This is very interesting. I would not have thought to create one 7 day menu and use it for the entire month. I am going to try this for my family of 6.
@tbjgordon My husband's grandmother did this but she never changed it with a new month. They knew exactly what to expect depending on what day of the week it was for his entire childhood. Someone even mentioned it at her funeral. My husband saw how stressed I was and suggested something like that for us. I like to cook so I changed it to suit me, by switching it up every month. I wouldn't want to keep the same 7 meals forever like she did. It does makes planning so much faster.
@CherishMyDaughter I'm curious do you do the same thing for breakfast and lunch too? Since I am home all day with 3 little ones (3 months, 22 months and 4) we usually eat leftovers or something from a box or frozen meal for lunch. Not the healthiest I know but I don't know what else to do.
@tbjgordon We eat oatmeal for breakfast most days. Wednesdays we have french toast, Saturdays is a free for all--make what you want, and Sundays we have hot chocolate and bagels. Lunch is leftovers. I try to make enough for it to be enough for lunch the next day. Some days it doesn't work so I have lunch meat, hot dogs and boxed mac n' cheese on hand. I don't like to resort to that so I work hard to try to set aside a lunch portion and make adjustments.
I've been watching your vids and these homemaking tips have come right on time! I've heard this before, but it always seems like a task in itself! I love the way you simplify everything. I can do this! lol. Thanks for sharing x.
@GirlsLoveYourCurls Yes you definitely can do this! don't forget to tweak it to suit your own needs. I think that's the main reason we get overwhlemed--there's nothing set in stone.
Yes I know meal planning will help me so much. I've been wanting to do a menu since I started cooking and I am finally doing it after watching this video. I never thought about having the same thing every Monday for a month. I plan for 2 weeks now and hate making a grocery list every 2 weeks because I'm always trying to come up with something new.
@afronique If you make up a list of everything you've ever cooked for dinner and a separate list for sides, you'll be surprised at how much you come up with. If you do breakfast for dinner for one meal you only have to come up with 6 others. Now, you'll have time to look for recipes. I've really been enjoying lauravitalekitchen--a lot of her stuff is healthy. A menu for me: Spaghetti, BBQ chicken, spinach lasagna, roasted chicken, breakfast, taco soup (w/chips). Sides=Veggie +rice/bread
@CherishMyDaughter - How often do you go to the store in a month? I go twice a month and a lot of my fresh fruit and veggies will spoil before I use them but I also don't think I know how to pick the good stuff at the store. Do you have ways to keep them fresh or do you shop for some of them later when it's closer to the time you will eat them. Like I froze an avocado and it looked good until I thawed it so I ended up throwing it out.
@afronique I do my bulk shopping once a month. I buy frozen spinach, broccoli, corn, string beans frozen and blueberries at Bj's which is like Costco. I shop seasonal fruits and veggies once a week. I set my mind that I am only going in for produce which is usually in the front of the store for supermarkets or I go to a farmer's market near my house. The best opportunity is when we can pick fruit ourselves. I used to think only country bumpkins had fun berry and apple picking.
@CherishMyDaughter - Ok I'm taking notes, I'm doing my food list and menu right now/ checking email, lol. Here in Washington people will pull over to the side of the road to get out and pick berries. I was commenting on fb about it and pretty much all my friends admitted to doing it, lol.
@CherishMyDaughter about the avocado--I would imagine it turns brown like an apple. If you sprinkle it with lemon juice it will keep it's color. I don't know about freezing it though.
This is really good, sis. VERY helpful. Still being in an apt tho, can't get a deep freezer so I guess for right now I'll just take notes so I can hit the ground running next spring when we purchase our first HOUSE, praise tha Lord. LOL! I do plan the meals tho, so I'm off to a good start already :)
@naturalesque81tv You can do this with an ordinary freezer if your family is relatively small. I know someone who has 3 children who makes excellent use of her freezer. You can start small. Double up your recipes and cook for 2 weeks instead of 1. Each day for a week make 2 family portions. Eat one and freeze the other. Next week you won't have to cook. This is how I started. Start even smaller by making 2 lasagna's and freezing one for a rainy day. You CAN start now.
This is good information! I work outside the home and have 2 busy girls. I love the idea of making a menu for the week and would love to freeze meals. I have two hurdles to overcome with the freezing concept...need to purchase a stand alone freezer AND getting my family (husband mostly) to embrace what they will consider "leftovers". I'm up for the challenge!
@echris150 It's only left over if they've had it before. Remember that you are offering them a fresh meal every day--you just prepared it ahead. My husband is very easy going about food and so this isn't a problem for me. Explain to him what you are trying to do (save time and money while reducing stress, offer more wholesome meals)--prayerfully he'll appreciate the benefits so much he'll change his mind. If not, even a tool as helpful as this isn't worth stirring up strife.
@CherishMyDaughter Also, presentation counts! I work hard to arrange the food on a real plate in an attractive way. If it looks good and tastes good nobody in my house cares when I made it.
@sassiemommy Stir fry, spaghetti or anything involving pasta and ground meat or sausage, soups, chili, wraps/fajitas, casseroles, meatloaf, breakfast for dinner (big one), chicken sandwiches made with homemade roasted chicken, salad. I try to balance meals with whole pieces of meat (chicken thigh) with meals with shredded/ground portions and vegetarian dishes. You know best what your family likes to eat--consider how much it costs to make those meals. It becomes a bigger deal as the kids grow.
@srystr77 I have caught the coupon bug--but I haven't tweaked it enough to my satisfaction. I live in a different state from my relatives, have a super busy husband, and 5 children. Running all over town to stock on stuff I'm not using today just isn't working well for me. I've read I should leave the kids at home...yeah right! It can happen but not enough. I'm glad for it though because I used to think coupons were annoying junk mail clogging up my mailbox and Sunday paper. Working on it.
@joy1210ful That's where the brainstorm list comes in. Make that list so that when you sit down with your calendar you don't have to stress yourself trying to come up with meals. Ask your family members to make suggestions. Scope out recipes online and youtube. I enjoy Betty's Kitchen, onepotchef, foodwishes,lauravitaleskitchen. There are SO many more! I also save my menus from previous month. Everything is in a file on my computer. Once it's all laid out you can fly through it.
@trinibug82 It works! It also eliminates the constant "what's for dinner?" Now I can say, "check the menu". It also helps me because I actually know what we are eating and don't have to take out my frustration for not knowing, on my curious kid.
I only have myself to cook for right now, but I STILL end up running to the grocery way too often. I started making meal plans but then I got lazy :( I'll start again soon since my bank account is suffering!
@trinibug82 Good for you! You'll see! It's amazing how much money we waste by shopping with no plan. The stores have a planned strategy--even in how they lay out the products. We should too.
This is very interesting. I would not have thought to create one 7 day menu and use it for the entire month. I am going to try this for my family of 6.
tbjgordon 1 month ago
@tbjgordon My husband's grandmother did this but she never changed it with a new month. They knew exactly what to expect depending on what day of the week it was for his entire childhood. Someone even mentioned it at her funeral. My husband saw how stressed I was and suggested something like that for us. I like to cook so I changed it to suit me, by switching it up every month. I wouldn't want to keep the same 7 meals forever like she did. It does makes planning so much faster.
CherishMyDaughter 1 month ago
@CherishMyDaughter I'm curious do you do the same thing for breakfast and lunch too? Since I am home all day with 3 little ones (3 months, 22 months and 4) we usually eat leftovers or something from a box or frozen meal for lunch. Not the healthiest I know but I don't know what else to do.
tbjgordon 1 month ago
@tbjgordon We eat oatmeal for breakfast most days. Wednesdays we have french toast, Saturdays is a free for all--make what you want, and Sundays we have hot chocolate and bagels. Lunch is leftovers. I try to make enough for it to be enough for lunch the next day. Some days it doesn't work so I have lunch meat, hot dogs and boxed mac n' cheese on hand. I don't like to resort to that so I work hard to try to set aside a lunch portion and make adjustments.
CherishMyDaughter 1 month ago
Thank you! You are a blessing and I can tell you are an awesome Mom and Wife and I am going to try this myself. Blessings to you and yours!
MaggieRamshaw 2 months ago
@MaggieRamshaw Thank you! I hope you come back and let us know how it worked for you!
CherishMyDaughter 2 months ago
Wow! You are awesome...that is such a great idea! Lately I've been eating a lot of fast food and that is not a good thing, and it's bad for my health.
Meal planning foods on Monday-Sunday would really help me get a variety of foods in my diet....Thank you so much :)
EricSchwin22 5 months ago
I've been watching your vids and these homemaking tips have come right on time! I've heard this before, but it always seems like a task in itself! I love the way you simplify everything. I can do this! lol. Thanks for sharing x.
GirlsLoveYourCurls 8 months ago
@GirlsLoveYourCurls Yes you definitely can do this! don't forget to tweak it to suit your own needs. I think that's the main reason we get overwhlemed--there's nothing set in stone.
CherishMyDaughter 7 months ago
Yes I know meal planning will help me so much. I've been wanting to do a menu since I started cooking and I am finally doing it after watching this video. I never thought about having the same thing every Monday for a month. I plan for 2 weeks now and hate making a grocery list every 2 weeks because I'm always trying to come up with something new.
afronique 9 months ago
@afronique If you make up a list of everything you've ever cooked for dinner and a separate list for sides, you'll be surprised at how much you come up with. If you do breakfast for dinner for one meal you only have to come up with 6 others. Now, you'll have time to look for recipes. I've really been enjoying lauravitalekitchen--a lot of her stuff is healthy. A menu for me: Spaghetti, BBQ chicken, spinach lasagna, roasted chicken, breakfast, taco soup (w/chips). Sides=Veggie +rice/bread
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
@CherishMyDaughter - How often do you go to the store in a month? I go twice a month and a lot of my fresh fruit and veggies will spoil before I use them but I also don't think I know how to pick the good stuff at the store. Do you have ways to keep them fresh or do you shop for some of them later when it's closer to the time you will eat them. Like I froze an avocado and it looked good until I thawed it so I ended up throwing it out.
afronique 9 months ago
@afronique I do my bulk shopping once a month. I buy frozen spinach, broccoli, corn, string beans frozen and blueberries at Bj's which is like Costco. I shop seasonal fruits and veggies once a week. I set my mind that I am only going in for produce which is usually in the front of the store for supermarkets or I go to a farmer's market near my house. The best opportunity is when we can pick fruit ourselves. I used to think only country bumpkins had fun berry and apple picking.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
@CherishMyDaughter - Ok I'm taking notes, I'm doing my food list and menu right now/ checking email, lol. Here in Washington people will pull over to the side of the road to get out and pick berries. I was commenting on fb about it and pretty much all my friends admitted to doing it, lol.
afronique 9 months ago
@afronique That's great! Let us know how it goes!
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
@CherishMyDaughter about the avocado--I would imagine it turns brown like an apple. If you sprinkle it with lemon juice it will keep it's color. I don't know about freezing it though.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
This is really good, sis. VERY helpful. Still being in an apt tho, can't get a deep freezer so I guess for right now I'll just take notes so I can hit the ground running next spring when we purchase our first HOUSE, praise tha Lord. LOL! I do plan the meals tho, so I'm off to a good start already :)
naturalesque81tv 9 months ago
@naturalesque81tv You can do this with an ordinary freezer if your family is relatively small. I know someone who has 3 children who makes excellent use of her freezer. You can start small. Double up your recipes and cook for 2 weeks instead of 1. Each day for a week make 2 family portions. Eat one and freeze the other. Next week you won't have to cook. This is how I started. Start even smaller by making 2 lasagna's and freezing one for a rainy day. You CAN start now.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
This is good information! I work outside the home and have 2 busy girls. I love the idea of making a menu for the week and would love to freeze meals. I have two hurdles to overcome with the freezing concept...need to purchase a stand alone freezer AND getting my family (husband mostly) to embrace what they will consider "leftovers". I'm up for the challenge!
echris150 9 months ago
@echris150 It's only left over if they've had it before. Remember that you are offering them a fresh meal every day--you just prepared it ahead. My husband is very easy going about food and so this isn't a problem for me. Explain to him what you are trying to do (save time and money while reducing stress, offer more wholesome meals)--prayerfully he'll appreciate the benefits so much he'll change his mind. If not, even a tool as helpful as this isn't worth stirring up strife.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
@CherishMyDaughter Also, presentation counts! I work hard to arrange the food on a real plate in an attractive way. If it looks good and tastes good nobody in my house cares when I made it.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
Love it!! Off to watch freezer cooking.
DrDawnMarie 9 months ago
Could you share some of your meal ideas? What are the meal that are cost effective for a large family? Thanks.
sassiemommy 9 months ago
@sassiemommy Stir fry, spaghetti or anything involving pasta and ground meat or sausage, soups, chili, wraps/fajitas, casseroles, meatloaf, breakfast for dinner (big one), chicken sandwiches made with homemade roasted chicken, salad. I try to balance meals with whole pieces of meat (chicken thigh) with meals with shredded/ground portions and vegetarian dishes. You know best what your family likes to eat--consider how much it costs to make those meals. It becomes a bigger deal as the kids grow.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
Have you gotten into couponing? And shoping the sales. Maybe it can help you save even more...
srystr77 9 months ago
@srystr77 I have caught the coupon bug--but I haven't tweaked it enough to my satisfaction. I live in a different state from my relatives, have a super busy husband, and 5 children. Running all over town to stock on stuff I'm not using today just isn't working well for me. I've read I should leave the kids at home...yeah right! It can happen but not enough. I'm glad for it though because I used to think coupons were annoying junk mail clogging up my mailbox and Sunday paper. Working on it.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
Oh and guess who's hugry for curry chicken now :(
trinibug82 9 months ago
@trinibug82 Don't throw anything at the screen OK.......I just pulled some out of the freezer! Get's what's for dinner tonight?
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
Loving the Homemaking Tips!! This is something that I have been trying to do,my only issue is trying to come up with different things to cook.
joy1210ful 9 months ago
@joy1210ful That's where the brainstorm list comes in. Make that list so that when you sit down with your calendar you don't have to stress yourself trying to come up with meals. Ask your family members to make suggestions. Scope out recipes online and youtube. I enjoy Betty's Kitchen, onepotchef, foodwishes,lauravitaleskitchen. There are SO many more! I also save my menus from previous month. Everything is in a file on my computer. Once it's all laid out you can fly through it.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
@CherishMyDaughter Okay,thanks so much. I will have to check those websites,I usually go to allrecipes.
joy1210ful 9 months ago
@joy1210ful Those are all YouTube channels with TONS of recipes.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
I like how you post it on the fridge so they can whine about it hahaha! These are great ideas to tuck away for whenever I have my family :)
trinibug82 9 months ago
@trinibug82 It works! It also eliminates the constant "what's for dinner?" Now I can say, "check the menu". It also helps me because I actually know what we are eating and don't have to take out my frustration for not knowing, on my curious kid.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago
I only have myself to cook for right now, but I STILL end up running to the grocery way too often. I started making meal plans but then I got lazy :( I'll start again soon since my bank account is suffering!
trinibug82 9 months ago
@trinibug82 Good for you! You'll see! It's amazing how much money we waste by shopping with no plan. The stores have a planned strategy--even in how they lay out the products. We should too.
CherishMyDaughter 9 months ago