Help with menu planning

[aka]

Well, this isn't a web site, but I have a cookbook you may be interested in. It's called "A Dinner A Day" by Sally Sondheim & Suzannah Sloan. It features menus, recipes, shopping lists and preparation "countdown" for weeknight meals for a year (no repeats, but some of the recipes are similar). I've used recipes from it and liked them, but I haven't used it exclusively for my menu planning. The menus include desserts, but not everyone needs/wants dessert every night (I fall into the "need" category here)

I tried doing a web search to see if they had a web site connected to the book, but all that came up was how to order it from Amazon.

I got mine at half-price books for $8.

Lilia

[crazycook]

Hi SFHALL http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
You may want to try the following: http://www.my-meals.com
I did a search on "meal planning" and it came up in the results. I've checked it out and it looks promising. It has an area where you can choose from pre-planned meals or create your own plans from a vast recipe collection. You can also create what's called "My Grocery List" from the chosen plan. I hope it works out for you. Please let us know if it's worthwhile. Good Luck! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Tally]

There are several sites on the web that feature "Once a Month Cooking", where you spend a day or two making and freezing meals for an entire month. Try searching for "OAMC" on a search engine like google or yahoo.

A few other helpful sites: http://www.busycooks.com and http://www.kitchenlink.com/cgi/public_frames?page=rcpmenus

Also, the May issue of Real Simple magazine features a weeks's worth of meals in the food section.

[This message has been edited by Tally (edited 04-21-2001).]

[crazycook]

Me again http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif
I have another suggestion. Your post reminded me of a cookbook I picked up a while ago. It's called, "Life's On Fire--Cooking for the Rushed". There's a new book due out May 1, called "Getting Ya Through the Summer--Cooking for the Rushed" It has 5 weeks worth of menus. There's a webiste as well. http://cookingfortherushed.com (You'll find a sample recipe to try) The book is by Sandi Richard. It has 12 weeks worth of menus which you can then repeat, or by mixing up the entrees create new plans for additional weeks. The book is very well organized and categorizes the meals by prep-to-eating time and the recipes have been "rated" by "test families". It balances the meals to fit the Canadian and American Food Guides and includes both nutritional information and food choice exchanges for the whole meal. Each week's worth of recipes comes with a grocery list for the that week. The book advocates using what it calls "Helpers"--convenience food items like frozen veggies, boxed rice mixes, Pillsbury crescents, etc. The foods are very simple fair, certainly not haute cuisine by any stretch of the imagination. I can't suggest any recipe since I've yet to try anything from the book. The only drawback that I spotted in reviewing this book again is that some of the meals are high in WW points and that could very well be due to no listing of fibre content for each meal. (I couldn't factor that into the points calculation) Oversight on their part--I don't know?

[ama47369]

Sorry-it wont let me add it. it is just like the meals.com but there are the words "very best" infront of the word meals. I don't know why this is so suspicious.

It seems like an alright sight...The meal planner is good. But since it seems to be just like the above mentioned meals.com--forget I brought it up! This is so wierd! Anyone know why it won't let me talk about this site? Just curious....


[This message has been edited by ama47369 (edited 04-21-2001).]

[This message has been edited by ama47369 (edited 04-21-2001).]

[funnybone]

Originally posted by ama47369:
You can try www.************* (http://www.*************) .com



What is that?????

[This message has been edited by funnybone (edited 04-21-2001).]

[SFHALL]

Thanks for the help in locating a meal planning site. In following up on some of your suggestions I came across www.Accumeals.com (http://www.Accumeals.com) which proved to be the best site for my needs. Its provides complete menus which can be tailored to taste and dietary preferences and allows you to print a "Fridge Sheet" for the week outlining the week's meals as well as recipes and a shopping list. As I try the recipes I will pass along reviews. Thanks!

[SFHALL]

Please help...I am a busy working mother and I am trying to find a site where I can get a weeks worth of dinner menuss and shopping list. Any suggestions?

[emilycat]

Amanda,

The reason CL won't let you write that site's name is because for quite some time, the operators of that site were advertising on the BB's -- it got highly annoying, especially because the posters were posing as genuinely interested parties. Not to dredge up old unpleasantries, but that's why, since you were curious. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Emily

[crazycook]

Did I unknowingly start something? I'm sorry. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif I was just trying to help by searching out a site and the one I mentioned looked interesting. I was unaware that this site caused a problem on this BB. I am in no way associated with the site. I'm new here and certainly am not trying to cause any trouble. Forgive me if it was taken as such. I truly wanted to help.

[ama47369]

Crazycook-don't worry-you didn't start anything. I just thought that it was bazaar that I was unable to post the name of the website that I listed. But, as I think of it, I remember getting the name of the site off Martha Stewart BB where someone recomended it. (Could they have been doing the same thing there?) And, since the site looks identical to the site you mentioned, I fiqured it wasn't important for people to know the name of the other site.

Emilycat-thanks for posting your message-I am not affiliated with the site either, I just thought it was wierd that I couldn't post it.

As they say, you learn something new everyday!

SFHALL-I'm glad you found a site that works with your needs.

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gifAmanda



[This message has been edited by ama47369 (edited 04-22-2001).]