Creative Ways to Menu Plan

My friend Kristi over at Run the Earth, Watch the Sky posted how she menu plans on her blog and I wanted to share it with you because it is so creative! Here's how she menu plans:

"It's just a small poster board with 14 self-adhesive library pockets stuck on (I bought them at a teacher-supply store). My husband did the lettering for me - I think it looks lovely! :)

Then I went through my cookbooks and wrote the names of main-dish recipes on the end of blank 3x5 cards. If it is something I don't make often I added the cookbook name and page number underneath. Then I cut about 1-1/2" off of the ends of some of the cards and wrote side dishes on those cards, which allows both the main dish and side dish to be visible when put in the pocket together.

I filed the index cards in a home-made envelope file. I'd like to eventually get a small plastic accordion file, but you can easily make one with business-size envelopes. Just fold the flap of an envelope back and glue it to another envelope behind it (which also has the flap folded back). Continue until you have enough pockets. Then moisten the adhesive of the last envelope and glue it to the inside. Then use packing tape to tape the bottoms of the envelopes together.

This is working well for me so far. I like that I can quickly look through my file and create a two week menu in a flash - including side dishes. Having recipe names already written out on the index cards keeps me from having to mentally shuffle through 20 cookbooks! As I work, I can very easily re-order or replace things. No more erasing and rewriting and erasing and rewriting! If something comes up and I change the order, I can easily change the menu planner to reflect that."

Wasn't that fun to see? If you have a creative way of menu planning - please feel free to share it with me!

Also, if you missed my blog on how I menu plan go here and here to see what works best for me!

Walk with the King!

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/