Usually I spend Sunday afternoon getting the majority of the cooking done for the week. We had company this past weekend and with it being a holiday weekend, I just never got around to cooking. For a while I thought I might just cook each day as needed but I’m so used to doing most of the cooking at once, I went ahead and got started as soon as Vince left for work this morning.
This type cooking won’t work for everyone but if you think it might, you really should try it.
By 8 a.m. I had started cooking. Here’s what I did:
- Boiled and skinned new potatoes for potatoes with milk gravy for dinner tonight.
- Made 2 pans of Italian meatloaf. One is for tonight. One is for the freezer.
- Made 2 loaves of white bread. We’re having leftover roast beef sandwiches for lunch tomorrow and I love roast beef on white bread.
- Made chicken with artichokes and mushrooms for dinner Tuesday night.
- Made Chicken Paprikash for dinner Wednesday night. I made a double batch of sauce so all I’ll have to do next time is season and bake the chicken. The sauce is what takes a while.
- Made Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Salad for part of lunch tomorrow.
Except for opening a few cans, heating up a few things, boiling some pasta, baking potatoes, making a salad or two, and grilling steaks one night and lamb chops another night, my cooking is done all the way through next Sunday!
In just 3 hours from the time I started, everything was done and my kitchen was clean . . and I was tired!
Here’s my menu for the week and you can see how easy our meals will be for the rest of the week:
Tuesday (tonight):
Italian meatloaf
New potatoes with milk gravy
Green Beans
Salad
Crusty Bread
Wednesday:
Chicken with Artichokes & Mushrooms
Pasta
Fried Okra
Salad
Crescent Rolls
Thursday:
Chicken Paprikash
Gnocchi
Steamed Broccoli
Garlic Bread
Friday:
Grilled Lamb Chops
Mint Jelly
Twice Baked Potatoes
Dilly Sweet Carrots
Saturday:
Pizza
Sunday:
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Salad
Crusty Bread
If you ever try cooking like this, my bet is you won’t ever do it any other way.
CJ says
I think it’s so awesome that you do this, I do everything by the seat of my pants and will never be able to get that organized! The only time I even think a day ahead of time what we’re having for dinner is when we’re going to have company. Otherwise, usually around lunchtime I start thinking about dinner plans.
One of these days though, I am going to make myself try this!
JudyL says
I wish I could be more spontaneous. If I wake up and don’t have my whole day planned . . almost to the minute, then I’m just lost, usually for the whole day.
Jamie says
Okay, now come here and do that for me lolol! just kidding, like CJ, I wish I could be that organized, but with the way we change our mind so much, I would end up wasting more than I would like.
Did you see the post on my blog about the chicken coop? If not, I posted it with you and Vince in mind, I thought you two would get a kick out of it.
JudyL says
I’m pretty committed once I make up my mind. Change doesn’t come real easy for me, even on things as simple as my menu. It also helps that eating out is not an option here.
Kim West says
I am like CJ and Jaimie, I fly by the seat of my pants. I make a “general” menu for a two-week period for purposes of buying, but when the day arrives I see what I want to make and what I feel like – usually around 2 or so. I do have a few “crock pot meals” that I buy for and then if I have all-day plans, I will start that in the morning.
ruth says
I did this a very long time ago, and it was great, except that I was totally worn out.
Can I come for dinner?
JudyL says
Sure. Tomorrow is a real good one . . one of my favorites. You might want to try to make it by 6:00. 🙂
Vicky says
I’m intrigued with your chicken paprikash. Need to look that one up! And I’m also intrigued by those meatloaf pans you have. Where did you get those?
Patchkat~ Susan in TX says
We have done this for years and years. Usually have a stew/soup going, a pot of beans, a roast in the slow cooker and meats lined up to grill. Sometimes, I’ll do cucumber and onions in vinegar dressing to set for a day or two…or I’ll make a pea salad as a side dish.
Makes it so easy to put a quick meal together. Throw a salad together, add a vegetable and some bread…as you can see, our meals are not as gourmet as yours, lol….pretty plain and simple.
Helen in Switzerland says
Maybe this is the reason you seem to get so much done – organized cooking (and shopping I assume!). Your organization skills are awesome Judy! Think I may have to give this a try!
Gina E says
Judy, Have you tried any of the breads from the book “Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day”? I have just tried the basic recipe and I love it!
June Piper-Brandon says
I only wish I was this organized. I’d like to try it but I think it would make me crazy. Tonight we are having turkey burgers and salad. But, I do shop with a mind for what we’ll have later from what I buy but not down to having the menu planned for the week.
Amy says
Recipes please 😉