It's time to make your menu planning even easier! If you have already set up your Make-a-Menu Binder and are following my menu planning strategies, you might be thinking, "Can it possibly get any easier than this??" Well.... Get ready to do a happy dance, because I'm going to make your menu planning EVEN EASIER!!!!
This week we're going to set up a weekly Make-a-Menu Box. We'll take it step-by-step, the Menu Maker Mom way! (Do this either on your menu planning day or or on Sunday, or whenever it makes sense to get your full week organized.)
On your menu planning day, set up your weekly Make-a-Menu Boxes!
Step #1
Find the following boxes: 1 box for dry goods, two small boxes/baskets that will fit in your fridge and freezer. Make sure your boxes are clean!
Step #2
Get your shopping list and your menu.
Step #3
Start setting up the boxes. As you review your menu, find the items that are essential to your menu for the upcoming week. In the dry goods box, assemble all the pasta, rice, canned goods, and other dry goods necessary to make your recipes. Put the freezer items and fridge items in their boxes/baskets. As you fill your boxes/baskets you might find that you don’t have this or that. Add it to your shopping list.
Step #4
You can stop here or you can set up a lunch menu box and even a breakfast box. Get creative here! Just make sure that you aren't creating more work for yourself. The idea is to be efficient with your brain power, energy, and time.
Step #5
You're done! But before you pat yourself on the back, tell hubby, kids, the dog, and whoever else likes to raid the pantry, that they are not allowed to remove anything from the boxes or baskets... Or they risk the wrath of the Menu Nazi! Now go have a glass of wine and RELAX! Your cooking is on autopilot this week!
