menu

I am not a good cook. I am not even a cook.  All growing up, I should have paid more attention to my mom making things and offered to help more, but I didn't.  Mostly because I wasn't interested (and obviously selfish).  I still am not too interested, but I am trying.  Seriously, cooking for me is equivalent to cleaning the house,  more like cleaning the house 10x.  However, now that I am done with school and just working, I am trying to improve my cooking skills.  I want Jake and I to eat healthier and have more money, which means me cooking every night and no going out to eat.
So, a few weeks ago I sat down and made a 2 week menu.  I went through some recipes that I haven't tried and wrote them on a calendar. Then I went through and made a grocery list.  I made a grocery list and then organized in into sections of the grocery store so that I would be more efficient when I went.  It worked! I'm sure I am not buying the cheapest things or anything like that, I rarely even look at the weekly ad like I should, but hey, it's called baby steps, right?
The 2 week meal plan was successful. And since they are all new recipes we now know which ones are keepers. (I am judging that off of what leftovers were eaten).  And I went and did another 2 week plan when that one was done- I have done it successfully for a month.  And it is so nice to have the decision of what to make already planned. If needed, we just swap what is on the calendar for a different day. But it is working, slowly but surely. Maybe by the time I'm fifty I won't hate cooking as much as cleaning the house 10 times. I bet it will probably be closer to cleaning the house two times. :)