WFMW- Monthly Menu Planning

Menu planning is not something that I enjoy doing.  Rather than doing it weekly I sit down once a month and do it for the whole month in one shot.  The way our schedules work out and the way we always have leftovers I normally only plan for about 3 meals a week (maybe 4 if one of my meals isn’t going to be good as leftovers).  When I’m planning my menu I take notes on where I found the specific recipe that I’m going to use.  That way I’m not hunting all over the place when it’s time to cook.  The other good thing about doing your planning monthly is it can save you money.  If you’re making pork tenderloin at the end of the month, but it goes on sale at the beginning of the month- you buy it on sale and save it for later.  When I have all of the ingredients for my meal I write a check on my calender (which I print off at http://www.calendarsthatwork.com).  That way I know what I have and if I need to move a meal up I can.  If I’m making a new dish I put a happy face or sad face on the calendar so I’ll know if I want to make it again.  The great thing is- if I get lazy one month I can just recycle one of my old calendars.  Every dish on the calendar gets made only once a month- that way we dont’ get tired of it.  This is what works for me- check out Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW tips.