Winter has arrived.  My family is stretched out in several different directions in the evening.  At the end of a long day, I want them to have a nice hot meal.  I hate planning.  I hate hearing the question, “What is for dinner?” when I do not have an answer for them.  I know meal planning is good for my family, our health and our budget.  This is something I have begun to get serious about.  That is why I have added a few tricks to my bag to make this task easier.

I have begun to follow a few blogs.  I love Stephanie O’Dea.  I have a few of her cookbooks.  She loves a Crock Pot.  I love a Crock Pot.  Her recipes and practical, easy and gluten free.  Everything my family needs.  I also follow Lisa Leake.  I am working my family through 100 Days of Real Food.  I know we eat too much processed food and too much sugar.  I also have a subscription to Plan to Eat.  I love this service.  It helps my save all the wonderful recipes I find on Pinterest and while reading blogs.  Then I can set a schedule with those recipes and creates a list.  It is a wonderful service. They have a freezer meal challenge in January that I have joined.  Comes with a Facebook page and I have already been connecting with other subscribers.   I also like Eat at Home.  This service gives you meal plans to choose from and sends you weekly or monthly menu and grocery list.  Super easy.  All downloadable.

My goal for 2017 is 5 meals a week with the other 2 being pizza one night and “hodgepodge”, my families term for leftovers.  Realistically I hope we get 4….  All of these tools will help me.  I will share my results as we go.  I will also share recipe hits and misses.   As always It will be the good, the bad and the ugly.