Excitement in the Kitchen . . . again

I have been working towards being more organized lately. I like being prepared for my week . . .  at work and at home. Since I have been married I have been pretty good at planning meals and doing my shopping in one big trip on a weekly basis. My problem more recently is that every week, I feel scatter brained and it takes much longer than I had hoped. This leaves me feeling tired and sometimes frustrated.

So, I've started making a few adjustments:
1) I found myself a calendar with enough space in each square to write down my daily menu. I like using a monthly calendar much better than a weekly one; that way I can plan ahead if I need to and keep track of vacations or special events like potluck. I can also see what I've made the week before so I don't repeat it.

2) I made a little note pad for my weekly grocery list. I used to use a regular notebook but found myself backtracking and double tracking through the aisles of the grocery store. This notepad is divided by the different departments of the store which keeps me more organized while shopping.

3) I found a folder that will hold both of the above along with my weekly grocery circular  and any coupons I find . . . I even take this with me to the store--that way I have everything with me.

It's a start. I've been reading about websites that will make your weekly meal plans for you. I've found apps for my iPod that will keep track of my grocery list for me too. But I have found that I don't operate very well with either one of those (and I don't want to pay for services I can do on my own). Plus I like investing myself in my menus and my cooking . . . it is one of the many ways I can actually serve my husband.

There are a few other things that I did today that will help me stay motivated in the kitchen . . . for a little while anyway:
1) I got another America's Test Kitchen cookbook from the library
2) I bought a blender
3) I found a wall-mountable easel that can hold my cookbooks so they don't have to take up counter space anymore!

Now, back to my homemade cinnamon rolls!

380 Miles -- and over 30 appointments trying to figure out what is going on with my feet!

I have been working towards being more organized lately. I like being prepared for my week . . .  at work and at home. Since I have been married I have been pretty good at planning meals and doing my shopping in one big trip on a weekly basis. My problem more recently is that every week, I feel scatter brained and it takes much longer than I had hoped. This leaves me feeling tired and sometimes frustrated.

So, I've started making a few adjustments:
1) I found myself a calendar with enough space in each square to write down my daily menu. I like using a monthly calendar much better than a weekly one; that way I can plan ahead if I need to and keep track of vacations or special events like potluck. I can also see what I've made the week before so I don't repeat it.

2) I made a little note pad for my weekly grocery list. I used to use a regular notebook but found myself backtracking and double tracking through the aisles of the grocery store. This notepad is divided by the different departments of the store which keeps me more organized while shopping.

3) I found a folder that will hold both of the above along with my weekly grocery circular  and any coupons I find . . . I even take this with me to the store--that way I have everything with me.

It's a start. I've been reading about websites that will make your weekly meal plans for you. I've found apps for my iPod that will keep track of my grocery list for me too. But I have found that I don't operate very well with either one of those (and I don't want to pay for services I can do on my own). Plus I like investing myself in my menus and my cooking . . . it is one of the many ways I can actually serve my husband.

There are a few other things that I did today that will help me stay motivated in the kitchen . . . for a little while anyway:
1) I got another America's Test Kitchen cookbook from the library
2) I bought a blender
3) I found a wall-mountable easel that can hold my cookbooks so they don't have to take up counter space anymore!

Now, back to my homemade cinnamon rolls!

380 Miles -- and over 30 appointments trying to figure out what is going on with my feet!