First ever blog post

Wow. This will probably never win any awards or be seen by anyone but me, but I need somewhere (and something) that will help me stay organised. Mainly, I need to keep a running record of my menu and meal planning, and recipes that I want to add to my "keepers" file for regular use. Right now, I have a mish-mash of files on my laptop, printed recipe pages in a collection of folders and a drawer stuffed with odds and sods.

I have a page of "menu ideas", grouped under useful headings like Pasta, Pizza, Sandwiches/Burgers, Soup, Crockpot, Mexican, Asian (Thai/Chinese), Meat and Veg, Pie, Seafood, and some monthly and weekly meal plans, but I never managed to get it all working for me. Now I have a simple one-page Weekly Dinner Plan that goes on the fridge, with the recipes clipped behind, and a simple Grocery List that I fill in once we have agreed on the next week's menu. So ... next week's menu looks like this (I shop on Friday, but we eat at the in-laws on Saturday, so Sunday is my first day of the week):

Sunday: Tuna Mornay
Monday: Crustless Bacon & Cheese Quiche
Tuesday: Microwave Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto
Wednesday: Cajun Chicken & Coleslaw Sandwiches
Thursday: Take-away night
Friday: Sour Cream & Bacon Chicken (crockpot)
Saturday: lunch/dinner at in-laws (breakfast will be Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes)

I also want to link to things I want, or websites I find interesting. I am trying to lose weight and as the kilos drop off, I love shopping more and more - lately I have been obsessed with maxi dresses and my wardrobe is almost bulging with them these days - it's a good thing they're in style this summer!

Well, enough talking to myself. Off to crash on the couch for a while, to revel in a sense of satisfaction that I am getting organised!

You can find loads more great menu planning ideas at orgjunkie.com