Sweets & Treats
A few days before our trip to TX to visit family, I spent an afternoon In the Kitchen, preparing some sweets and treats, some of which I took along on our trip.
Coconut Cookies
Island Vacation Party Mix
Trail Mix (adding some cashews and peanuts to a purchased Trail Mix)
And also I did some preparatory steps for Southern Crunch Salad (which we served together with other sides when we had a meal of deli chicken while in TX).
Freezer Meals
In another afternoon session, I prepared two different recipes for the freezer. Making multiple recipes of each one; some to take to share with our daughter & family in TX.
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Menu Planning
And then, just yesterday, I spent a few hours importing more of my recipes into Plan to Eat, the online menu planning system that I have been using for awhile now. One thing I like about Plan to Eat, is that it is also accessible on my iPhone, enabling me to check recipes even while in the grocery store. I can also check my grocery list from wherever I am. It also gives the option to print out menu plans, either weekly, or monthly.
Our summer is quite full, with various trips and conferences in June and July. So it was fun for me to have a few hours to work on menu planning for the days that we will be home - and I ended up planning menus for the next three months - June, July, and August. As you can see from the printed menu plan for June (in photo above) I am quite flexible with my planning, leaving lots of spots empty. Giving me room for switching things around later, and/or trying out new recipes. Also in photo above, you can see my chart of which Freezer Meals I have on hand - these are great to plug into empty spots on my menu planning chart, as well.
I enjoy planning, so this was fun for me ... and it helps me be more consistent with putting meals on the table.
What have you been preparing in your kitchen?
Linking up with:
I am very uninspired in the cooking realm these days. Your organized system looks fun.
ReplyDeleteFondly,
Glenda
It's easy for me to become a bit lazy in this area, especially in these "empty nest" years. And as I love to organize, planning helps me keep on track more. You deserve a bit of break now, though, as you just came off of some very busy wedding planning days!
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