Menu Planning

Another thing Ryan & I have been trying to do more of is 'menu planning.' There are a ton of resources out there that show you how to create a 'home management binder' and you can download free pdf printouts to guide you with your grocery shopping & weekly menu planning.

I really like getting the tips from a blog I follow, written by Tsh Oxenreider, called Simple Mom. She also wrote a great book I love called Organized Simplicity: The Clutter Free Approach to Intentional Living.

 

For myself & others that are not moms yet, all the stuff you find here is useful even if you don't have kids, just being a wife requires some resources to keep yourself organized & sane :)

Here is a great article on menu planning, in it she actually talks about using her Google calendar to help keep track of her menus for the week...I never would have thought to do that, it's such a good idea.

http://simplemom.net/how-to-menu-plan/

And there are some really cute grocery & menu planning pdfs out there you can download for free:

easy grocery check off list (reusable if you print & laminate this & use a wax pencil)

http://simplemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/grocery-list.pdf 

graphic design meal planning menu

http://theprojectgirl.com/downloads/theprojectgirl.com-mealplanner.pdf 

monthly menu
http://www.vertex42.com/Files/monthly-menu-planner.pdf

my personal favorite, weekly menu & shopping list in one, also a ton of other pdfs for home mgmt binder
http://organizedhome.com/printable/household-notebook/weekly-menu-planner-shopping-list

Local Harvest Delivery

In an effort to be healthier, we thought it'd be good to add some more fruits and veggies to our diet. My sister & brother in law recommended this great company, Local Harvest Delivery, that brings local produce straight to your door. You pay a weekly fee for them to deliver a box of fresh, locally grown & in season fruits & veggies. And you can go online every week to add to your box additional fruits, veggies, organic meats, eggs, and honey...all from local farmers.

Their motto is that "They are proud to offer life-changing services that will result in healthier people, a healthier environment, and a stronger local economy and community."

This Saturday will be our first delivery, we thought we'd try out the small $25 box every other week to see how it goes. At least 1/4 of our grocery bill is fruits & vegetables anyway, so why not get something that's locally grown, so you know where the food comes from. My sister did say they had to be a little creative sometimes with cooking some of the vegetables they received, especially during the winter months. But I look forward to a little challenge to our day to day cooking, maybe it will encourage me (especially me) to take some more risk with my vegetables of choice :)