If you've been following CATME Part I and II, basically you've made a master list of meals or a Default Database of Dinner Ideas. (Do I dare insert another acronym here? DDDI? Yes, I think I will.) For all you Type B's out there that just can't be saddled with a plan and a schedule, don't worry about getting locked into the meals on your list forever. You can always add to your meal list at any time. Yes, you can even deviate from the plan at any time. More on this later. I'm a Type A, so I'm okay with all this.
Having it all down on paper (or should I say having a DDDI) prevents dinner amnesia. I have suffered from this on many occasion. It just hits me sometimes when I open my refrigerator door. Suddenly, my mind goes blank and I have no idea what I can feed my family. It's the most peculiar thing.
Now, that you've got a master list of meals or a DDDI, there are about 5,967 ways to organize it. You might want to group all of the thirty minute or less meals together. Or, how about all the chicken meals? How about all the crock pot meals together? All the cheap meals in a group? A summer/winter category?
How about creating a list of side dishes that can be mixed and matched with different entrees?
Or you don't even have to group them together. You can just keep a big long list. Which is what I did. Yes, I'm creating my DDDI, too. I worked on it this weekend while I watched Congress try to save our country from vast economic misery. I'm suddenly even more inspired to reduce our monthly expenditures. Potato soup, anyone?
Now, get your calendar and look at when you get paid and when you plan to go grocery shopping. I usually have a big grocery shopping outing at the beginning of the month, with smaller weekly shopping expeditions in between. Everyone is different. Decide what your schedule is and pick out X number of meals to get you from shopping trip to shopping trip.
I personally feel like once a week is too often for meal planning. I prefer bi-weekly or monthly, but whatever works for you. It may be easier to think in terms of seven dinners, instead of twenty-eight. The important thing is to do it.
You can look at a sales flyer and pick out meals according to what's on sale.
Pay close attention to your calendar. You're going to have to put the quick, easy meals on the days that you are the busiest or have the least prep time. Save the extravagant meals for when you have more time.
I found these printable meal sheets and used them; they were quite handy.
Now that you have your meal ideas on paper and a schedule, you can start your grocery shopping.
This means stocking your pantry, which to me is the single most important factor in CATME. More on that in the next post.
Can you feel the excitement building?
Alliteratively and acronymically yours,
Lorie




































































































































