Need help Meal Planning?

You all know what a fan I am of saving: money, food, my time...

Meal planning is as normal, natural and simple as breathing in my house and to help all of you get started, I have found and am pasting here a fantastic article, complete with downloadable, printable lists, calendars and tips:

http://organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/menu-planning-save-time-kitchen

Meal planning IS NOT HARD and it's NOT TIME-CONSUMING, at least not anymore so than starring into your fridge, asking yourself repeatedly; "what in the world am I going to make for dinner tonight?!?".   :)

Here's a snippet from the article to get you started:

Here's the overview of the process:

• Scan the food ads for specials and sales. Rough out a draft menu plan: seven dinner entrees that can be made from weekly specials, side dishes and salads.
• Wander to pantry and refrigerator to check for any of last week's purchases that are languishing beneath wilting lettuce or hardening tortillas. Check for draft recipe ingredients. Review your shopping list and note needed items.
• Ready, set, shop--but shop with an open mind. That 59-cent fryer won't look like such a bargain next to a marked-down mega-pack of boneless chicken breasts at 89 cents a pound. Be ready to substitute if you find a great deal.
• Return from shopping. As you put away groceries, flesh out the menu plan. Match it up with the family's calendar, saving the oven roast for a lazy Sunday afternoon, the quick-fix pizza for soccer night.
• Post the menu plan on the refrigerator door. Refer to it during the coming week as you prepare meals.

That's it! The bare bones of menu planning. You've made a draft plan, shopped from a list, retained flexibility in the marketplace, firmed up your plan and held yourself accountable.

Now, get your local grocery store ads, sit down with your partner/kids or just with your pen & paper and get to making your meal plan for the week!