Noel's Kitchen Tips
February 2012

 

Traditions continue as we sit together again....family moments....

 

 

Greetings!

 Hello, and welcome to your third lesson! How's it going so far? Any struggles? What meal planning ideas has your family come up with so far? For those of you who are a little more advanced and feel comfortable with your meal planning, come share your meal plans for the Just In Time Family Meal Planning Challenge! 

 

We've just begun Week 1 of the challenge, so please feel free to join in. 

 

As we move into the first week of our meal planning challenge, for February, my goal is to make a lot of meals in 30 minutes or less during the weeknight and for those weekend days when I just want to slow down, let the meal take it's own sweet time; whether it be cooked in the crock pot or slowly roasted in the oven.

 

FREE Meal Planning For Families 101 eCourse
 This week, you'll have a chance to get creative with your Meal Plan. 

 

Lesson Three:  Getting Creative While Remembering Some Rules.
 

 

In the past two weeks, you've likely thought of other meals you'd like to try - now's the time to add some of them in while keeping in mind these guidelines:

  • Not everyone likes lima beans or cilantro - Only you know how adventurous your family is when it comes to trying new foods.  If they enjoy trying new recipes then go for it this week;  if they only like tried and true recipes then stick with that.  You might be pretty disappointed if you create a great meal that you are excited about, only to have the family pick at it unhappily.

     

    My rule of thumb is to try out one new recipe every two weeks. Have the family critique it and if it's a winner then I'll add it to my meal rotation. If not, it's back to the drawing board, getting input from the family on what they liked and didn't like about the dish.  

     

  • One very important thing to keep in mind with every Meal Plan you create, is to be realistic about your time.  If you have little children who are very demanding of your time, don't set yourself up for failure and frustration by planning a time intensive risotto or labor intensive 7 vegetable stir-fry.  When 4 O'clock rolls around and you realize that, though it sounded great on paper, Jr. will just not stop crying long enough for you to stand at the stove and stir a risotto for 20 straight minutes... you're going to be unhappy.  

Wondering where to find meal and snack ideas?  Here are some sources:

  • Ask your family.  You might be surprised by their responses.  Go ahead and ask them if there are any foods or meals they would like to have.  It might be something you've made before or a food they've heard of or seen but never tried.  
  • Go to the library.  You're sure to find recipe books that appeal to you - low fat, crock pot, vegetarian or child friendly recipes - all at no cost to you.  
  • Search online.  A quick Google search with keywords of the recipes you're looking for will turn up many choices.  Some searches I enjoy are "crock pot recipes" and "healthy kids' meals".
  • Plan your meals around what's in season and on sale.

Have fun!

 

Noel

 

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Again, all the sheets are in PDF format which means you need to have Adobe Acrobat to see it. If you don't have Adobe click here to download it - it's fast and free.

  

The Blank Meal Plan comes in two sizes:

 

  1. Letter paper size, which prints Mon-Fri on one page and Sat. and Sun on another. You can either cut the left margin off the weekend sheet and tape them together, or leave it as is and enjoy the extra margin space for any weekend reminders.  You'll find this version online here.

     
  2. Legal paper size, which prints all seven days on one page.  I find this the most convenient but not everyone has legal-sized paper on hand.  You'll find this version online here.

  Each week, we'll tackle another lesson in meal planning so stay tuned. 

 

Feel free to send me an email at noelskitchen@gmail.com and let me know how it's going or if you have any questions.

Rectangular Baker    I hope you enjoy your issue of A Busy Mom's Kitchen Newsletter.  I believe that cooking can be fun, and more importantly, it can bring family and friends to the table. 

 

I would love to hear about your family's kitchen stories and ideas. 

Show us your family kitchen stories, favorite family recipes or what tips work for you in preparing family mealtimes! I'd love to showcase your kitchen talents or oganization in the kitchen, but I need to hear from you soon! Send me your story.


Until Next Time!  


 

Sincerely,

 

Noel Chapman
Noel's Kitchen Tips