Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Reclaiming the Family Dinner
There are so many useful online tools for busy moms. One of my favorites is E-Mealz. It's a great site that does your meal planning for you. Every week I log on the site and print the new grocery list and menu waiting for me.
Why it works for us?
1. I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner. For me the worst part of preparing dinner has never been the actual cooking. The toughest for me was never knowing what to fix and grocery shopping without a plan. I always ran out of ideas, and we’d end up on an endless cycle of spaghetti and tacos. Now I fix a wide variety of meals, including crockpot meals, quick dinners, and meals fit for company. The recipes are easy to prepare and delicious.
2. It saves us money. You can select between different plans (low carb or different grocery store chains). We use the "Aldi meals for 2" menus. If you’ve ever been to Aldi, you know their prices are great, and E-Mealz stretches the money even further. It has dramatically cut down on my grocery bills. It costs $15 for a 3-month subscription, and I easily make that money back the first week or two I use it. The grocery list tells me exactly what to buy and even uses ingredients in multiple recipes so they don't go to waste. I rarely have to throw away uneaten food.
3. We eat more dinners at the dinner table as a family. We turn off the television and hang out at dinner time. It makes this momma’s heart dance with joy.
Do you do meal planning? What are some of your tricks and tips for getting your family to sit down together for dinner?
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I've never tried menu planning. Might have to investigate this site. I'm more of a seat of the pants cook. I do a combination of crockpot, casseroles, and favorites. When the Supper Fairy fails to defrost something or I'm uninspired, I sit my pants down, pick up the phone and order out. As to getting the troops around the dinner table, the sound of the smoke detector brings them running.
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Thanks for this website recommendation, Julie! Once my little ones get older (read: less picky!), I'm definitely going to give E-mealz a try!
ReplyDeleteCJ - I've set off more than my fair share of smoke detectors!
ReplyDeleteLauren - My son is two and super picky. It drives me nuts. Most nights you'll find him eating a grilled cheese.
Oooh, I'll check that site out!
ReplyDeleteI am a planner though so I have my recipes all out when I do food shopping for the week. (It's a sickness) LOL
I really love the meal idea. It is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of this site and am always looking for easy meal ideas:) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out this site! I'm always running out of ideas for dinners. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say good luck with editing! Think power sentences.
ReplyDeleteyou just saved my sanity. I love you. That sounds creepy. But for this moment, I really do love you. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds awesome! Trying to figure out what to cook is always my worst time of day!! I am going to check this out too!
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