The first meal planning of the new year is a success!!  Last night we took a look at some of our cookbooks, and picked out a bunch of yummy new recipes to try! Here’s what we decided on for the next 2 weeks: (* means a recipe we’ve never tried)

• Sunday – Homemade Pizza
• Monday – Slow Cooker Chunky Chili *
• Tuesday – Fish & Rice
• Wednesday – Chicken Tortilla Soup*
• Thursday – Cheesy Pasta Bake
• Friday – Steak & Maple Roasted Root Veg*
• Saturday – Mom’s Birthday Dinner!
• Sunday – Potato-topped Chicken Pot Pies*
• Monday – Veggie Lasagna
• Tuesday – Bacon-Cheddar Burgers
• Wednesday – Pasta E Fagioli *
• Thursday – Chicken Parmesan
• Friday – Pork & Pineapple Sticks
• Saturday – Meatball Subs

We did a HUGE grocery shop today, at Costco, Bulk Barn, and Sobeys!

Costco: Bread, Peppers, Bean Soup Mix, Pre-cut Broccoli, Pita Chips, Cranberry Juice, Chicken, Ground Beef, Stew Beef (not pictured, 8 pack of diced tomatoes!)

Bulk Barn: Flour, Bran Flakes, Popcorn, Walnuts

Sobeys: Mushrooms, Corn, Limes, Garlic, Celery, Butternut Squash, Soup, Tortilla chips, salsa, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, parsnips, stewed tomatoes, yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, green pepper, tomatoes, onions, bacon, kidney beans

All of these delicious fruits and veggies are going to make some amazing meals this week! Have you made any of those recipes before?  Do you have any favourites you would recommend?  Stay tuned for recipes and pictures!

The one thing that helps us save money and eat better is meal planning.

Usually we plan 2 weeks worth of meals at a time, and then do the shopping for those 2 weeks.  I plan meals that will give us leftovers for Sundays and Mondays, so that we can take the leftovers for lunches, and easier meals for the rest of the week.  Saturdays are saved for things that take a lot of work like lasagna or shepherd’s pie. This works really well for us and it saves us money (and arguments) at the grocery store, because he’s a list shopper, and I’m more of a browser.  It also keeps us from spontaneously eating out, because we already have the food planned and prepared.  One thing I have noticed though, is that if I don’t write a vegetable on the menu, my husband won’t make one to go with the meal if he’s doing the cooking.

One thing that I have resolved for 2010 is to incorporate a new recipe into each 2-week menu.  We have at least a dozen cookbooks in our kitchen, and I want to use them to discover great new foods, and ways to prepare them!  I would love to start moving away from so much beef and chicken, and incorporate more fish, beans, and grains into our repertoire.

So what do you think about menu planning?  does it work for you?  Let me know your favourite stand-by recipes!