May 1998 ~ Menu Planning

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Last month we learned how to have a glad and eager attitude toward work. This month we will talk about the benefits of having a plan in general and specifically a plan for meal preparation.. We all need a plan. Proverbs 2:11 says "Discretion shall preserve thee..." In Hebrews, discretion means "a plan." Another way to say it would be "A plan sheilds me from getting distracted and failing." Here is an acronym I have written to help me remeber what a plan can mean for my life.

Preformance

Layed out in

Advance for

Nothing less than

Success

 

Proverbs 31:14 "She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar."

I have to laugh --I think of this verse each time I come home from a grocery shopping trip. We live in a rural area about 25 miles from a large grocery store so I try to shop once every 2 weeks. Filling my "merchant ship" takes planning. Charles Spurgeon once said, " Dig a well before you are thirsty" I think we can apply this pincipal to our refrigerators and cupboards. Do you have a grocery list? Do you have a menu plan? I know...ugh! But menu plannning saves time and money by planning in advance. I know it saves me money as I plan to purchase in bulk and plan menus around specials that are available. Here are some ideas for you:

• (1) Plan a 4-6 week menu selected from base cooking.. I do this and keep a record of past menus so I can use them again when I am stumped..(We usually eat a light lunch of leftovers or sandwhiches so only one big meal a day)
• (2) Plan what meat base ingredients you are going to need for the next 4-6 weeks of meals. Write them down.
• (3) Plan what other non-perishable groceries you need to have on hand. (you can do this for 2 week periods of your menus)
• (4) Plan to leave room in your budget to purchase weekly the fresh veggies, fruits, and dairy products you need.
• (5)Cook ahead for the 4-6 weeks This sounds like alot of work doesn't it? But not when you use Donna Zitto's method from Vinyard of Joy. It is called base cooking. I make a base of chicken, beef cubes, hamburger and tomato sauce for pastas and cassaroles to fill in for the next 4-6 weeks. I usually cook the bases over a period of 3-4 days doing all the chicken one day, all the beef cubes the next and so on.
• (6) I want you to know that I use my menu plan as a strong suggestion as to what we are going to have for a meal. There has to be flexibility for my family and yours if this plan is going to work.

Now, I must issue a disclaimer in the form of an allegory. Have you ever noticed that a "one-size fits all" clothing doesn't really fit anyone that well? For some it is too big, for others it is too small, too long, or too short? It is just like the plan that I have offered above.. This plan fits the Noonan family most of the time. Some componants of it may work for your family, and some may not. Each family is different, different schedules, goals, capabilities, standards, ect. I have over the years gleaned the nuggets of gold that have worked for me and thrown out the others.

The preceeding plan is not a "should" but a "suggestion". I pray the information is practical and will not become a burden for you but will be a breath of freash air that will give you ideas of how you can plan your life more effectivly. Planning is not a one time event..it is a mindset- continually looking ahead and preparing for the future.

Blessings,

Shelley

Here is Vinyards of Joy's address:.

DonnaZitto

P.O. Box 14

Glenwood, IA 51534

Phone # (712) 527-9795

E-Mail: calledtoservehim@juno.com

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They offer:

• 52 week lifesyle planner (I use this for school planning)
• quarterly newsletter
• Base Cooking Booklet (a great way to plan ahead!)
• Household on a Maintencanced Mode
• The A-Z Resource Box
• The Clearly Seen Budget System
• Good Stewardship in the Home