Menu Planning: How Does This Work?

This came up recently on my Facebook wall. It seemed good enough fodder for an entry, so here is how it works for me.

The beauty of the Farm Box/Menu Planning post is the routine. It happens that our farm box delivery site happens fairly early in the weekend. It gets us started a little earlier, lattes can be obtained during farm box retrieval.

Farm box the home game involves streaming NPR Weekend Edition/Car Talk/Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. I believe Steven Colbert mentioned it was required for Farmer's Market/Box unpacking and making soup. It becomes this big puzzle. How much of each fits in which fridgesmart box? Will they all fit on the shelves? But then I get to see how much came in? How much was left from last week? And the fridge gets a good edit.

With all that information rolling around in my head and a weather and calendar check, it is to head for the cook books. The menu plan gets built around days we won't be home at dinner time, Crock Pot Wednesday for floor hockey practice and a desire to mix up the proteins. I add the recipes to the blog publishing schedule which helps me make the grocery list. So then whenever our weekend has us cross paths with Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or even the local Farmer's Market the next day. And I don't have to think quite so hard at 4:40 weekday afternoon of your choice, because the blog knows what's for dinner.

I also like pulling up recipes on my laptop instead of a stack of books. I can run a podcast or stream some radio in the background for company. It is back lit for my poorly lit kitchen.