Menu Planning: Sometimes Detailed, Sometimes Not

I usually try to plan a week's worth of meals Sunday evening or Monday morning.


Sometimes my lists are detailed, assigning a specific meal to a specific night; other times I need more flexibility, so I will just scribble meal ideas on a legal pad which I then reference during the week. What I always do is pull out the recipes I intend to use from my kitchen binder and set them aside (so I'm not looking for recipes), then I make a grocery list and stock the pantry and refrigerator for the upcoming week.


It's not a perfect system, and sure there are weeks when I don't plan and I'm running around, and yes I've resorted to Little Caesar's pizza when I just don't feel like cooking, and sometimes we will even have a bowl of cereal for dinner, but the point is I like going into the week with some plan (vague or otherwise) so that I'm not scrambling.


This week I'm going with a list of meals. With two tennis matches I need flexibility to switch things around if I need to. Also, Jonathan arrives Friday for a four day weekend which not only means bigger meals, but also more nourishing ones to offset a college diet. Plus we're celebrating his 21st birthday, so there's that, too.


So here's our list of meals for the week. When I am trying to decide what to fix for dinner, I will pick from this list because I will have shopped for it and will have everything I need. I also know that we will eat out Saturday night and have lunch at Nonna and Nonno's house on Sunday.

Meal #1

pollo al forno con rosmarino (baked chicken with rosemary)

bruschetta

pure` di patate (mashed potatoes)

Meal #2

homemade pizza

raw vegetable platter

root beer floats

Meal #3

pasta alla Bolognese

salad

Meal #4

chili

cornbread muffins

Meal #5

Greek marinated grilled chicken

grilled Naan bread with spices

roasted/grilled vegetables

Meal #6 (football fare)
honey garlic crockpot meatballs
tortillas w. salsa grilled
Panini squares
gourmet popcorn

Bonus: One Breakfast Idea
cinnamon apple French toast

Bonus: One Dessert Idea
Nonna's apple cake

photo:

grocery shopping in Verona, Italy

June 2015