Planning Meals – Introduction

Planning meals is most difficult part of being in charge of the kitchen. Especially when I am not hungry. But it is one of the most important. It’s true I can create a meal out of just about anything, but when it comes to everyday cooking, planning is where it’s at.

One of my favorite old Cary Grant movies is “Topper”. In it, Mrs. Topper painstakingly plans out every meal that her oh so important banker husband is to eat. You know, like Roast on Sunday, Lamb on Monday. etc. This type of planning seems a bit boring to me and given our hectic lifestyles, just not practical. So what I am going to accomplish here is a basic grocery list of items to keep on hand that can be used for just about any meal.

My family is always happier with me when I am hungry, because in survival mode I come up with the best meals. The question in our household is not “What’s for dinner”, but rather, “Mom, aren’t you hungry?” I really don’t like planning meals just like I am not a good shopper (in the traditional sense). I have been accused of shopping like a man – 1) know what you want (or need), 2) know where to get it, 3) go in, get it, get out. Window shopping has never been a favorite past time and neither has the planning of meals. All I know is that I don’t want the same meal day after day. I like to keep my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer well stocked so that when I do decide what to fix I don’t have to make a trip to the store.

The first thing to consider is what type of food do you like to eat. For me, I try to have some sort of protein, some sort of starch and some vegies. Make a list of the types of protein, starch and vegies you like. Now here’s the challenging part. We need to consider how each of these things will fit within your budget. It is possible to have an incredible variety of chicken dishes if that’s the only meat you can afford (or like). Speaking of chicken, there was a time when my daughter Melissa would only eat chicken. She was dead set against any red meat and would rarely eat pig. Given this challenge I was able to make chicken every night of the week and still keep it fresh and exciting.

The other very important aspect of stocking up your household for kitchen success is having the basic herbs and spices to make any dish exciting. Although my favorite way to use herbs is fresh picked, dried herbs are very handy to keep on hand. If you do any shopping at a mega store such as Costco or Sam’s Club, be sure you have the room to store it. If room is an issue for you, do your shopping at a regular grocery store.

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