The organized chef: Part II

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In my last post, I closed with an invitation for you to think through what your cooking style is, and what staple foods are essential to that repertoire. We’re going to jump off from there and talk about food planning. There are a number of different approaches to this, some of which I haven’t done.  So I’ll tell you what I have done, and suggest a couple of very handy planning tools, and let you take it from there.

The first planning method I used at one time was to look and see what was on sale, try to think of a few things to go with that, and then also buy the usual breakfast and lunch things.  It was a not bad way to go in the early days of feeding just my husband and myself, and was limited by our very tiny grocery budget.  I did occasionally get into scrapes because we ran out of all the easily-made foods about Thursday, and payday wasn’t until next Monday, if you know what I mean.  We had to get very creative (which wasn’t an entirely bad thing–I know how to stretch food in ways I would never have discovered were it not for those early lean days) and once or twice had to subsist on nothing but potatoes or rice for several days.

Having spent a few summers during those early years as the staff cook of an outdoor education program, I learned to plan my meals by the week, and to shop accordingly.  That, and a rise in our income level, allowed us to eat more variedly, more consistently.  It did not, however, allow me to take advantage of specials and sales, and I did not yet understand the value of cooking seasonally.

When we had children, we were living here in Minnesota, and I got to know another young mom with the same ages and number of kids. We decided to try out once-a-month cooking together, and began a happy partnership that lasted over two years. We took turns planning the menus (usually 4-6 entrees, plus 2-3 sides or desserts.)  We always cooked in her large and well-appointed kitchen, and I did all the shopping, and she did all the end-of-day cleanup.  It generally took us a solid 5-6 hours of cooking, but it was well worth going home with 20 or so meals plus extras for the freezer. (Side note: if you are interested in this, there are any number of excellent books with more on the how-to’s.  Especially check out “Mega-Cooking”, whose author at one point in her life only cooked twice a year, cooking for a week at a time! There are lots of ideas that are adaptable for a smaller-scale approach.)
Well, that friend moved away, and I tried a cooking exchange for a few rounds, but nobody was really that committed to making it happen, so that petered out.

My current method is a modified version of freezer cooking.  I don’t really want to eat something out of my freezer every night of the month, and I really do want to take advantage of all the beautiful produce of summer.  But it IS very nice to have a bunch of meals in the freezer that can be whipped out and heated up, or brought over to a new mom.  And it is very nice to use Anchor Cooking (see my earlier post on this) to maximize the stretch of major entrees like turkeys, hams, and roasts.
So how do I plan this?  I have a household notebook (see Organized Home.com–they’ve got the scoop on household notebooks!) which has a section for menu planning.  I sketch out (on your first handy planning tool:  one of those blank calendar sheets–you can buy a pad of them at Office Max for $3 or so) a whole month’s worth of meals at a time, taking into consideration what is seasonal (i.e. things calling for asparagus generally in May and June, not in December; things calling for fresh pumpkin in October through early December; etc.)  This plan is flexible, so that I can take advantage of great sales.  (So if I have ham calzones planned, but I see in the sale flyer that pork loin is on sale for $1.59 a pound, I skip the calzones, and load up on pork loin.)

On Saturday mornings, which is generally my grocery day, I look at my menu for the coming week, side-by-side with the sale flyer and any coupons I clipped from the Sunday paper.  I make any modifications, then go through and note what I need from the store. Also, if it is the first week of the month, I look ahead for the month and note any non-perishable staples I can buy on my trip to Sam’s Club, and buy them that week.  I try not to have to go to Sam’s every week–but only every month, or every 3 weeks.

Now here’s your second handy planning tool:  an inventory/grocery list.  I made one up on an Excel spread sheet for myself, listing the foods and other items that I most commonly have and/or need, in the order in which I encounter them in the grocery store I frequent. You may want to make your own template, since your essential supplies will vary from mine, as will the layout of your grocery store.  You can also print a list from OrganizedHome, or email me, and I’ll send you mine.
When I am planning my meals for the month, I start by printing out a copy of my template, and take inventory of what I have.  I circle the items that need to get used up soon. I then list out several meal possibilities using those things I already have. Then I sketch out the meal plan.  And when I go to make my grocery list, I print another copy of the grocery list template, and simply write in quantities next to the items I need, writing in any items that don’t appear on the template.  I also write a C next to the items for which I have coupons, so I remember to use the coupons. This way, when I get to the grocery store, I can zoom through my list efficiently.  I know it may seem really boring and type-A to do the whole planning/template thing, but trust me–it is a boon to busy housekeepers and moms, and has helped me save a lot of money, as well as prevent a lot of wasted food.
One other note: start keeping track of WHEN the more expensive things go on sale in your usual stores.  Around here, poultry goes on sale big-time before Easter and in the fall.  Right now is when I buy pork and beef.  Things like laundry detergent go on sale every 4-6 weeks. I try not to buy those things on the high-swings.

Also: have a firm idea in your head what things are better to buy at the grocery store, and what at Sam’s/Costco.  There are some things that are just insane to buy at the local grocery store:  olive oil, flour, sugar, pancake mix, snack chips, salsa, peanut butter, coffee, paper goods…. Some things depend on what the sale price at the regular store is:  cheese, milk, cereal,…   On the other hand, bread is usually better at the regular store, as is most produce (except blueberries and strawberries!)  Do some scouting in your area, and be smart, and you could save a bundle.

Okay, last side note: I usually look at my calendar as I’m planning the month, and note any evening engagements that would affect my menu plan–nights when it’s nice to have something fast, or nights when we’ll have guests, etc.  AND!!! I don’t stick to the menu plan like it’s the law–if I’m too tired to do the calzones listed for tonight, I do tomorrow night’s burritos and save the calzones for later.

I hope this has been helpful, and if it wasn’t particularly, then you weren’t the one I was writing for.  Ciao!

LB

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Filed under Anchor Cooking, kitchen tips, methods