Confessions of a Non-Menu Planner

Menu planning blesses your whole family.

 

I have a confession.  I didn’t plan my menu this week.  Horrifying isn’t it?  I mean I even taught a class at a college last semester about menu planning!  To my credit I did think about planning a menu for a little while earlier in the week and for some reason I just brushed it off.  Usually I sit down at the beginning of every week (or two) and jot down a quick list of what we will be eating that week.  (I also usually make my grocery list at the same time.)  For info on planning a menu see here.

So I guess that is how I found myself at 7:00 tonight trying to whip up a quick batch of Chicken Tetrazzini only to find that there was not a single piece of cheese anywhere in our house!  We were also out of just about everything else you can be out of.  (Doesn’t that always happen at once?)  Since I have been cooking regularly for a few years I am usually able to come up with something else that will work fairly quickly.  Tonight however was another story.  I gazed in sadness at my pantry and fridge.  For a slight moment I thought I might really cry.  Ridiculous that such a small thing could frustrate me to the point of almost tears. 

My wonderful let’s solve the problem hubby loaded Eli up in the car and off to the market we went.  An hour and fifty dollars later we came home with the block of cheese.  I did manage to get dinner made eventually but the joy was gone.  That’s not the type of wife I want to be.  That’s why I won’t soon forget to plan my menu next week.  🙂    Won’t you join me in planning your meals next week?

January Reads

If you’ve noticed Reading in November and December was fairly non-existent.  🙂  With moving and putting our house up for sale I let my reading slide for a few months.  Things are calming down (ever so slightly for us) so I have once again resumed my reading.  We have also resumed our library habit.  Call me nerdy but there isn’t much more exciting than bringing home a huge bag of library books.  🙂  I also joined the gym in town and usually read the entire time I am on the treadmill.  Such a great way to multi-task.  🙂

The Tightwad Gazette 3 by Amy Dacyzyn- I usually read all 3 of the books in this series about once a year.  They are jam-packed with helpful ideas to help you save money.  I also find the book encouraging as we pursue a debt free lifestyle.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen             Looking back I really can’t believe I read an entire book on being more productive.  Nerd alert!  Nonetheless it was a wonderful read.  It is primarily written from a business/office productivity point of view.  I gleaned so much from the book about my own life.  In a way being a stay at home mom is a lot like being an office manager.  My biggest organizational struggle (like most people) is paperwork.  One of the most helpful things I have done to tackle the paperwork monster is to sort through my mail while standing next to the trash can.  I also take care of any correspondence that can be done in under 2 minutes as the book suggests.

Have we No Rights? by Mabell Williamson.  This book is written specifically for missionaries who are about to be sent overseas to serve in foreign cultures.  However I found this to be an excellent book for any Christian.  How I wish I would have read this book before living on an Indian Reservation a few summers ago!  The primary benefit of reading the book I believe will be seen in my prayer life.  I am blessed to know a number of people who are currently serving as missionaries or will be in the near future.  This book has been wonderful in helping me pray for friends in different areas of their lives that I would never have thought of otherwise.

America’s Cheapest Family by Steve and Annette Economides.  This book is filled with ideas on saving more and spending less.  I thought the book was just okay.  I did not find too much in the book that was revolutionary.  There is a medical section which I thought provided some good ideas on saving money without sacrificing your health.  I will be investigating whether it is cheaper to order prescriptions through the mail or continue to use a traditional pharmacy.

The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: by Crystal Paine  It might be surprising to you all that even though I blog myself, I read only one blog on a regular basis.  That blog is Crystal Paine’s www.moneysavingmom.com.  Words cannot express how helpful Crystal Paine has been to our family especially during the last year when our money was extremely tight.  Not only has she given us great ideas on how to cut expenses but she has challenged us to be grateful with what God has given us.  Her book is wonderful and filled with great tips on saving your family money.  The last chapter on contentment is alone well worth the price of the book.  (By the way all of her proceeds are going to Compassion International.)  I highly recommend purchasing and reading her book.

Making Money From Home: How to Run A Successful Home-Based Business by Donna Partow  I really enjoyed this book on developing a home based business.  It has been a desire of mine ever since I finished seminary to start a small business from my home.  What I really appreciated about the book was the author’s strong Christian values in making your family a top priority.  Not only did I find the book encouraging but it was filled with practical advice.  There are questions at the end of each chapter that are both thought-provoking and motivating.  For those of you who do not know I have started a home-based tutoring business called Emerson Tutoring & Test Prep.  I already knew what type of business I would be starting but the book also gives some good ideas on different types of business to start that coordinate with your gifting in different areas.