Some days I'd rather not eat...

...so I could pass without cooking.

The truth, though, is that I need to eat, and Partner too, so I have to cook everyday. Luckily, Oath is breastfeeding, so I do not have to prepare any bottles and keep track of how much formula is left on top of everything else. But it is hard to find the time and motivation to cook when you would rather sit down for a minute when the baby sleeps! Specially, when you have to do it twice a day because lunch is the big hearty meal, and dinner is around when Partner comes back from work, exhausted and hungry. No way I can sneak regularly an easy dish (like soup, or instant noodles)! If I had to think what to cook I am sure we would end up eating out far more than our budget allows, and then there would be problems.
This leads clearly to one thing: menu planning.

I started some months ago, when I still had time to cook, but was lazy enough that thinking what to cook was a hassle I did not want to go through twice a day. Menu planning allowed me to stress myself with that only once a week, and also helped cut drastically on the amount spent on groceries and restaurants. I did not expect it, to be honest, but it was like magic. Suddenly everything was better: the kitchen was less messy, we weren't spending as much, we did not fight over who got to decide, it was easier to follow a healthier diet...
Well, there's no need to tell you all who are menu planning all the ways it can change our lives. And to those who still haven't tried it... you just need to know that it makes living easier, in many ways. Go for it and you'll see.

So, this week's meal plan in our house is:

Monday

• Lunch: Cold potato salad
• Dinner: Fusilly with tuna and tomato sauce

Tuesday

• Lunch: Sausages over mashed potatoes, grated.
• Dinner: Hake fillets with caramelized onions

Wednesday

• Lunch:  Cheese and ham omelettes
• Dinner: Chicken strogonoff

Thursday

• Lunch: Caesar salad
• Dinner: "Frutti di mare" fried noodles
  

Friday

• Lunch: Honey and vinegar ribs
• Dinner: Nachos
  

Saturday

• Lunch: Lunch with the in-laws (if not, move Sunday's lunch here)
• Dinner: Homemade pizza

Sunday

• Lunch: Rice "a la cubana" (with tomato sauce, fried eggs, sausages and banana)
• Dinner: Fish sticks and baked potatoes

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more on menu planning (and much more!): it was one of the sites that helped me start menu planning, and it can help you too if you want to start.

Oath's Mom