Simple & Sweet: How to Plan a Menu

For the longest time it seemed like I was making the same ten things for dinner every week or so. And pairing them with the same sides and vegetables too. My dad was the first one to bring attention to my lack of creativity. Sorry I make the same easy dishes over and over....they are quick, easy, and taste good. Win Win Win situation! Well, I guess it was a win win win lose situation...

Okay, so I needed to spice things up a bit. No problem, just a quick search on Pinterest and I could have different meals every day of the year! But that would mean trying new dishes nearly every single day. I needed something a little more certain than that.

So I made a list. Yes, another list. This was a list of all our families favorite dinners, side dishes, vegetables, etc. Now every Sunday I look at the list and plan out a week of meals. Being able to look at all the options keeps me from choosing my personal favorite dishes over and over. Occasionally mom and I find something on Pinterest and have an experiment night. Those are always interesting...

Here is our list, but feel free to print out this image and fill out your own. And for the weekly menu, scrap paper works fine. In the beginning I printed out fancy menu pages and grocery lists. To be completely honest, scrap or blank paper works just as good. Don't waste time or money trying to find a free or perfect layout on the internet...you'll be searching for hours. :)