Hip, Hip, Hooray, for the Menu of the Day!

Weekly menu planning has been an evolving process that began about two years ago, when I decided I wanted to charge of the kitchen for the first time, and actually start cooking some of the dinners.

Prior to that, my husband was the top chef, and I basically sat by the sidelines, helping chop onion or grate cheese when needed. Don't get me wrong, I was/am not complaining! It was/is fabulous to have my husband cook, and he still does (w/my lower cal recipes) today.

But, when my twins turned one, I decided it was time to take charge again of my fitness/health, and knew I needed to learn how to cook healthy meals in order to be successful. So after a few weeks of jockeying control in the kitchen ('honey, that's way too much oil!!'), my husband gradually conceded and I took control of the cooking reigns and ran! I became in charge of the meals, shopping, and all of the cooking. I started to plan my meals a few days at a time and my efficiency grew into a fun weekly challenge to minimize trips to grocery stores, & maximize all the food I bought. Thus, the weekly menus were born!

Today I love to plan meals for the week, & attempt to try at least one new recipe along the way. I LOVE the site www.thisweekfordinner.com to help keep me committed and see new recipes out there.
The high quality picture above is this week's menu posted on the fridge. I HIGHLY encourage you to try it out! It might feel like you're investing a lot of time in the planning, but if you devote ~20 minutes on a Sunday evening or Monday morning...you spend WAY less time during the week wondering what's in the fridge and what to have for dinner each nite.
Now tell me what works for you with dinners and planning!