Who Plans out their Dinners?

I do this too, only i use a dry-wipe marker on a magnetic board on the fridge.
It also lets DH know if im going to be home for dinner or not...

That's what we got though I was at a loss what to call it... Magnetic white board from IKEA with a drywipe marker..  Then I get to trill out "Read the board if you want to know what's for dinner!!"" 

I meal plan a week in advance.  Saturday morning I write up my menus and order online for delivery on Wednesday.  Also on Saturday, I pick up any perishables (like milk, bread, veg) that may have run out.  My week works like this:

Sunday: roast or large meal
Monday: leftovers
Tuesday: double meal
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: double meal
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: something nice, out of the ordinary

I like this plan because none of my boys are picky about leftovers and it leaves me with cooking only twice during the working week.

How lucky you are. I have a non leftover eating partner 

One thing I've had to adjust from my US-style of cooking is that I no longer have leftovers.  They just don't exist in my house.

On a positive note, I also know that I'm serving smaller portions than I used to in the US, and when I first moved here.  I can't believe the amount of food I used to eat in one sitting!

when i worked on board a ship cooking i had a rule which i announced at the beginning of every meal- no asking what was for dinner.   30 people x 6 meals x 50 days= too many people asking to many times.  i told them to use their eyes & noses to figure it out for themselves.  a board would have been great- except for those all too often last minute changes.

How lucky you are. I have a non leftover eating partner 

I think I would die if that were the case in my house!

I think I would die if that were the case in my house!

Ditto. DH is a tad fussy about them. But he knows if he doesn't like it, he can sort himself out with boring sandwiches!

LOL. I'm actually the anti-leftover person in our house!! With the exception of complex dishes that taste better after they've had time to meld and occaisionally cold pizza I've just never enjoyed re-heated food for some reason....

Ditto. DH is a tad fussy about them. But he knows if he doesn't like it, he can sort himself out with boring sandwiches!

Oh no, with me not working, I couldn't get away with that response! I just put the leftovers in tupperware and I usually go thru them on swim lessons days when we need to eat dinner in the late afternoon...  But seven days = seven different meals.  That might change when I work again and get fed up with facing the cooker at 5.30 at night...

However, after slaving over homemade chicken soup for the sick one and then having it turned down the next day......I did get a bit cheesed..

Wow, you work AND cook seven nights a week??   

Wow, you work AND cook seven nights a week??   

I used to.  But I was in a permanent bad mood.   I love to cook anyway so seven different meals isnt a hardship to me... what is a hardship is cooking something that a seven year old picks at and pulls a face...  

what is a hardship is cooking something that a seven year old picks at and pulls a face...  

Amen Sistah!! 

If things are clicking along, I will cook 5/7 days a week and sometimes 7/7 days a week.  For me, 90% of the effort is deciding what I will cook.  If I have a clear mind, I can plan ahead and we eat well and together at the table every night.  If I am busy and have 50 different things going on, it's every man for him/herself and we eat all over the place.   

Generally, we don't eat out very much at all, maybe twice a month. 

I was much better organized when I lived in the States. I had a chest freezer and could cook in bulk. I always had a few kinds of pasta sauce, beans and vast quantities of stock frozen in different amounts. My freezer here is just too small for that. I used to make a menu and list once a week and do a big shop. Now I go to Sainsbury's every three or four weeks for pantry goods and maybe cheese and butter. I do the rest of my shopping at the local greengrocer's and butcher's. When I shopped in a big supermarket in the U.S. I used to buy whatever vegetables the recipe called for and not consider where it came from. At my greengrocer's, most of the produce comes from up the road--the courgettes and stuff that come from further afield are separated from the local stuff--and it's easier to buy what's in season. Right now that means lots of cabbage and root veg. I'm constantly coming home with bags of swede and kale and thinking, "Now what shall I do with this?" Then it's a question of finding a recipe that uses those ingredients and chasing down the other ingredients. It's a completely different mindset, and I haven't adapted to it yet. I'm just not well organized, and it's hard to sell my kids on those strong-flavoured winter vegetables. I love all those roasted roots and dark greens, but my kids seem to have cleverly coordinated all their pickinesses so that there's always someone who can't stand what I put down on the table.

Now that my vegetarian daughter's away at university I find myself shifting toward a meatier diet. And I love vegetarian cooking. But my older boy won't touch beans of any kind. To be honest, I'm just not inspired to cook every day. I need to get more organized.

Leftovers are a great idea. I'm going to get back into that.

I usually plan one week in advance.  We try to get to the fishmongers on Fri/Sat for a nice meal on Saturday.  We love love love fish and will treat ourselves once a week w/ something really nice. 
The usual suspects are:
Chili
Chicken Noodle soup
Roast chicken
Thai sweet chili chicken salad (if I have any chicken left over from the roasted chick)
Chorizo spaghetti
Beef stew
Portuguese chicken and rice
cottage/shepard pie
fish pie (our current favorite!!)
spaghetti bol
proscuitto wrapped monkfish
roasted cod w/ cherry toms

I also try a new recipe every couple of weeks.  I might just be a different recipe of a staple like a new beef stew recipe.  I tend to try new fish recipes because my fishmonger is ace and will prepare the fish just as I need it ( I don't know if they're all like this as I only have experience with this one so not to offend any other fishmongers out there) so I don't have to fiddle with it once I'm home.  As for fresh veg unless I'm going to use it in the first 2 days I don't buy it.  I find that veg goes off fast here and I used to waste A LOT so I will pop out for the fresh ingredients- luckily I have both a Tesco express and a Sommerfields around the corner as well as small Asian green grocers. 
 

Being a SAHM I have LOADS of time to think and plan dinner- it's kind of what I do!!     I was never this organized when I worked so hats off to those of you that work outside the home and cook everyday!!   Being the lazy sod that I am I used to have ready meals/takeaways a lot!!

Wow, you work AND cook seven nights a week??   

Is that unusual? I work and cook every night. One night a week we might have a takeaway (mainly a Friday) but I cook every single night...

I thought everyone did.

Is that unusual? I work and cook every night. One night a week we might have a takeaway (mainly a Friday) but I cook every single night...

I thought everyone did.

I think it is unusual to cook seven days a week and work a full time job, yes!  I know I could never do it and I applaud anyone who can!