replacing plus special things for my Monday and Tuesday meals.

Our first week was:

• MONDAY: "Gaga's Cracker Fish" and broc-rice casserole (100DRF)
• TUESDAY: homemade (hm) chicken nuggets with a broccoli-like veggie called romanesco
• WEDNESDAY: "Noodle-Me Wednesday" -- hm meatballs and whole-wheat spaghetti
• THURSDAY: "Good Morning Thursday" -- Breakfast for dinner!  Green eggs and banana pancakes
• FRIDAY: "Pizza Day" -- The Best Pizza I Have Ever Had In My Life (Josh's grilled pizza)