365 days to an organized life - Day 5

Today, let's talk menu planning. I keep a list for Cooking on Remember the Milk app.

We never plan breakfast or lunch. Lunch is usually leftovers. Breakfast is usually some sort of cereal and fruit. So all I'm focusing on planning out is dinner because that is the meal that fuels our lunches as well.

Step 1) I take a notebook into the kitchen and look through my freezer and pantry. I make note of what meals I can create using mostly what I have and I also make a note of any missing ingredients.

Step 2) List all the dinners on the planned days in the Cooking list. I set them all for low priority which is my mark for evening tasks.

Step 3) List all the ingredients in the Shopping list. I set the shopping due date as never because some things on the list like waterproof glue are not necessary to get today. Don't forget to include any breakfast items, cleaning, personal care products, etc.

Step 4) Look at the menu plan. On some days will you need to start bread earlier that day? Do you need to defrost something? Do you need to soak beans? Add those tasks to the Cooking list for high priority for that morning or low priority the night before as needed?

Now, you are set up for success in providing home cooked meals to your family all week.