Meal Planning . . . A Daunting Task?

So many memories have already been made around this table!

Being a busy homeschooling, mother of four, does not allow me a whole lot of time to put together a scrumptious meal for the 6 hungry mouths that are here every day, and yet I cherish so much family meal time TOGETHER! There is so much that takes place during that time when we sit around the table as a family and simply talk and laugh. It has truly become one of my favorite times of the day! All six of us in one place enjoying each others company. That being said, I find joy as well in being able to cook various meals to nourish those hungry bellies. A typical question you would here around our home on any given day is "What is for lunch today, Mommy?" We have our family meal time over lunch, which is culturally the "large" meal of the day here in Ecuador. This question comes with much anticipation as the kids await 'THE answer'. Sometimes, they leave ecstatic hearing that it is their favorite meal, or they may run on over to a sibling saying, "Guess what's for lunch? ---- Davis, it's meatloaf!" They say this knowing right good and well meatloaf is not his favorite! Then they all start laughing!

Coming up with what to cook each day used to be a daunting task. I don't mind it so much any more and that is because I have found a way to be more organized about what I am going to be making. There used to be days I would wake up and think, "Oh, what should I make for lunch?" Those days are gone! Now I wake up KNOWING what is on the menu and that is because I have started making a monthly menu calendar. I print off a free monthly calendar www.printablecalendars.ca each month and fill it in! This helps me space out the various meals, be prepared a head of time, and be certain that I have the ingredients I need on hand before making them.

If you ever feel that dread as you try to figure out what to make, I would suggest you try taking up a monthly calendar plan. See if it works for you! Or, if you have another way that helps you be organized when it comes to meal planning, post a comment and lets get some ideas rolling! Happy Cooking!

Then the task lies in trying to fill out a whole month of meal ideas . . . but that can be fun!