Anyone else hear this phrase in thier sleep? Problem...planning a meal, buying the ingredients, start cooking and oops.....someone ate the last of one of the ingredients. We tried over time different ways to "let me know when something ran out" but we're talking about teenage boys here. That's when I happened to stumble upon a magazine with the best idea ever....pantry baskets. They used them for baking goods, which I did also...and lunch snacks...and bags of chips and......then the light bulb went off. Meal planning!!! I picked these up at my favorite Tuesday Morning (We are not short of them in Richmond, so only finding two at each store just meant a few stops but I really liked the open front on these and the handles on top keep them from coming off the shelf and at $5.99 a great deal. Each pantry will differ though so find the one's that best suits yours. Attach days of the week~ I used cardstock and clips but you can get creative.
The key is to decide what to make before your trip to the store. If you use Epicurious for recipies, the have an easy print off shopping list which helps decide what you have and what you need. I stack dry ingredients and throw the recipe card right in to the basket. GOLDEN RULE...anything in the baskets is off limits. Of course perishables will still need to be stocked and checked. Meats are kept frozen, so not an issue and I've never known a teenager to take the last carrot or head of lettuce.
I've even thrown in foil for the grill or aluminum pans for casseroles if I know it's going to be a crazy night and clean-up needs to be quick. It's not fool proof but it sure has helped keep me from making too many trips to the grocery store. You can always trade nights too if you have a craving on a certain day, just move the basket and switch the tags.
So, What's for supper Mom?
