Mom, What’s for dinner?

Don’t you love the question? You slave all day with laundry, cleaning up the floors, paying bills, driving carpool, volunteering at school, working… and you get home and BAM! Dinner time!
I’ve actually been surprised by how much I really enjoy cooking. Surprised for several reasons, beginning with my first experience in Home Ec (my goodness, I’m dating myself, I’m sure!) being saltier than the Dead Sea (she said, “a TABLESPOON, not a CUP!!” still echos through my head nearly everytime I cook, or think of Kitchen Team.) One thing I’ve learned is that organization is a huge piece of the puzzle. So I’ve found it so helpful to receive a weekly mailing of menus and recipes.
Each Thursday, Menus 4 Moms rings my e-bell. Inside their e-mail is a listing of five relatively simple, family friendly meals. We’re not talking gourmet cooking, just simple, downhome yums. Tonight, for example, we’re having Crockpot Lasagna, bread and Apple, Grape and Walnut salad. But I can also tell you what we’re having for the rest of the week!
On any given Sunday, you’ll find me with a print out of the meals, creating my shopping list. Menus 4 Moms actually supplies a list, but I’ve found that when I make my own, tailored to the layout of my grocery store, its even more organized.
So, after printing my menus, selecting the 4 meals I’ll make for the week, creating my list (all on Sunday), we head to the grocery store on Monday morning. After that, I’m set, for the week. It is so rare that I head back to the store to catch up on groceries. And as long as I look ahead to the next day and place whatever was frozen in the fridge for thawing, I’m always prepared to answer that sing-songy, “Mom, what’s for dinner?”
Did I mention this service is FREE?! That’s right, when you sign up for the weekly e-mails, they’ll link you back to their site. There, you’ll not only find your menu and recipes, but other free planning and cooking tips, like Bulk Cooking Help and “Secrets of a Busy Cook.” Start planning. In about 3 weeks, let me know how much more organized you feel. It made a huge difference for me.