How To Plan Meals For A Month
There is no secret to knowing how to get started with Once-A-Month-
Cooking
(OAMC) adventure.

But the key to being successful at it is to plan ahead.

Create or invest in notebook wherein you can organize and keep track
of your
meal planning, recipes, and grocery lists. If you are like most cooks
whether you realize it or not, you actually cook the same meals over
and
over again month in and month out.

Cooking once a month allows you to
prepare enough of those meals for an entire month.
You should divide the notebook into sections, the first being
designated for
recipes. If you are using a three-ring binder, or another type of
notebook
that will allow you to easily insert and remove pages, you can "work
your
system" in a more organized manner.

Create a separate page in your notebook for each recipe. It is
recommended
that you type or neatly write each recipe and place the page in a
plastic
sheet protector that will fit into
your notebook, or binder. This will protect your pages as they are
handled
frequently in planning and cooking.


Once you have all of your "standard" recipes in place, you can easily
incorporate new recipes that you would like to try into the binder at
anytime.
Prior to undertaking your major grocery shopping trip, sit down
somewhere at
a time when you can think and plan, and outline your meals for an
entire
month. This should be incorporated as a separate section in your
notebook.


Remember to allow for those nights you may want to eat out, or on the
other
side of the scale, those nights you may entertain guests and need more
servings. As you plan your main meal for each day, jot down a list of
ingredients that you will need to have available to prepare each
meal.
This can be done on a grocery shopping list pad that you can carry
with you
to the grocery store.


As you progress through your meal planning, you will be implementing
your
recipes, planning pages, and shopping list pad. Make sure you jot
down
every item and account for items that you will duplicate from recipe
to
recipe, which will help save on your grocery bill.

It is also a great idea to convert a section of your binder into
pockets for
money-saving grocery coupons. Your binder should accompany you to the
grocery store in the event you need to refer to it for anything
related to
the upcoming month of meals.
Remember, the key to success is to plan.