Do you write out a weekly meal plan? - Montana Owners Club

jrgwdenner · 05-09-2006, 11:14 AM

and shop according to what you need for the week? When we went to Alaska, we had enough food to feed an army, based mostly on the fact that we didn't know what we were getting into as far as availability and prices. I would love to be able to keep my grocery stock down to a manageable level and I'm wondering if better planning might help. I always overstock. Any hints or tricks?

dsprik · 05-09-2006, 12:39 PM

Eat out every meal. A little heavy on the budget, but no storage problems...

Seriously, though Judy, I am interested in this info too, so I will be watching with interest. If I could follow the above procedure, I would be able to drive one of Dave's (Montana Sky) Prevosts...

Parrothead · 05-09-2006, 12:56 PM

Ed is somewhat of an alarmist so we have some supplies "just in case". But for the most part we plan meals, just not which day we are having what. I did that back in the days when I was a young bride.
Happy trails............................

rickety · 05-09-2006, 12:58 PM

I do the cooking, cuz Phyllis still has to work, so I cook, and vacuum, and clean the potty room.
As far as grocery stocking goes, I try to buy enough canned goods for 2 weeks, usualy 8-10 cans of veggies, I buy 3 different types of frozen veggies, 1 lb bags, enough in each bag for a meal or two, always try to make them different. I buy canned tuna and chicken and pastas as needed along with pancake mix, etc. We don't particularly like beef, so I buy pork, chicken and fish. you can only put so much in the freezer, so I usually have to buy meat twice a week. I buy packaged salads, also try to vary them. I buy these when I buy meat, so that they are fresh. I keep flour, sugar, tea, coffee (which I usually buy in 5 lb bags and grind and store in used cans with stay tight lids, or in plastic containers), I buy spices as needed. I keep 4 different varieties of cereals and two varieites of hot cereals. Cold cereals and the large spices go over the couch, hot cereals go in the pantry. I have my deep fryer, the oil for same is kept under the sink and reused until I think it needs to be replaced. I empty and clean the deep fryer every time I use it and keep recycling the oil. We have snacks, etc and paper towels and toilet paper are kept under the bathroom sink. I put up a small wire spice rack on the side of the micrwave cabinet and that's where I keep my ready use spices. Eggs of course are kept in the reefer along with milk, OJ, Iced Tea, butter and cheeses (3 kinds), and yogurt in the door along with mayo, catsup, mustard, taco sauce, etc.
It all seems to work well, shopping 2-3 times a week gets me out of the house and gives me an additional something to do.
I hope this helps.

on edit...I try not to plan meals weekly, so that I can maintain a surprise factor in our eating.

FulltimeFollies · 05-09-2006, 01:19 PM

We shop every three weeks except for bread and milk and oj. Otherwise we know when we go to the store exactly what we need. Our meals are planned, but not by the day, but by how many days. Spaghetti last two days, santa fe chicken cooked on the grill goes for 3 days, american golash goes for 2 days, meat loaf for 2 days, pork chops one day, t-bone (yea lol) 1 day, hamburgers 1 day, hot dogs one day etcl. Deli sandwich 2 days, etc. All the other stuff, breakfast cereal, biscuits, eggs, etc are stocked for 3 week intervals. By seperating things before we put in the freezer , it saves room and makes defrosting the food a lot easier for one meal. Can goods we buy the small cans and make a meal out of each one, so it doesnt take much room in the pantry. And it sure makes it easier on the budget if we know how much we are going to spend every 3 weeks.

prariepoodle · 05-09-2006, 01:29 PM

We shop for 3 to 4 weeks at the time sense it is 90 miles to vegas and 50 miles to Pahrump. I don't plan meals dailey but always have what ever we decide to have,When I get home tomorrow my shelves will be stuffed. I do this when I know that we are going to be staying in one place for awhile and on the last month I try to use up most of it because of weight

Glenn and Lorraine · 05-09-2006, 01:38 PM

For breakfast and dinner in 30 days we will eat IN maybe 6 times and that is typically breakfast. In most cases we eat out and breakfast usually costs under $10 and dinner under 20. With the shopping, paying, preparation and cleaning up afterwards it is just as easy to eat out and we both get EXACTLY what we want. AND it really doesn't cost that much more.
As I post this, in the freezer we have 3 pork chops and 2 steaks. In the pantry is a box of oatmeal and a box of Cheerios along with a few can goods. The chops, steaks, oatmeal, cereal, etc will last us a month or maybe more.

adelmoll · 05-09-2006, 01:58 PM

You've got to be kidding Judy. Plan???? I quit doing that the day I retired. Now when I feel like cooking I go to the store and buy what I need. I usually end up throwing out the leftovers cuz I never did learn how to cook for just two. I joined a new club called L.E.O. Love it.

Helen

jrgwdenner · 05-09-2006, 02:06 PM

Helen, that is exactly my problem with shopping and cooking. I cooked for six of us and I still think I'm cooking for six. If we have something good, we have to eat it for five days! I do like your attitude!

vickir · 05-09-2006, 03:28 PM

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... you're kidding, right?

jrgwdenner · 05-09-2006, 03:33 PM

What, no lists, Vicki? I just thought I'd test the waters here. We're too retired to be that organized but I thought maybe someone had some special tricks that I could learn from. In fact, we often aren't too hungry at night anymore and have to fight the urge to not just eat junk food. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we don't.

dsprik · 05-09-2006, 05:57 PM

Well, Judy, I think you really hit a hot topic here. Look at all the responses... some with some definite set ideas. Good topic. Hope it continues - without a food fight...

CountryGuy · 05-10-2006, 03:21 AM

We keep a stash of staples: cereal, yogurt, coffee, fruit, milk, OJ, drinking water, distilled water, bread, butter, condiments, canned goods, sugar/substitute, creamora, pasta stuff (for Italian type meals), pop, other drinks (hot and cold), etc.. (this is not a complete list by far)

When we shop we replace those items, if necessary. Try to keep a running list for shopping, which of course, half the time is left back at Tana when we realize we are going shopping! SIGHH (HAHA). We fill the frig, and the freezer. We kinda have a feel for how much it will hold, so buy that much. Try to not purchase things that we will not use frequently, Tana is not the place for 6 cans of articoke hearts (not that they are bad or anything, just we won't use them!!!)

I like to keep my meals on the simple side, simple ingredients, simple cooking. One of my sayings is if it has more than 5 ingredients and takes more than 10 minutes to prepare, I don't want to cook it! It is not that I am a bad cook, I just don't enjoy it all that much. I enjoy eating good food, just not the work to prepare it and clean it up.

At least not on a daily basis. For pot lucks, well, sometimes I pull out all stops!

That said, the frig is always full, ditto on the freezer. The pantry is full, we have a door shelf on the laundry room/closet door, it is usually full, the end cupboard in the 3295, upper shelf is usually pretty full and have a few things tucked in here and there in other spots in Tana.

I do tend to stock up heavily on some items we favor that we cannot get everywhere. I love the German coffee I get at Aldi's, cheap and yummy strong. Cannot get in Texas, not ONE Aldi's in Texas. So, I go loaded with coffee, more than I could possibly use, it is vacuum packed and cannot spoil, does not weigh a lot, so I take a stash. Had trouble finding a jam we use, so last year I took several extra jars of that with us as well.

jrgwdenner · 05-10-2006, 03:31 AM

Carol, I think your style is a lot like mine. Mostly I need to use what we have before buying more/other stuff, but if you're not hungry for what you have in stock, there it sits. I think a door shelf would be great for storage. Unfortunately our laundry room door is bifold with two long sections that fold against one another.

Wifeofdano · 05-10-2006, 03:32 AM

Judy, Well, we're not officially fulltimers, but we did live in our Monty RV 5th Wheel since September while we did alot of work on the brick house. I have been shopping as I always have, no real set menus, but just a variety of everything so we can cook what ever when ever. I like to take things out of their original boxes. Have alot of containers that air seal - they keep everything fresher. One for the coffee, pasta, cereal, rice, etc...you can see how much you have, seems to take up less space, you get rid of alot of trash immediently and it looks nice (like the laundry basket liner idea!) We are taking our 1st long trip in 1 week and 2 days ( but who's counting? ) and I was thinking last night about the food thing because of this post. My plan might be a little extra work to start with, but will make it easier on the road - I'm going to plan meals (using alot off the What's Cooking topic) and get things ready before hand as much as I can. Ex: Make Shirley's famous BBQ rub & sauce - put the rub on the ribs before I seal them up & put in the freezer / ready to go. Wash all the potatoes, make up hamburger patties (or I mean Beefunas!), cut up all the stuff for the Big Salad, but just in general, pre-prepare what ever I can. Okay, I'm starting to ramble on....gotta get to work! Later

CountryGuy · 05-10-2006, 03:38 AM

Lisa,

I will do the prep work as you are talking about, specially when we are running hard on the road, like on the way to Texas in the cold of winter. I make a quiche, what a great day starter, warm it in the microwave, and we have the energy to get us down the road a bit. I will also stock up on salads, like some macaroni type salads, which we will eat at night with some cheese and salomi, or similar items. After driving all day, we sure don't feel like cooking and messing, so we just grab some of these pre-prepared foods and relax. Use paper plates whenever possible in this situation, less clean up. After we arrive at destinations, we start up with the, ummmmm, I feel like hamburgers, or better yet! PIZZA! (HAHA), or for those who know, Pepe's at the River!

jrgwdenner · 05-10-2006, 04:51 AM

I think we should have gone to Pepe's more often!

Kimmrg · 05-10-2006, 05:47 AM

Wow, I am in AWE of all you who plan and prepare ahead. I don't like to cook, but I love to do the dishes by hand. Therefore in our home, Steve cooks. I hate the gas stove, don't like the smell and hate the "pop" at the end when you turn it off. We grill out alot too. I often don't plan ahead, but feel like I should. The fridge, freezer and pantry are always full, but I may not have what I need to make what I am hungry for. Luckily, Walmart is five minutes from us. We lived "on vacation" the first year on the road and we cannot afford to do that anymore, so we eat at home lots now. Thanks for all the great ideas, maybe a list is not so bad...

CountryGuy · 05-10-2006, 06:03 AM

Kim,

Al and I actually eat in a lot! We ate out more this year in the RGV than we normally do, but we had so many MOC's to share meals with! Goodness, good friends, good food (that I did not have to cook, prepare and clean up!) WOWIE, oh, yea, I had a good time!

When we are traveling that includes some serious sightseeing or research, we eat breakfast and evening meal in, and try to have our large meal at the noonish hour, usually out so we don't have to go back to Tana.

When we go to the lake, we eat almost every meal in Tana, or in pot luck style with our friends. In 15 days, maybe 2 or 3 meals out. (Course, there are those ice cream runs in the boat! oh, man!

)

But, we eat basics, nothing real fancy, just GOOD eats!

So, off to Walleys we go, and bring the list!

Mac · 05-10-2006, 12:55 PM

I was thinking about this topic last night (me thinking is a scary proposition in and of itself) and I was wondering if anyone ever thought about putting together a receipe book for rving. My point is this, I read, with interest, all the receipes posted and so I know there are a number of cooks out there. Most on this site are now only cooking for two people, for some, like us, we're just getting used to that since our youngest just left. There should be receipes for two where there aren't four meals of left overs. I cook as much as my wife and although I love my baked ziti, I don't want to eat it six days straight.

So...... good idea, or should I just sleep at night instead of lying awake??

mac

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