Meal Planning

Do you do it? I can't live with out it! Do you dread when it is 4:30 in the afternoon and you have no idea what you will have for dinner? Take out? Left overs? Cold cereal? For me, its panic time if I don't know what we are having for dinner. 5 hungry people asking you whats for dinner can be a little overwhelming when you are not prepared!

So.....I scour the internet all the time looking for ideas, stock blogs, put it on my FB status that I need an idea for dinner {sometimes i even post some of my own} and call my sisters and good friends and ask: "whatch makin for dinner tonight?"

The trick to good meal planning is: set a budget, how many days will you plan for? Then, I borrowed the Food Nanny's idea and added a theme for each night. This makes it sooo simple to plan and organize when you know what type of food you will eat that night. {We eat A LOT of Mexican food in our family. Can't get enough. All 4 of my babies were made on that cheesy spicy goodness.}

I will usually ask the kids and my husband what they feel like for the week (or 2 weeks if I'm doing it that way). It's usually the same things but they appreciate that I ask them what they want. I do like to change it up every so often and will throw in a new food or recipe on Wednesdays. They are now really liking Tilapia!  Try it with season salt and dill! Delish!!