One of my informal New Year's Resolutions involves doing better menu planning to avoid the all to common refrigerator rot that occurs when I buy things that I think look great, but have no real plan for using. This has been helped by a wonderful template that I found on one of the craftblogs I drool over- maybe one day I'll finally take up crochet.
Anywho, this menu planning is also helping Jason come up with ideas for Nora's lunch - or will if he actually uses it. I've used it to create a mix and match list of Nora mains, sides, desserts and snacks of things that we usually have around the house -and I hope this will make a substantial dent in our overstuffed pantry as well (a problem similar to refrigerator rot, but not as terminal).
It is also assisting in two other goals - test kitchening my way though Vegan w/ a Vengeance, and Veginomicon and taking my lunch to work more often. This weekend, I made a modified version of one of her red beans and rice recipes (I didn't have any seitan, a vegan staple I've yet to experiment with) and the hot glazed tempeh, which has turned out to be quite addictive. The added benefit - it requires 1/4 cup of hot sauce! Yes! I've cleared out a less used condiment from the fridge, but don't rejoice too fast- Jason has unfortunately already replaced with not one but two varieties of Tabasco -he is of the people of the sauce. Luckily I liked it so much, that I plan to make to make this many more times. I also made a pea soup (not an Isa recipe) and the gingerbread cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I am trying very hard not to eat these all away from Nora, so I'll be making them again. Let's hope I can stick to the menu planner for at least 5 meals this week.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Menu Planning
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2 comments:
I so need to do this. Menu planning has been on our master New Year's workshee for the last THREE years and it is something that we just fail to do. I really need some inspiration in the kitchen, so keep those awesome looking recipes coming.
It would be nice from time to time to come home from the grocery store and feel like we had meals ready to be made rather than a trunk load of beer, wine, and soda. Still, when we do, it is often the case that we have to work so hard to get in all the meals before the rot sets in.
I do so enjoy the Isa books though so maybe that will help me plan better. She already makes me buy certain items and try to use them before they go bad... thus the increasingly common presence of Twinky Corn muffins in our house.
-tp
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