Menu Planning

I've always wondered how many people plan their menu for the week in advance? I wish I did it more consistently. When I do, I find that I'm more organized, I save more money at the grocery store, and I always stay within my calorie budget. So why don't I do it more often? Because I'm too dang picky, that's why. Case in point, tonight, I spent over an hour planning the menu for this upcoming week. An hour...that's crazy! Normally, I could plan my menu in less than 10 minutes, but I have all these new recipes that I've been looking at that I want to try, and it's not just about trying these recipes...I have to see if they fit my caloric budget. I got Rachel Ray's magazine for April, and she had several "healthy-looking" recipes in there, many of them loaded with veggies and whole grains. But the closer I looked, they were also loaded with butter and oil - both of which I like and use on a regular basis, but when a recipe for soup calls for 3 tbs of olive oil and 3 tbs of butter, along with nuts, cheese, etc..., it's just WAY out of my budget. Bummer. Another day, I will modify the recipe so it meets my needs, but today was not that day.

So, my menu for this week is as follows:

Monday: Fennel, Pepper & Onion Fusilli
Tuesday: Hannah's Stuffed Peppers
Wednesday: Moroccan Lentil Soup
Thursday: Swedish Meatballs
Friday: Quick Chicken Vesuvio

Four of these recipes are newbies for me, and I'm excited to give them a try and post them for your viewing pleasure!

My goal for April is to plan my menu for every week. We'll see if that happens!