Meal Planning--Step 1: The Recipes

Welcome to the first step to meal planning! To get a snapshot of what meal planning means to me, and my "history" of meal planning, click here!

When I first started meal planning, I was not married and would only cook for myself--and sometimes for Josh when he would come visit for supper. I quickly learned that meal planning is MUCH easier if you have a collection of favorite recipes in one place. These recipes are what we now call "list worthy," meaning they are worth repeating. When I didn't have this list of recipes collected, I often felt at a loss when I started planning my menu. I would just make the same things over and over--getting stuck in that supper rut!

I decided to create a spreadsheet that is organized into categories of meals (crock pot, beef, chicken, soups, Mexican, etc). This collection of recipes took a long time to create when I first started. I brought out all my cook book, recipe books, and my Pinterest boards to help me remember which meals I wanted to add. These are the categories that I organized my recipes into: 

Crock Pot

Soups/Stews

Italian

Mexican

Casseroles/Sandwiches

Chicken

Pork

Beef 

Fish

Salads/Sides

Desserts

And this is what my recipe list looks like: 

Whenever I used a recipe from Pinterest (or any online recipe), I went ahead and linked the recipe onto the spreadsheet--it makes it super easy to find when I go to make the recipe. But, like I said, it took some time when I first created this list.

I try to revisit my spreadsheet as often as I can to add recipes that I have tried and liked. This is something that I definitely could do more often, but you know...life!!

I also have a small collection of cookbooks and handwritten recipe books from my mom and mother-in-law and other relatives. These recipes are dear to me. I love that they are handwritten, personal, and memorable to myself and my husband. And then I threw in a little Pioneer Woman and Joanna Gaines, and what could be better?!

I can't stress enough how simple it makes meal planning to have an organized list like this. When I pull out my calendar to plan out the menu, this list is opened up on my computer right next to me. It has truly made all the difference in this process!

Meal planning is all about saving: time and money! This recipe list is a major time saver! I'd love to know if you try this out--tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check out how you're making this work for you! Use the hashtag #graceandpeaceblog! You can also comment below to share your plans! I'd just love to hear from ya!

Happy planning!

grace & peace
Mairin