Grocery shopping has always been my least favorite chore (well, aside from washing the dishes). When I need to go grocery shopping, I like to be in and out of the store as fast as humanly possible. Get out of there, hopefully without running into random acquaintances and being forced to make excruciating small talk near the toilet paper, while looking for the nearest exit. Or even worse, having run-ins with aggressive shoppers who get up in your personal space while you’re just trying grab a can of beans, but they can’t wait five seconds! Or those who bump their cart into the backs of your ankles. Ugh! Rant over…maybe. The recent growing popularity of curbside grocery options has been a Godsend for me. I don’t have to get out of the car, and there is minimal interaction with others. Win-Win!
Being a busy mom who works, homeschools, keeps her kid alive, keeps the house clean, makes homemade meals daily, insert any of the other million tasks that need to be done every single day, it took me a while to find a system for meal planning that worked for me. I have perfected my system over the years, which provides my life with joy because it allows me to feel like I have a bit of control of this one aspect my life. Maybe the only aspect of my life I have any control over. Ha!
The only way I can keep my sanity is to plan a menu for at least seven days at a time. More often than not, I will shop for ten to twelve days in one trip, so I only have to go the grocery store every other week. My menu planning routine usually begins by perusing recipe websites, like the food section here at Homestead and Hearth, or cookbooks to help me get some ideas of what meals sound good for the week ahead. I select however many dinner recipes I want to shop for that week, and since I am hopelessly old-school, I write them down in my planner in the meal planning section. (I know…my husband and my son regularly invite me to join the 21st century. What can I say? I’ll always be a pencil and paper girl at heart.)
Once I have ten to twelve meals lined up in my planner, I go through recipe by recipe and make my grocery list. If I have to go into the store, I categorize my list into groups according to the store layout (all the produce items together, all the meats, together, cleaning products and dry goods, etc.) I find that categorizing my list in such a way, gets me in and out of the store as quickly as possible, which brings happiness into my weary soul. If I am shopping online for curbside pickup, I go recipe by recipe, adding each item to my online cart to make sure I don’t miss anything. This system works beautifully for me, and it really does help take some stress out of the week when you start hearing those cries of “What’s for dinner?!” around the same time you’ve reached your evening slump. Just run an eye over the week’s written menu plan, and pick what you’re in the mood to cook that day (or oftentimes which recipe has ingredients with sooner expiration dates).
Aside from the menu I create each week, I also plan for breakfasts, lunches (I try to keep these meals simple and fuss free) and essentials (Coffee! Chocolate! or garbage bags or whatever). This type of meal planning may not be for everyone. I know some of you out there enjoy going to the grocery store, and even more unbelievably, *shudder*, want to shop for each day’s meal on that day. If that is you, I applaud you and wish you well. But if you are like me, and you’re looking for a little less stress in your everyday life (and fewer trips the store), I invite you to try out my system. You just might love it! Now, if I could just find someone to wash my dishes…
-Honey
**Sample Meal Plan**
Menu:
Homestead and Harvest Recipes
-poblano portobella fajitas with smashed avocados and lime crema
-crispy tofu with mushrooms, greens and noodles
-butternut squash, sage and rosemary pizza
-artichoke, broccoli and pesto mayo sandwiches on homemade bread
-late summer cajun vegetables with farfalle pasta
-grilled chicken made with the perfect meat dry rub
**Sample Grocery List**
Meats
Whole chicken
Chicken legs
Chicken thighs
Italian sausage
Dry Goods
Coffee
chocolate
Artichoke hearts
Mayo
Farfalle pasta
Pesto
Flour
Yeast
Sugar
Olive oil
Udon noodles
tortillas
pineapple
Dairy
Fontina cheese
Butter
eggs
mozzarella
Greek yogurt
parmesan
Produce
Broccoli
Garlic
Tofu
Bok choy
Ginger
Green onions
Shiitake mushrooms
Lemon
Shallot (2)
Poblano
Carrots
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Red bell pepper
Portobella mushrooms
Onion
Lime
Avocados (2)
Spinach
Butternut squash
Frozen
Ice Cream