Organising July - the meal plan

So my internet is down. How to post? Well I have sneaked off to the 'office' of my employers, a rather swanky shed garden office, and am quickly going to upload a post that I wrote yesterday sans internet...

*************************************** 

Meal planning.

Sometimes I’m brilliant at it (yes, I know, blow my own trumpet why don’t I) and sometimes I am totally and utterly rubbish. I have a love-hate relationship with the whole thing. I know it makes sense - when it works out, I have a lovely plan of everything we are going to eat – usually for a month. When it's worked out REALLY well, it means that I've had lots of time to sit around flicking through my lovely stash of cookbooks and horded magazines, working out lovely balanced meals that all the family will enjoy (there's lots of lovely going on there isn't there). This makes shopping lists easier, and helps me feel that I am in control, because let’s face it, I’m really not.

When it doesn’t work out, well, then, we eat a lot of pasta and I spend a lot of money in the local Co-Op. In fact, the meal planning began in earnest when, at the end of one particularlly skint month, I actuyally added up everything I'd spent in the Co-Op (one of the curses of being a horder is that I always have my receipts stuffed into my purse).

I started this month, more than most, feeling the need to get a grip on something in my life.

We’re in the last 3 weeks of term and there are various end of term events that need to be negotiated, the kids are knackered, the Husband’s work is threatening to remove him from us for days here and there and for a full week later on in the month (the week immediately before we go on Scout camp). It’s the village ‘Sheepfair’ next weekend, which is an excuse for 2 days of drinking a great local event which happens once every 4 years, and my father in law will be staying, then my Mum is coming for a couple of days (and to take possession of the dog for his ‘summer holidays’). We go on scout camp for the last week of the month, well, Saturday to Friday (involving a whole other meal plan in itself), and then the French girl we are hosting for 3 weeks arrives on the Sunday.

I needed to get ORGANISED.

For me, most things start in the kitchen, so getting organised usually involves me planning, to a greater or lesser extent, what meals we will eat around whatever thing it is that is making me stress, but little else. As the whole of July is pretty much stressing me out at the moment, I have planned out (mostly) the meals for a month, and am starting to feel a little calmer. if i'm being totally honest with myself, it's fair to say that we will prbably go off plan at east once a week, but that doesn't matter, because it has served its purpose. I am organised.

This month has majored heavily on various back copies of July Good Food magazines which I have kept because at some point I decided that they were good issues to keep (I had a major clear out a year or so ago) with a couple of old favourites from Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall and Nigella thrown in for good measure.

The recipes are picked on the basis of ease of preparation, amount of vegetables and general yumminess. Seeing as how I have been so efficient, I thought I’d share my plan with you. There are some holes. You can improvise. I will be!

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
2nd Kids out Left over burgers; salad; bread	3rd Husband away Cheese & marmite pasties (GF June 2012 but already in freezer), new potatoes, carrot sticks; strawberries & ice cream	4th Husband out; kids pick up 4.30 Macaroni peas (Veg Everyday)	5th Rainbows BBQ – taking pudding (from Kitchen by Nigella) & salad	6th Salmon, green beans, new potatoes	7th Away for night	8th
9th After school hordes; Cubs Pork burgers with herby chips (GF July 09 p26)	10th extra long ballet Pea & watercress pasta (GF July 10 p33)	11th kids pick up 4.30 Lamb meatballs	12th  Last Rainbows – Olympic theme Summer salad with anchovy dressing (GF July 09 p 27)	13th Pizzas	14th Sheepfair Quiche	15th  H to Saudi
16th H away, Allotment Junkie here; Cubs Cheesy bean burgers (GF July 10 p26)	17th H away, AJ here Lemon & Rosemary pork (GF July 10 p39)	18th H away; kids pick up 4.30	19th H away; Pink to M&T’s  party Cheese & Marmite pasties (as for 03/07)	20th	21st Off to camp!!	22nd CAMP
23rd CAMP	24th CAMP	25th CAMP	26th CAMP	27th Home from camp	28th Post camp BBQ	29th French girl arrives
30th African Chicken (Kitchen, Nigella Lawson)	31st Bolognaise

And, yes, I know. I know what you're thinking. "She's a freak!". Frankly, I'm not sure I should have shared the fact that I am so blimmin anal about it, but doesn't it look FABULOUS?? I'll admit to have made a special effort for the purposes of this post - usually, it's all scribbled in, with lots of crossings out, but it works for me.

Do you meal plan? I'm linking up with some other meal planners  at home with Mrs M and feel like I'm not alone, so if youmeal plan too, come and join in!