Meal planning

When I was working I cooked about 5 meals over and over repeatedly.  I wouldn't plan before I headed to the store because I didn't have time to plan so I would pick up the same ingredients & meat each time and just figure out what was for dinner at around 5:15.

 

Now that I have more time on my hands (understatement?), I've been branching out and trying new recipes (which sometimes don't end well, but you never know until you try!).

 

Thanks to Pinterest I found this great "eat sheet" to help plan the weekly meals & grocery list.  It's been a lifesaver & helps me avoid having to run to the store 5 different times during the week.  I just print out a bunch at a time and stick them in my planner.

 

For really busy weeks I have also discovered the website eatathomecooks.com which has print outs with weekly meals already planned and the entire shopping list to go with it (there are three years worth of weekly meals listed).  When I first used it I found a couple of weeks that I really liked, but keeping it healthy has been a bit challenging.  Also, I alter most of the recipes since I'm only cooking for 2.5 people.  It's still fun to just pick a week & try some new things or find some new recipes while searching.

 

 

 

Pinterest is such a great resource to find new recipes and dishes that look great since you can see the pictures.  Has anyone figured out how to determine if they taste as good as they look?  Or does anyone have any other websites or resources they use for new recipes?