Days of the week cooking

[kally]

I am looking at all these ingredients I have bought that fill my cupboards and fridge and wonder does anyone here do different days of the week cooking, sort of the old fashioned:

Monday beans
Tuesday meatloaf
Wed. pasta

sort of thing. I think it would simplify my cooking and stocking up. Advice anyone?

[Mrs. Hermit]

I don't do the days of the week thing, but on the days that I work, it is crockpot (or oven roast) day. I have only a limited repertoire of recipes, so we often see repeats.

[Marianne]

I do a lot of slow cooker stuff. I look for slow cooker recipes as I love the walk away factor.

In the winter, I generally make a pot of soup every Monday. Kind of weird, now that I think about it. Pot of soup, loaf of bread, I'm happy.

I have friends that have pizza every Friday night. Every...single...Friday. They have done this for probably 10 years. He's rather OCD, so that might have something to do with it.

Other friends from years ago, had popcorn and fruit (and a movie) every Sunday night.

[herbgeek]

When I was working (and therefore needed to plan meals more closely), I would have themes for each day of the week, rather than specific dishes, as I like a lot of variety. For example, Monday was crockpot day so I could cut all the veggies and whatever for a soup or stew on Sunday. Tuesday was meat and veggies (like stir fry, or a quick saute or grill- nothing more than 15 minutes), Wednesday was pasta, Thursday was ethnic (usually Mexican) and Friday was takeout. Themes were a good technique to put some structure in place, without a lot of monotony.

[Gingerella72]

I'm thinking of doing this myself to simplify things. I beat myself up over trying to fix a variety of different things and new recipes (I tend to be a recipe whore, always visiting food sites and printing recipes I'll probably never use) but when it comes down to it, what we really want to eat on a regular basis tends to be the same basic things.

[Marianne]

Years ago, I would plan a rough menu of sorts for half the month. I included meals that took a while to make, using leftovers, what was in the frig/freezer, plus some really quick and easy things, like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Then I would write my grocery list based on what was on the menu. Then no matter how the day progressed, I could pick something from the 'menu' and make that for supper and I always had all of the ingredients.

I didn't even think about this until this morning, even though I did it for several years!

[Bastelmutti]

I'm thinking of doing this myself to simplify things. I beat myself up over trying to fix a variety of different things and new recipes (I tend to be a recipe whore, always visiting food sites and printing recipes I'll probably never use) but when it comes down to it, what we really want to eat on a regular basis tends to be the same basic things.

Same here! Weds. has become pasta night because I have school. Might try to have set meals other nights, too. It would greatly simplify. At least for 2-3 wks. in a row, then switch.

[pinkytoe]

We both seem to work a lot lately so it might be helpful to us too to have a daily theme. Currently, we have breakfast for dinner one night a week - something like poached eggs on swiss chard with wheat toast and fruit. The only other routine seems to be fish on Friday.

[Anne Lee]

We have tacos every single Friday night except when traveling or we have other plans.

I generally have a chicken night, a grill night, a pasta night, & tacos. I guess I could add a soup and sandwich night (salad and sandwich in the summer), breakfast for dinner and maybe something else...

[CathyA]

Monday night used to be egg sandwich and fruit night, but that's changed, now that DH doesn't help with boyscouts that night any more.
I try to have 2 nights a week that's veggie......like spaghetti, veggie stir fry, black beans and rice; one night for beef, like a roast with veggies; one night for baked chicken and the next night I make a big salad with the left-over chicken in it.
Friday night is Pizza night.....either Papa Murphy's veggie or I buy cheap cheese ones and put onion, red pepper and spinach on them.
Saturday night we tend to go to a local Chinese Buffet or make a nice steak meal at home. Sunday is every man for himself.

I would LOVE breakfast for dinner, but DH is pretty traditional in thinking that's only for breakfast. DH's life gets turned upside down when we don't have pizza on Friday nights too. haha

[treehugger]

My only weekly rule is that I don't cook on Monday nights, since that night I have a workout class to go to and don't get home till 6:45. Other than that, I have never felt the need for days of the week cooking or recurring themes. I think I am just too contrary for that, even though it would be me making the schedule. :}

Kara

[domestic goddess]

After a long (for me) period of not having enough work, I got a call yesterday about a new case, so I will be working more. I think I should do something like themed nights so I can get a meal on the table, at least most nights. I will have to leave early to get to work, so will probably take my dinner with me. I think there will be more crockpot meals, so I can sleep during the day. I guess I need to think this through a bit, and come up with something with a little structure, so I know what I am doing when, and my family doesn't have to eat spaghetti 4 times a week. Oh, dear, more to think about!

[Mrs-M]

Back when I was a kid, mom sort of planned meals by way of the old-fashioned, days of the week menu, but I don't. I like to wing-it! LOL! In fact there are days where I'll take something or another out in preparation of something specific I have in mind to make, and part way through the day I'll think to myself, neh, I'm not making that today, so whatever I took out gets put in the fridge or off to the side (on hold), and I concentrate my efforts on the new! However I do envy those who follow a more regimented menu in their homes. So traditional it is. Homey.

[kally]

we always eat out in the winter and spring on Monday night. We eat at a community dinner. Salad, pasta, meat sauce, tea and usually cookies $2. What a deal.

[Wildflower]

I categorize by days of the week and refer to a master list of meals that we like, about a month's worth of meals. This makes cooking much easier for me. I used to be very disorganized in planning meals years ago, and in a rush we would often resort to a quick meal out since I hadn't planned meals well enough. No more, fast food is awful, not to mention expensive. I go to the grocery store once a week, usually on Monday, and buy whatever I need for that week's meals.

Mon. - breakfast for dinner
Tues. - mexican food, usually tacos or enchilados
Wed. - pasta meal and salad
Thurs. - meat and potatos meal, cooked in slow cooker or grilled outside in warmer weather
Fri. - pizza
Sat. - eat out at local inexpensive ethnic restaurants
Sun. - soup, stew, or chili with homemade bread

[Marianne]

I remember a coworker telling me that she made her own TV dinners using what was leftover from supper during the week, labeled and popped them in the freezer. Then every Friday night was TV dinner night. It also gave her DH something simple to heat and eat if she was gone.

[Glo]

When I was growing up, you could tell the day of the week by what my mother was cooking. That's never been for me as I like a lot of variety. DH also cooks so we do a lot of trading off.