Menu, Menu...What's on YOUR Menu!?

To make things easier, I used to make a "meal plan", or menu, if  you will.  It cuts down on the "what do you want for dinner?" "I don't know.  What do you want for dinner?"  "Hm, what can we make?" ordeal that occurs at 6pm at night.  It also allows me to be creative, inspires me to look through cookbooks and recipes online, and helps with grocery lists--makes them specific and eliminates many side trips to the store.  I did this regularly after Kate was born and before Rowe.  Since then, it had gone to the wayside.  Well, in January I started that again, and it's been SO helpful.  I plan our meals better, and do all the other pros above--am more budget friendly when going to the store, creative, inspired, and actually COOK!  I also plan for leftovers as well to help cut down on the fridge becoming a tupperware and gladware convention and then just tossing out tons of food on Wednesday mornings for garbage day.  It also keeps me from getting in that rut of cooking the same few things over and over again.  Hubby and I tend to get into a chicken rut...Chicken This, Chicken That, which is fine if I can get more creative vs. just serving marinated chicken with pasta or rice.  So, to give you an idea, here is our menu for February and March...

I will go and make changes in need be, and save the menu over and over, but for the most part, we stick to the menu.  Another friend gave me this tool, which I found useful in order to keep track of your fave recipes according to main ingredients:

Hope this is helpful!