The four words I hate to hear when I come home after my hour long commute are "what is for dinner." While I have my mom's knack for organizing, I unfortunately did not inherit her cooking skills. For some reason I convinced myself that after getting married and having two kids I should be able to walk in the door, open the pantry, pull out two or three ingredients and whip up a scrumptious dinner that satisfies everyone. It has taken me 10 years, but I have finally realized that the only way dinner is going to make it on the table in a reasonable amount of time for the hungry masses in my house is if I plan ahead.
So, I sit down once a month and plan out our dinners. I take into consideration when I get home and how long it takes to prepare a meal. Four nights a week are designated theme nights with quick and easy meals. For example, Tuesday is pasta night, Wednesday is leftovers, Thursday is pizza, and Friday is breakfast night. Saturday I include fun choices like sliders or chicken nuggets. Sunday I typically have more time to prepare a full meal, so we will have a chicken dish, pork chops, meatloaf, turkey or other "home cooked" meal. That leaves Monday, which I like to save for international selections like tacos, sweet & sour chicken, or calzones. I put my dinner menu in a protective plastic sleeve and tuck any recipes for the month behind it for quick reference.
Now that I know what's for dinner I can also shop more efficiently. I know exactly what I need to prepare 30 meals. I buy as much as I can at one time, and then I only have to stop at the grocery store for perishables and necessities.
I use my dinner menu as a guideline, which means I am always flexible. If we eat out one night or feel like having something different, then I simply move that night's meal to another night or save it for next month.
In my house dinner is done by Living Everyday Ultimately Organized.
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