Tuesday, June 2, 2009

To Cook, or Not to Cook?

"What's for dinner?" It's a question we're asked (or we ask ourselves) 365 days a year. Now for some of you, it's no big deal. Open a can, thaw a pound, boil a bag, and voila! Dinner is on the table! But for women like me... it's not so easy.

When I was first trying to learn how to cook for a family of nine, I did what anyone like me would do: I subscribed to cooking magazines, like Bon Apetit and Gourmet. Yes, I did. And I learned something all right: I learned that I love to read cooking magazines! They never actually helped me get anything onto the table.

For years I've tried planning my meals, but I think I've finally come up with a winner. Based on meat categories (for the most part), I have three favorite recipes for each and simply rotate the menu. It looks like this:

Monday: chicken (Greek pita packets, BBQ, roast chicken)
Tuesday: ground beef (meatloaf,tacos, lettuce wraps)
Wednesday: Papa Murphy's pizza (my going-to-town day)
Thursday: pork or fish (pulled pork - mmmm, salmon, frogmore stew)
Friday: pasta (carbonera, clam, pesto and asparagus tortellini)
Saturday: (summer) BBQ/salad (hamburgers, steak, or pork chops)

So, are you a Pampered Chef or a Hampered Chef (like me)? And what's for dinner tonight?

4 comments:

  1. Now that the kids are getting older I enjoy cooking more. It is even more enjoyable when I have a plan. When I find myself wandering around the kitchen at 4pm trying to figure out what to have, it can be frustrating!:)I like your dinner plan-very doable!

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  2. Love your dinner plan ideas. I'm not that structured, but do keep stocked on items that can be prepared quickly and are still healthy. Maybe I'll make implementing your plan one of my goals this summer. BTW- what exactly is frogmore?

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  3. Boil corn on the cob, sausage pieces, shrimp, and new potatoes in Old Bay seasoning, drain, and you have Frogmore Stew - straight out of South Carolina.

    I guess I should mention tha this structure is a good starting place for hampered chefs like me. I'm sure I'll tweak and add as time goes on, but at least I have a plan to start with.

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  4. Frogmore sounds great. I'll have to give that one a stir around the pot! I'm guessing Sunday's a "Day Off" or FFY as it is at our house...Fend For Yourself =].

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