source: perspicacious.org
I have issues with menu planning. It’s kind of like a love-hate relationships. I looooove when I do it, it makes my week go easier. It makes me less stressed at dinner time. But I hate planning it. I hate trying to find the recipes and making the grocery list.
Which is why I have loved doing the once-a-month-cooking from Once a Month Mom. She picks out the meals and the gives you the grocery list. The only problem is that I usually need a partner (and a kid-free day) to do it! So, I usually stand staring into my pantry at 5:00pm wondering if having eggs for the 3rd day in a row is a problem.
At Blissdom I found out about E-MEALZ . Maybe you’ve heard of it? Well, Dave Ramsey is a fan. Yeah, like THE Dave Ramsey! It’s a simple idea–you pay $5 a month and pick a menu plan then print it along with complete recipes AND a shopping list. But wait! There’s more! The shopping list is based on the SALES of the store you shop at! You can pick from ALDI, Wal-Mart, Publix, Kroger or Ralphs (or “any store”). And if you are a coupon-er, you can do even better by adding your coupons to the mix!
from last week's menu: tilapia almandine, salad & bread
from last week's menu: chicken, diced tomatoes & feta
I am shopping less and less at the grocery store so didn’t know if this would help me too much. I make all my own bread products (yeah, I do), I buy milk, meat and cheese from a farmer and am part of a vegetable share. Well, E-MEALZ thought of that, too. They have different menus to choose from–Regular Family Meals, Regular Meals for Two, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Portion Control and Vegetarian! I picked the Portion Control and most of the food comes from the perimeter of the grocery store–not many cans or boxes! {See some sample menus–and look! an Easter menu!}
I’ve used E-MEALZ for two weeks and I really like it. I love that the menu and recipes are all on one page…I just printed it and taped it inside my pantry door so I can look at it quickly. I love that the meals are diverse–a soup, a casserole, a chicken dish, seafood, pizza, beef and pork all seem to come up evenly. I love the shopping list is easy to read and is also on one page. You can see the adjustments I had to make on mine above—some food I bought from the farmer and other things I made from scratch. I love that the shopping list has prices on it–perfect for shopping on a budget.
So, this week, my E-MEALZ menu is:
Monday: Tandoori Chicken Strips with Corn on the Cob and a Green Salad
Tuesday: Mexican Pasta Skillet (which I’m gonna serve over baked potatoes instead of pasta) and a fruit salad
Wednesday: Grilled Tilapia and Mango Salsa with Grilled Sweet Potatoes {we don’t have a grill, so I’ll have to do this inside}
Thursday: Italian Chicken Wraps with Cranberry Slaw
Friday: Chicken Dijon with Wild Rice and Broccoli and Cheese
Saturday: Black Eyed Pea Soup, Cornbread Muffins and Sliced Strawberries
Sunday: I don’t cook on Sunday! (there was another meal, but I didn’t make it)
Now here’s the best part! Yesterday I cooked ALL OF THESE MEALS and put them in the freezer! All I have to do is pour stuff in the crockpot, throw it in the oven or piece it all together in a pan! I’m so excited! It was easy last week when I just followed the E-MEALZ menu plan every day, but now that I coupled it with freezer cooking? I am in LOVE!
So, wanna try E-MEALZ for yourself?! They are giving away TWO 3-month subscriptions today on my blog! AND they are offering a 15% off coupon code {use: OHAMANDA} for everyone!
Enter to win one of TWO three month subscriptions to E-MEALZ (do one or all, leave a separate comment for each):
- Leave a comment. What’s your relationship with menu planning?
- Tweet it! What’s for dinner? I’m hopin’ for @emealz! Win a 3month subscription from @oohamanda! http://bit.ly/ohmealz
- Share on Facebook. It’s easy – just click the “Like” button at the bottom of this post! You can even add a nice status update with it!
I’ll announce the winner on Saturday, April 23.
Disclosure: I received a subscription to emealz to facilitate my review. I am also an affiliate for emealz. So, if you sign up via my links I will get a small percentage of the sale. And then YOU can be an affiliate, too. As usual, opinions and thoughts are my own.
why this post is awesome: homemaking is hard for me. this helps me be more awesome in that area.
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