meal planning

i know, i know...long time no cook.

actually, i've been cooking. but, it's been pretty boring, as i'm getting ready to move and have basically been trying to use up everything.

in the meantime, i've been working on a little something called meal planning. not only is deciding what meals to make for the coming week efficient and money-saving: it's also a fun challenge! i've been printing out recipes and grouping them together based on common ingredients. i can't wait to start (really) cooking again and see how this all turns out.



here's an example. jeff challenged me to see who could have a less expensive week of meals: his usual ramen/chef boyardee/taco bell "college student fare" vs a meal plan. here's what i have so far!!

for starters, basic spaghetti noodles can be repurposed with basic tomato sauce; with olive oil; as noodles for stir fry, lo mein or pad thai; and in chicken noodle soup.

and all of those other ingredients? they can be reused too:
tomato sauce in homemade pizza; stir fry veggies on the pizza or in the soup; and olive oil is great on just about anything!

simple italian salad dressing can of course be used in a salad-- but it can also be used as a marinade for chicken!

those veggies from the stir fry? bell peppers and onions are fantastic for fajitas or quesadillas. and BOTH call for tortillas and cheese.

check it out. these meals are healthy, AND give you a great variety. but know what's even better? all of these ingredients are incredibly cheap! and when you buy them all at once at the grocery, you'll be saving money when you add up all of the college student meals. don't believe me? wait for the results of our exciting competition!!