Stocking Up

Gentle readers, as you well know, your MatchGirl and Boyfriend have been menu planning for almost a year.

You'd think that because of this, we're pretty organized and have an awesomely stocked pantry.

We don't have a ton of space in our kitchen so we tend not to stock up on a lot of things.

Menu Plan: Week Fifty-One

Gentle readers ... next week marks one year of menu planning! Can you believe how far we've come?

Nearly a year into our little project, we're still getting the hang of things, figuring out how to best shop for the week at hand and learning the patterns of what we will and won't bother to make when the end of the week nears...

Anyway! We'll talk more about that next week. 

Budgets | Grocery Shopping

Since Boyfriend and I make food every night, you'd think that we were super savvy budgeters, shopping for deals, running to the cheapest places, doing lots of research, and then doing it all in one big grocery shopping trip.

Nope.
Far from it.

There are weeks when we try to hit the grocery store on the weekend, but with Boyfriend working six days a week, this is not always feasible. To get everything we need, every time, well, this is generally just a little more that your MatchGirl can carry on her own (though, believe me, I've tried!).

Menu Plan: Week Forty-Four

Gentle readers, as we come into another week, I'd like to share with you that creating this menu plan is not as easy as it may look. Many weeks, it takes both Boyfriend and your MatchGirl hours of back and forth conversation, researching recipes and racking our brains to figure out what it is that we want to eat.

Some weeks, this is super fun. It's time we can spend together, talking about our week ahead and about what we might like to do together during the week. Some weeks are hectic and we just don't have a lot of time to come together and make this plan for the upcoming week. This was one of those weeks.

Menu Plan: Week Forty-Two

In just ten weeks, gentle readers, we will mark a year of menu planning.

Your MatchGirl was not sure that she and Boyfriend would make it this far, or that you would stay with us along the way... but here we all are, moving steadily toward a full year of menu planning, which, for the most part, has been a really great way for us to stay organized and on budget.

Is it a pain sometimes? Yes. Sitting down once a week to think through the week ahead is tedious from time to time. But it's so great to come home from work, or to look up from writing and know exactly what it is you need t make for dinner, to have the ingredients ready and to just get to work. It's great to have leftovers and plan on eating them, as opposed to leaving them in the fridge, forgetting all about them, until  you're not sure what they even are.

Menu Plan: Week Thirty-Seven

Last week was a crazy, busy week. We made it through our menu plan, though - even entertaining on Friday night (with the awesome sausage and tomato risotto from Smitten Kitchen - will definitely be making that again!). And Sunday's roast chicken will serve me well as I lunch at home through the beginning of the week.

This week is a bit off, with evening meetings for me and friends in town from California, so we're not exactly sure where each night will take us. We've decided upon meals that will feed us well and reheat well if we have some busy, late nights.

Menu Plan: Week Thirty-Six

Hitting our thirty-sixth week of menu planning, gentle readers, means that we've been at this for six months. Wow.

Six months is a long time to stick with something like this and, honestly, I think we're just getting better at it. As the one who does most of the cooking, Boyfriend has really stepped up and become a driving force in this project. As I begin my second week of unemployment, it's possible that I will pick up some kitch duties...

Thoughts on Menu Planning

Boyfriend and I have been pushing forward with our menu planning - originally devised as an experiment in organization - for thirty-five weeks now. Well, we've published thirty-five weeks of menu plans anyway. I'm sure there are a couple of week, when we were traveling, that there was no menu plan as there was no need for one.

Over this time, the process has evolved.

Menu Plan: Week Thirty-Five

Ah, gentle readers, we've come to week thirty-five of our menu planning. It's been a crazy few weeks here, for Boyfriend and your MatchGirl, so this week's menu plan is chock full of comfort foods, some already near-made in the freezer, and simplicity.

You'll see a variation on our favorite kale dish hit the plan again this week, and we'll be cooking big to eat leftovers for lunch (we're penny pinching big time) and at the end of the week, when we're truly to exhausted to cook!

Enjoy!

Menu Plan: Week Thirty-Four

Gentle readers, Boyfriend and your MatchGirl really enjoyed sticking with our menu plan last week. We saved money and time and ate well the entire week.

It's so easy, some nights, to come home from work and be tempted to order Thai food or eat pretzels while watching a movie online. But we avoid that. We want to eat healthy. We need to save money. Making the menu plan and sticking to it helps with both of these. The other great thing about menu planning is that, though we'll go to some favorites time and time again, it keeps us constantly looking for new things to try.

Menu Plan: Week Thirty-Three

Gentle readers, we took last week off from menu planning - we in fact, ate Christmas leftovers and Thai takeout the entire week. We also took the week off from blogging, though we'll share some pics from our holiday feast later in the week.

The beginning of the year means that we get back on the right track and move forward in as disciplined a way possible.

We'll skip Monday. It happened already... but here's what we're looking at for the week, which should also cover some lunches for me to take to work.

Menu Plan: Week Thirty-Two

Last week's menu plan, was a pretty big hit. We deviated a couple of times, as Boyfriend and your MatchGirl tend to get over-zealous in the planning, forgetting how tired we are when Friday rolls around again...

This week is going to be nuts, leading up to the arrival of family and friends for Christmas festivities, but we've still got to eat, right?

Boyfriend came up with a pretty simple plan for us - minimal prep work, big flavors and cleaning out the fridge - all good things leading up to the holiday!

Menu Plan: Week Thirty-One

Gentle readers, we've been doing really well with the menu plans, especially and Boyfriend and I spend more time together working on them.

Now that wintery weather has finally settled onto Brooklyn, our minds are turning to cozy comfort foods. The bad thing about them is that they're often heavy. This week's menu plan has a nod to all the things you want to eat when it's chilly, but with slightly healthier additions.

Menu Plan: Week Thirty

Gentle readers, as your MatchGirl has surely stated here before, it's Boyfriend who does most of the cooking in our little home. While your MatchGirl is usually the driving force behind the menu planning and, often, picking up the groceries, it's Boyfriend who comes home from a long day at work and heads into the kitchen.

Menu Plan: Week Twenty-Nine

And.... we're back!

And this post-Thanksgiving, post-NOLA break has us at week Twenty-Nine of our menu plan. In an effort to counteract a lot of the very tasty, very brown food we ate over Thanksgiving, I made us a raw Kale salad, adapted from 101 Cookbooks for our Saturday night dinner. Boyfriend was not too stoked on it, but the leafy greens definitely left me feeling like I was off to the right start for the the coming week.

Especially since we had a date night on Friday night, complete with movie soday and popcorn followed by dinner at Five Leaves on Bedford in Greenpoint!

Menu Plan: Week Twenty-Eight

Gentle readers, Boyfriend and your MatchGirl keep pushing forward with the menu planning. Last week did better than the week before and we hope to keep it up!

This week is a little less hectic than some, but we'll keep it simple and hope to stay on track with the menu. And, very importantly, the budget.

Menu Plan: Week Twenty-Seven

Boyfriend and your MatchGirl rocked out the menu plan last week (thanks goodness!) and plan to stick to this one, too! We've got a crazy week ahead, and plans to head out of town this weekend, so I'll keep it short and sweet.

Monday: Roasted fall veggies, maybe with some chicken or pork accompanying.

Tuesday: I have an event in Manhattan until 8PM, so Boyfriend plans to have Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Mushrooms waiting when I get home.

Menu Plan: Week Twenty-Six

Gentle readers, your MatchGirl and Boyfriend did a pretty good job with the menu plan last week. The only thing we skipped was the butternut squash soup, and I whipped that up Sunday to throw into the plan for this week.

This is probably a problem that a lot of you have - making a plan for the week and then having life get in the way of it all. It happens to your MatchGirl and Boyfriend all the time. Especially as we work in different industries, with different schedules and different events. Just the fact that we manage to eat dinner together, at the dining table, practically every night, is amazing in itself.

Menu Plan: Week Twenty-Five

Gentle readers, this is the second attempt at this post.  Your MatchGirl had the menu plan scheduled and then *poof*. Gone. So it's late at night as I re-write this...  Fingers crossed it comes out right!


Last week's menu plan was a total FAIL. We didn't adhere to the plan for a single night. Not one.

The plan was, certainly, too ambitious for the busy week we had in front of us. This week - week twenty-fine (can you believe it?) - we have a busy week ahead, as well, so I'll be a bit more realistic with the menu plan!

Menu Plan: Week Twenty-Four

Gentle readers, can you believe that we've reached week twenty-four of our menu planning? Neither can we!

Sunday we spent the day in Montauk, photos to come, celebrating out anniversary and eating loads of yummy seafood. Monday was a work holiday for your MatchGirl, so I took it all the way, enjoying the holiday weekend, with limited time spent on social media - so the menu plan is a day late and a meal short... I think you'll be OK.