I did adjust as necessary (see all my scribbles - I was trying to keep track of how it played out) and we almost never needed our Th/F quick meals because we usually had leftovers. But it worked out well to have the ingredients because we used them for weekend meals and ate out less.
Even with the move thrown in there things didn't get too hectic. I just cooked as scheduled M/T/W and then as soon as I was done cooking on Wednesday I cleaned up and packed our entire kitchen other than the bare essentials (two bowls, two plates, two cups, a skillet and a smattering of utensils). I knew we'd have enough leftovers to get us through the rest of the week so we'd basically just be microwaving and cooking eggs.
I was so excited about this system that I got my February meals planned well ahead of time so that I'd be all ready to jump in on week one despite our move. Those will be up tomorrow! Fair warning - it will be almost as boring as this month.
Which leads me to this question - did we get bored? Nope! I was afraid we would, but it turns out we're just really hungry when we sit down for dinner and the fact that we ate something two weeks ago doesn't even register. I'm relieved because am I the only one who sees those fancy meal plans and thinks people are crazy for being willing to make a different breakfast, lunch and dinner every day? I love the idea of that much variety but in practice it is way too much work for me. That said, I did search for a few new lentil recipes to try out in February because I don't want to push my luck.
Thanks for the meal plans-looking forward to February! I've got to get better at spacing out my meal plans, especially with baby #2 on the way! BTW, here is one of my fave lentil dishes: http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Contributors/Helen+Rennie/Lentils+with+Caramelized+Onions
ReplyDeleteSimple and delicious (also love her easy glazed salmon).
I took a pie baking class with her! She's fantastic.
DeleteThat looks so delicious and is almost identical to one of my favorite lentil dishes (black lentils with caramelized onions)! Caramelized onions + lentils = perfection. When I pack the leftovers for lunch I always add a poached egg on top for some extra protein.
DeleteNot healthy, but this is the best lentil dish of all time
ReplyDeletehttp://steamykitchen.com/10989-indian-dal-nirvana.html
Absolutely amazing.
I'm going to have to try that - thank you! And I'm okay with some extra fat, so it looks pretty healthy to me!
DeleteThank you for recommending it! We made it tonight, and it was delicious. I used about 1/3 t of cayenne, and it was plenty spicy.
DeleteI usually plan my meals about 3 weeks at a time, with heavy reliance on canned or frozen things towards the end of the three weeks. It's amazing how much time it cuts down and I find myself getting really stressed out and feeling generally untethered if I don't have my plan on the go. Of course, it totally gets moved around all over the place due to Life, but that's not the point. Looking forward to finding out what you've got planned for February - the more repetitive (therefore realistic) the better as far as I'm concerned!
ReplyDeleteYes, the time savings is amazing! I never thought my weekly meal planning was bad (and I might go back to it when the weather warms up and I want more flexibility), but this is so much easier and I love it. Knowing I don't have to sit down every Sunday and figure out what we're eating is lovely.
DeleteI don't know why I never thought of a weekly menu, but I'm putting it into place immediately. Even if it's "boring," I would love to continue to see your monthly meal plans for inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI'll keep posting them as long as I'm doing them! I might go back to weekly planning during the summer, when I like things to be a little looser and more flexible. But in winter, anything that saves me running out to the store all the time is a good thing!
DeleteMy favorite lentil recipe is barely a recipe - saute chopped onion and chopped carrot, throw in 1c plain green lentils, garlic and bay leaf, let them toast for a minute and then add 2c water or broth and simmer until lentils are cooked. We eat with rice and greens. I add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes or parmesan cheese rind to vary it up week to week. I don't understand how something so fast and easy is SO GOOD.
ReplyDeleteI know! My favorite one with caramelized onions barely has any ingredients and yet it's so delicious. Lentils are pretty amazing.
DeleteWe've just gotten REALLY into these lentil meatballs (http://food52.com/recipes/38024-lentil-meatballs-with-indian-fenugreek-sauce). They're a little time consuming to make, but they freeze amaaaazingly well and are good in any kind of curry. I usually make a double batch, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then throw them in a ziploc bag.
ReplyDeleteI also started doing monthly meal plans a few months ago and I agree - it's amazing to not have to think about what we're going to eat each week!
Mmmmm - I need to mark that! They look so good.
DeleteThis is my favorite use for lentils (even though the weather's supposed to get hot in LA again, lame): http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-red-lentil-soup-recipes-from-the-kitchn-212392 (I usually add some cumin and tumeric to it!)
ReplyDeleteI'm a little excited for a couple days of hot weather! Our new house is verrrry drafty, so the chilly mornings have been killing me.
DeleteRed lentils are so nice because they cook so quickly! Weeknight staples for sure!
Since it looks like people are sharing favorites, this is my favorite lentil recipe. (Also with caramelized onions - or rather, shallots!) I don't make it nearly enough.
ReplyDeletehttp://recipes.farmhousedelivery.com/lentils-kale-with-coconut-ginger-and-crispy-shallots/
Yes, I am loving seeing all the lentil recipes! And almost sorry that my February meals are already set. Have to bookmark stuff for March. That recipe looks great and I love that it has the kale in it. One of my goals is going to be getting our green intake back up, but since I still don't feel like cooking anything complex, one dish meals are perfect!
DeleteSaag is my favorite way to up my green intake--101 Cookbooks has a great recipe for it.
DeleteWe've been using a meal planning system lately. It's so good & really cuts down on the unnecessary food purchases. We made a really good Lentil Vindaloo recipe this week, it was actually a chicken vindaloo recipe, but I switched out the chicken for lentils...cooked them separately then added them at the end. Indian recipes convert really well to being made with lentils instead of meat.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I used your recipe for naan. The juggling the pan from cooktop to oven was a bit of work, but it made so many naans we put most of them in the freezer to have with leftovers.
I should admit that I haven't made that naan in forever! I keep buying the frozen naan from Trader Joe's instead. *hanging my head in shame* It's a fun project but I've gotten lazy. I should follow your lead and make a big batch and freeze the spares.
DeleteHey Rachel -- What kind of sides do you have with your meals? Do you just eat what's listed on your calendar or do you also add a salad or steamed veggies to each meal?
ReplyDeleteSides are a weakness of mine. I kind of hate making them. I keep salad mix on hand and so we get salads with almost all of our meals, but I have to be better about veg too! I do make cauliflower rice a lot for the Indian dishes, but that isn't exactly a green ...
DeleteI'm hoping that now that I'm getting this system tapped in I could potentially add some simple veggie side dishes so that we're getting a bigger variety.