Keeping track of it all - menus, recipes, lists

**mommy4ever** · 08-23-2007, 12:23 AM

HOw does everyone deal with their recipes, menus etc.

I feel like I waste so much time searching for everything all the time. Then building it so it's useable.

How do you deal with all the menuplanning?

**Neeley** · 08-23-2007, 12:38 AM

I subscribe to e-mealz.com and they handle it all for me. Every Thursday I get a dinner menu for the next seven nights along with a customized (sp?)shopping list for the grocery store I choose and the recipes for each meal. It costs $1.25 per week ($5 a month) and it is well worth it. (I had an online coupon and I got one month free when I signed up.) So far all of the meals have been delicious and most take less than 30 minutes from start to finish to prepare.

**Its_Donna** · 08-23-2007, 04:57 AM

I just start menu planning the week before my last week is over. I take down time of the evening or on a weekend day and decide what we will be having. I have a spiral notebook I keep at my desk and jot ideas down in it as time goes on. I also take it with me to work and jot ideas down as I work.

I like to surf the internet in the mornings before I have to start getting ready for work so I like to use recipezaar.com for food ideas. I usually take up to a week to complete my 2 week menu plan and shopping lists. I just go slow and I don't stress over it. Just take what ever few minutes you have here and there and write ideas down in a notebook. Then you can compile it all and your ready to go.

**jinx** · 08-23-2007, 07:51 AM

I have a large 3 ring binder for recipes and a smaller one for menus. I used the plastic page protectors I got 1000 of them from a friend whose office was closing. In the binder for recipes I only have 3 catagories, main dishes and meats, sides, and deserts. They are only organized by what they are, not what they are made from. I have a friends who think my binder system is silly, because I could just keep everything in a folder on my laptop, but I like having hard copies of things. Call me old fashioned. I like to be able to write notes on recipes.
When it comes to menu planning. I will look see what I need to use first. I use the first in first out rule. I try to write a menu based on what I have on hand, then fill in with what is on sale at the grocery store. My shopping list is made from the menu I planned.
I do ask for special requests for dh and ds. There are always a couple.
I try to be varied, and plan things that everyone will eat.

**Dancing Lotus** · 08-23-2007, 08:39 AM

I bought a plastic file cabenit. The kind that looks like a plastic box with a handle on top and some hanging files to put in it. I have a file in the front for this weeks recipes. All the other files are by main ingredient. when I find one I like or want I want to try I just file it away and pull in out when ready. This way I dont have a million stacks of paper everywhere and I dont loose anything becuase they are all in this one box. I tried useing a three ring binder but it got messy and I couldnt find stuff bucuase I woudl often forget to refile them. I also didnt like that I had to punch holes all the time.

**LexTysMommy** · 08-23-2007, 08:56 AM

Recipes I keep in folder on fridge. Menu I keep in the back of my notebook which is where all my lists are. I check that dang book a million times a day...has any list imaginable!

I make a menu during the week before. I check to see what i have and plan meals around that. It is never the same week to week. Whatever I can make without goign to store is preferrable!

Keeping it all in one place has helped me time wise. Just a quick check of notebook and grocery list is post it on front of that notebook I add to when I run out or need something. Works good for me so far.

**bagpipes00** · 08-23-2007, 11:56 AM

On Wednesdays on my break at work, I check the grocery store circulars online to see what deals they have. I then plan my menu for the next week according to what I can get on sale and what I already have at home. I am trying, as we speak, to get a price book put together. I'm saving my receipts so I can see how much I pay for items too. I have a spiral notebook I got for $.10 (back to school supplies!) for this purpose. Now's a great time to buy cheap spiral notebooks/dividers for great prices!!! I also have a mini accordian file for my coupons which I have organized by type of food (ex: dairy, boxed, canned, forzen, etc). It goes wherever I go just "in case." I have too many recipes to count so that's one area where I need to improve my organization. However, I hardly use recipes, and cook by feel most of the time...