Creating your menu plan is easy.

Just the first step is hard… Making a commitment!

Once you have made the commitment and started the menu plan, you are on your way.  Essentially all you need to begin is a sheet of paper.  There are many menu planning forms out there, here’s one I came upon recently. I have a small 3 ring binder in the kitchen cupboard that holds my menu plans.  Find a place to keep yours handy in your kitchen.

You can plan breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day, but I found that just having a menu plan for dinner was sufficient.  It is a great help in simplifying my evening routine.  To create a menu, first list the days of the week. Next, decide on an entree and side dishes for each day.

Here is a sample dinner menu plan:

Once you have your menu written out, you can then create a grocery list.  Don’t forget to check your pantry for things you already have on hand.  If a meal you are preparing requires a recipe, put the cookbook and page number right on your menu plan.  Save the menu plans that you create because once you have 6 weeks worth or more, you can re-use them.  Again, it simplifies meal planning even further!  I have been planning menus for more than a decade and have a nice selection of menu plans to mix and match. No menu planning is a no-brainer!

Got to go!  Making chicken quesadillas for dinner!

It seems that every six months or so I have to do a “kitchen checkup”. As there is more than one person helping in the kitchen, preparing meals, and unloading the dishwasher, things can become unorganized over time. Because things don’t always end up back where they belong I use the “SOUP” method to reorganize my kitchen.

S – set up a work space. Use the dining table or set up a card table to stage your project. Have a box nearby for your donations and an empty trash bag for the throw aways.

O- organize by type. Start by emptying one cupboard, shelf, or drawer at a time. Take everything out and decide what to donate, throw away, and keep. This is the time to reduce the number of vegetable peelers, plastic cups, and plastic ware. Be brutal, it will simplify your life!

U- unify the space. Before returning the kitchen items to the cupboard, shelf, or drawer consider the location. Are the pots and potholders located near the stove, are the glasses and everyday plates in close proximity to the dishwasher? Put things as close to where they will be used as possible. Are all baking goods together in the same location? Are all non refrigereated snacks in one location? Having like items together helps with making the grocery list because it is easy to spot check your inventory.

P- put it away. As you return things to the alloted space, don’t fill it up completely. Leave room for the things that are in the dishwasher and future additions to your collection. Overstuffing the space will cause things to not be put away in the future (especially by other household members). It is inconvenient to straighten a shelf to make space every time something needs to be put away. Use the lower shelves for items used daily and the higher shelves for less frequently used items.

The “SOUP” method is easy to remember and helps you do the kitchen one cabinet at a time because who wants to spend all day in the kitchen?!
© 2005 -Natalie Conrad