Grocery shopping...

Since we have moved I've been slacking on grocery shopping. I think it's because it's still summer. The kids do not have homework and what not. (Or it's just because I have come to dread it).

Well, I do a few things. I head to my cabinate that has all my recipes. 

The best thing I ever did was subscribe to The Food Network Magazine. I have been a subscriber since 2010. I have a few missing issues when we have moved and what not, but other than that I have all of them.  The books next to my magazines are the most used. (I know I should purge the others bet some were gifts)

The black binder has the recipes I've typed/printed off. Some are friends' recipes, most are from family and the rest are ones I've gotten off the internet. (Yes I have them in sections: main dishes, sides, breads, breakfast, deserts) 

Then I grab my current calendar 

I use pencil when writing the meals down. Just in case they get vetoed by other family members. 

Then once we've made the dish (I am not so anal we have to eat the dish on the night I've wrote it down) I use a high lighter to mark it off. 

That way we know essentially what we still have to eat. The picture above is a month from last year. If we do not eat it in the two weeks we put it down it will carry over. Something's come up like BBQs or just times we are tired of cooking and go out. 

Now if you zoom in the above pictures (or check out the picture below) you can see short hand. 

So the 22nd I've written down Orecchiette with Ham and Leeks pg 151

FNM~Apr14 which mean Food Network Magazine ~ April 2014 (I've had to start to write the year because I have 4 years of these magazines). My poor husband has had to get used to this short hand as he and I share cooking duties. 

Once I've filled in the two weeks that we need of meals. I use the recipes and compile my list. 

As that is finished I put the recipes and calendar , whether they are magazine, loose or in books in a magazine holder that sits on our counter. That way we are not searching for them through out the week. Helps with making cooking a little easier. (It used stress me out, but now I love it). 

Sorry for the long winded post. Hope it helps just a little. 

Hope you are having a wonderful day!!!