tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232821373249365886.post1520007536149560218..comments2011-12-29T18:37:56.330-06:00Vanessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13290995561859770952noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232821373249365886.post-20829482403481243632011-12-29T18:37:56.330-06:002011-12-29T18:37:56.330-06:00Stephanie-I&#39;m glad I&#39;m not the only one who doesn&#39;t like grocery shopping! :) <br /><br />So far your meal planning sounds a lot like mine. Do you plan it out each week??<br /><br />I have not tried any meal-assembly places. I think we aren&#39;t in a big enough area for it. I&#39;ll have to check for sure though!Vanessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13290995561859770952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232821373249365886.post-63579894931109251632011-12-29T00:17:44.069-06:002011-12-29T00:17:44.069-06:00I don&#39;t like grocery shopping either. :)<br /><br />RE: meal-planning. I pretty much have my favorite stand-by recipes that are in a casual revolving schedule. Our meals are pretty basic around here: main dish salads, pasta w/ parmesan, grilled chicken, enchiladas, etc. <br /><br />Also: have you, by chance, tried any meal-assembly places? Dream Dinners is the one in our town. We&#39;ve only been once (but it was wonderful!).<br /><br />stephanie@metropolitanmama.netStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993230105586205393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232821373249365886.post-79151544739745518742011-12-26T16:46:19.647-06:002011-12-26T16:46:19.647-06:00Mandy-You have given me hope!!! Thank you SO much for sharing that. Off to check it all out when the girls go to bed. And yeah for being debt free. SO proud of you girl!! :)<br /><br />Salena-I&#39;ve tried doing that same method over the years, but my creativity always lacks and I think I need more direction. Now saving lists is a good idea and one that I can and will definitely try and implement. Oh and unfortunately I am one of those crazy people who hate breakfast for supper. It doesn&#39;t seem right to me! :)Vanessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13290995561859770952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232821373249365886.post-48347156379047612002011-12-22T10:21:58.438-06:002011-12-22T10:21:58.438-06:00I love to cook and bake and Steven really enjoys cooking too. WHat I usually do is make a list of some of our favorite meals, then I go to cupboard and fridge and see what I have and then make a list of what I need to finish those recipes. Then I shop for those items and cook those meals that week or 2 depending on how many meals I planned for. I hate going to the grocery for just a few things, I tend to go to WalMart and get it all done 2x a month! I always save my lists too to refer back to if I get in a rut.<br />We really love breakfast for supperm super easy and a crown favorite! Tacos, anything on the grill is always great too!the mom~http://www.blogger.com/profile/06412990005663685192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2232821373249365886.post-10122909784789315112011-12-21T10:53:26.947-06:002011-12-21T10:53:26.947-06:00Girl, the Six O&#39;Clock Scramble!!!<br /><br />http://thescramble.com/<br /><br />I was skeptical when a friend urged me to give this meal-planning whatnot a try, but I did and I was instantly hooked. It sends you a menu (five meals) for every week, and you can either print it as-is or go to the site and swap out recipes from the extensive database. (Since we don&#39;t eat red meat in our family, I do this sometimes.) The search engine is super easy; you can search by key word, time it takes to prepare, or even by ingredient, if you have some left over from something else. There is an emphasis on seasonal foods, on vegetarian and lighter alternatives, but overall on FAST healthy meals for your family. <br /><br />And best of all, once you select your menu, you print it out - one page for each easy recipe, complete with optional side dish, and then a one page grocery list with everything you need. For the week! Seriously, I only shop once a week now! For months! Squee!<br /><br />I feel like such a better wife and mother since I started the scramble... I cook pretty much every night, but without trauma, it saved us lots of money (so important while following Mr. Ramsey&#39;s baby steps!), and I wasn&#39;t cooking the same four or five things over and over. Maybe it is cheating a little that I&#39;m not planning meals myself, but it is seriously not a strength of mine so this has got us trying new things and enjoying the old favorites as occasional treats instead of once or twice a week. Seriously, just take a few minutes and check it out! <br /><br />If you decide you want to give it a try, let me know as I have some discount codes for friends. I did a 3 month subscription, and two months into it bought two years. Love it. <br /><br />(BTW, speaking of Mr. Ramsey... guess who became debt free last week! After 3 YEARS!) <br /><br />~Mandyreynoldahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16426089565420479300noreply@blogger.com