Menu Planning Success
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Homemaking on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 3:30 PM
Last night, I invited a group of friends over for a menu planning party, something I’ve thought about doing for a while but have always talked myself out of.
Why would a bunch of women want to get together for something so taxing, I’d muse, even if it does involve red wine. And then I realized, because! It’s getting together! And sharing some wine!
So I went ahead with my plans and I am so glad I did. We had a wonderful time and got quite a lot accomplished to boot!
Eleven women came to the party. At first, some of us stood in the kitchen and chatted while a few women got right down to business, pouring over cookbooks and recipe boxes at the dining room table. After a while, when everyone had arrived, we all gathered in the dining room. To be honest, I didn’t really have a plan for the evening other than I wanted menu ideas (which I’ve also asked for here! Thank you!), and I wanted to see how other people handled meal planning and making a menu.
One woman suggested we go around the table and share what works best for us in a pinch along with some of our tried-and-true favorites. For the next 90 minutes, we did that—each woman at the table shared what worked for her family, everything from cheap, easy and fast to less-cheap with a bit more effort to pull off. Mostly, the focus was on what each family would actually eat, and I am beginning to realize that’s key in this whole process—while I don’t run a cafeteria, I’m starting to avoid laboring over meals if none of the boys will touch them.
Our group ranged in age and family size. There was a newlywed living in a tiny apartment; because her fridge is only slightly larger than a box of cereal from Sam’s, she has a different approach to shopping and cooking entirely. There was a mother of six who now only has three at home—she’s adjusting to making smaller meals. There was a mother of seven who recently started nursing school, and she shared her tricks for quick meals that can get on the table even when she’s studying. There were several women who work and they also added an interesting perspective. And there was the woman who I am in awe of—she who has her shopping list on her Palm Pilot, including what stores have the best prices and what she likes to get where. Yeah, I’m still reeling from that awesomeness!
One other interesting tidbit—two of the ladies recently started a Dinner Co-op with one other neighbor. The three families, all about the same size, cook for each other three nights a week. On the night you cook, they explained, you triple the amount. Then you get two nights off that week. The ladies have all remarked this is working fabulously.
As for me, I did come away with an incredible list of meal ideas. I didn’t get them in the appropriate box just yet, I’ll do that tonight, but I did throw some chicken, salsa and taco seasoning in the crock-pot this morning and my house smells delicious. By 7 a.m., I had a plan for dinner. In the words of William Wallace, Frreeeeedom!!!!
Mostly it was just a wonderful time to fellowship with other women—to laugh and share and build the Church by strengthening our little church, the family.
If you try something like this, let me know how it goes! I’d love to hear all about it.
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