Do You Meal Plan?

In the past I only really used to meal plan sporadically, so supermarket trips were waayyy too frequent, stressful, ineffective and expensive. I would ALWAYS forget to take meat out of the freezer and then meals became a snatch and grab affair, and not particularly nutritionally balanced.

So last year, while taking part in The Organised Housewife's 20 Day Challenge to Clean & Organise Your (my!) Home, I got totally bitten by the meal plannning bug.

Here's why it makes sense to me:

• One weekly visit to the supermarket
• Less impulse buying. I have a list and I generally do stick to it
• Much more time on my hands because I am not at the shops every other day
• I only need to think about meals once, instead of constantly stressing, every day, about what we are going to have that night.
• I am far more likely to be adventurous in the kitchen when I have time to think and plan. This makes cooking much more exciting for me.
• But the biggest reason really is no more flying from work to the supermarket, or worse from school pick up to the supermarket with TIRED HUNGRY kids. Arrrgghh!

Here are the steps that I have found work for me. 
 

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Step 1 - Relax

Source: dailydoseofstuf.tumblr.com via Krista on Pinterest

Take your time. I like to do my meal planning at breakfast time on a Saturday or Sunday. I sit with my coffee and toast and paw through recipe books, magazines, apps or wherever the inspiration hits me.

Step 2 - Get Input

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Ask the family what they would like to see on the menu. Why should I have to come up with all the ideas, right?
The kids have also taken an interest in cooking recently. My 9yo son bought himself the Australian Junior Masterchef Series 2 Cookbook. Since then, the kids have been choosing one meal per week from this book to cook themselves. I say "themselves" but I think we all know that means me, and they watch! Not really, I feel I am doing the world (and their future partners) a favour by teaching them some skills in the kitchen.
Be warned though, these particular recipes are not quick and easy, so if you decide to try them, be sure to do it on a day when you have an hour or two to spend in the kitchen with the kids.

Step 3 - Shop the Specials

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I do my regular shop at Woolworths (because the store is less than 1km from our house). They also happen to have a pretty fab App that shows me what foods are on special that week. I can browse the aisles for the best deals in my pyjamas at the kitchen table. Pretty neat right? I'm sure other major supermarkets I base the core of the weeks' menu on what MEATS are affordable that week.

Step 4 - Check the Supplies

Source: katesalvage-katecreativesalvage.blogspot.com via Hilliary on Pinterest

I like to have a look in the fridge, freezer and pantry to see what is leftover and still fresh enough to use. I might have some leftover rice and a few veges I can turn into Nasi Goreng with a few fresh ingredients. Leftover mashed potato can become Salmon Fish Cakes. You get the idea.

It's also a good opportunity at this point to purge any manky old stuff, to make room for the fresh goods I am about to purchase.

Step 5 - Being Kind to Myself

I like to plan our meals around our family schedule. Our family was particularly busy this past summer, being our first cricket season, for example:

MONDAY: Princess 7 - Tennis 4:00-5:00pm
TUESDAY: Mr 9 - Cricket Training 5:00-6:00, Mummy - Choir Practice 7:00pm-9:00pm
WEDNESDAY: 5:00-6:00 Piano Lessons
THURSDAY: Breathe!
FRIDAY: Yay it's Friday!
SATURDAY: 8:30-12:00 Cricket
SUNDAY: Grocery Shopping

Bearing in mind, I drop the kids at school and head straight into work. I leave work in time to collect the kids from school and we are getting in the door at around 3:15. That leaves a pretty tight window for snacks, homework, chores (theirs and mine), getting changed into sports gear etc.

So, Monday to Wednesday needed to be super quick and easy meals, and not a childrens' cooking day.Later in the week I can think about more creatively satisfying meals.

Step 6 - Decision Time

So now I make the decision on the 7 meals for the week. I like to have at least one fish/seafood, and a variety of chicken, beef and even vegetarian dishes. I try to make sure that the meals are not ALL indulgent and that we have a good serving of vegetables, salad etc with each.

Step 7 - Lists, Lists, Lists

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I am a list person, and a computer person. I usually have the laptop at the table while I am meal planning and I like to type up my shopping list as I go. So just reading through the recipes and adding what ingredients I need.

The picture above is my little template I devised. It lists the items in departments within the supermarket. I find this helps to streamline the process once actually in the store with less risk of things being forgotten.

I like to write down how much of an item is required for a particular recipe, this way I don't over buy and in so doing it reduces waste.

I know the Woolies App organises the shopping list very well too, but it is difficult enter specific amounts of items (in particular fresh produce). So for now I take a paper list.

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And now the Meal Plan List. If I am using a few different recipe books or sources, I will note down the book and page number on the meal planner. This just saves a bit of time and brain power come dinner time. I keep this inside the pantry door, and it helps to remind me that I may need to take something out of the freezer that morning while I am scratching around for breakfast.

{download template}

This is also where I keep my running shopping list. You know, for things we run low on, or out of during the week (toothpaste, sugar, cleaning products etc). These items get added to the typed list that I take to the supermarket.

{Please note: The fonts I have used for these templates are specialty downloaded fonts from Kevin & Amanda. These fonts are not recognised by my Google Drive so they have been converted to a plain font. Feel free to personalise these templates by adding your own fonts.}

Step 8 - Don't Forget the Lunchbox

Source: suzs.tumblr.com via Jolene on Pinterest

I often have to remind myself to include items on the shopping list for lunchboxes. These include fruit, sandwich fillings, fresh bread and any ingredients for the baking that I plan to do.I try to get ahead by making sandwiches and baking on the weekend and freezing for the week to come.

Step 9 - Hit The Shops

Source: stayathomemum.com.au via Chen on Pinterest

Right, so now I have a meal plan for the week and a comprehensive shopping list. Time to hit the supermarket. We (I say we, I mean hubby!) have come up with a family plan to HALVE the shopping time. We go to the supermarket as a family. Madness you might say but the kids are 9 & 7 now, so old enough to help, and we literally tear the list down the middle. Hubby takes one half and one child, and I take the other. We call it Divide & Conquer. It becomes a bit of a competition to see who can get to the checkout first. Done and dusted in half the time. Clever hubby <3

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So there we have it. Planned prepped and ready for the week ahead. If you are a busy mum (or dad, or wife or single person for that matter) and you don't meal plan, I highly would recommend it. It has reduced my stress levels and made cooking and meal times far more enjoyable for the whole family.

Nasi Goreng

 {image credit-AGT Magazine via Zinio}

A real snatch and grab recipe that can be made at a minute's notice straight from the pantry. Also a great way to use up leftover rice.

Ingredients:

• For Serving
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
• 4 eggs
• For the Fried Rice
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 red chilies, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 500 g rice, steamed, cooled
• 2 tablespoons kecap manis
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• 4 spring onion, sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• ¼ bunches coriander, roughly chopped
• prawn crackers

Directions:

1. Fry onion until brown & crispy. Use the same frying pan to fry eggs to desired "doneness". Set aside for serving.

2. Heat peanut oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Stir fry brown onion, chilli, garlic and shrimp paste for 5 minutes.

3. Add rice, kecap manis, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and spring onions. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.

4. Serve with 1 fried egg per person, fried onion, sliced cucumber, coriander and prawn crackers.

(Serves 4)

Working Mum's Time Saver Tip: Cooking rice from scratch can take up to 25 minutes and I don't always have leftover rice. Microwavable rice sachets are quick and easy solution.  They can be kept in the pantry and only take about 2 minutes to cook in the microwave. There are a variety of brands available at most supermarkets.

{images via Woolworths} 

Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara

Recipe By: Pippa
Serving Size: 4

Summary:
Great recipe from Donna Hay, though the chicken and mushrooms are our family's own addition.

Ingredients:
400 grams Fettuccine
200 grams chicken breast, cut into thin strips
6 rashers bacon, cut into thin strips
3 green onions, sliced
10 button mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 egg yolks*
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup parmesan
sea salt and cracked pepper
2 tbl chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta until al dente. Keep warm. Must be kept warm as the heat from the pasta will cook the egg in the sauce.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken, bacon, mushrooms and green onions for 3-4 minutes until bacon is crisp and golden.

3. Place egg yolks, cream, parmesan, salt and pepper in bowl and whisk well to combine.

4. Toss the egg mixture through the hot pasta, coating well, then toss with bacon mixture and parsley and serve immediately.

Notes:
It pays to reserve a little pasta water, as this sauce can tend to be a bit thick. If needed, add just a couple of tablespoons at a time to the "sauced" pasta before adding the bacon mix until you get a consistency you like.

*Save your egg whites! Crack into a small takeaway container or zip-lick bag. Label with the number of egg whites and pop in the freezer. Next time you need egg whites, just defrost and away you go!

{WORKING MUM TIMESAVER TIP}: You can purchase your chicken, bacon and mushrooms already sliced. This will save a few precious minutes of prep time.  

Recipe Share - Banana Cake

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Recipe By: Pippa
Serving Size: 10
Yield: 10 slices

Summary:

This seems to be our family's stand by for using up over-ripe bananas. In fact I suspect that some bananas get left to go bad just so that I have to make this :) The original recipe for the cake comes from Donna Hay Modern Classics 2. The cream cheese frosting is my own addition, and a rework on an old classic. The inclusion of vanilla makes this extra special and irresistible.

Ingredients:

For the Cake
125 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup roughly mashed banana
For the Frosting
60 g Cream cheese, softened
30 g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar
1-2 teaspoon lemon juice
lemon zest

Directions:

1. For the Cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy.

2. Gradually add the eggs and beat well.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture. Add the cinnamon, sour cream and banana and stir to combine.

4. Spoon the mixture into a greased 26cm (10 in) fluted ring tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on a wire rack.


5. For the Frosting
In a small bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and well combined. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well between additions. Add enough lemon juice to bring the mixture to a smooth, but firm consistency. Spread generously over the cooled cake, sprinkle with lemon zest and just try to resist!