Welcome back to the 5 Days of Homeschool….Blog Hop!  I hope you are getting inspired and encouraged as we tackle some of the key areas of stress for many homeschool moms!  I know that these posts are really helping me to take a look at all the areas that I have been neglecting. Did you miss out on the previous posts? Day 1: Cleaning  and Day 2: The Littles

Today we are focusing on Meal Planning!

Besides the cleaning and keeping the little ones busy, meal planning can be a source of stress and frustration for me.  It’s not because I don’t like it…I love all things “planning” but because it usually gets pushed the back burner (or not done at all).  Then we end up spending WAY too much money on eating out or buying groceries we don’t need or use! So how do we fix it?

If you are trying out Fly Lady (as mentioned in Part 1) the meal planning/shopping will part of your weekly routine!  If not, try to pick a day to schedule some time to plan out your meals.  You don’t have to get carried away with 30 days of meal if you don’t want to…I can’t do that.  I like to plan out the meals a week at a time.

Building a Recipe Bank

Gather all your favorite family recipes and keep a list handy.  One thing that I always struggle with is thinking of what to make! Having a handy list ready to pull from always helps keep the planning quick and easy!

Here is a fun way to keep your recipe bank

 

You don’t have to stress yourself out trying to make a recipe bank though… remember we are trying NOT to be stressed out.  Just simply write down what you make each night.  You’ll have a great reference to look back on as the list grows!

Pinterest CAN help!

If you love Pinterest like I do, you can create a recipe bank or idea list there!  I have a “Recipes to Try” board where I pin all the stuff that looks really good.  Many of those have turned into family favorites and I know I can always find them there!  You could have a “Recipes We Love” board and put the ones you’ve tried there.

Being able to quickly plan out your meals is a must.  I don’t know about you, but this crazy mom doesn’t have time to scour through books, magazines, or even just my own brain for hours to come up with a creative list of recipes.

Here are few websites that also offer help in this area:

5 Dollar Dinners 

An article about the Five Best Meal Planning Apps

Also check out my favorite Chicken/Turkey recipes

I'd love to hear from you...tell me what you think!