Where do I begin, I have tried to write this letter about 4 times and gave up, so today I said the H**L with it, however it comes out someone on this board will understand what I am trying to ask/do.(some of these questions I might have asked previously over the past 1-1/2 yrs but do to old age keep forgetting or can’t find the notes,too many papers floating around)

I have been maintaing my weight since Aug. 2003 lost 32 #’s and now down to a size 6/8 depending on the manufacture Stopped counting calories as I found it to be too time consuming and still can’t figure out Fit Day, I guess you could say I have been winging it. Even though I binged awhile back on chips and chocolate (just needed them) my weight didn’t change still around 118 –118.50#’s

My biggest problem is trying to make a meal plan for the week, I have trillions of recipes from books, magazines FTV and friends and bookmarked ones. I guess you can say I am addictive (sp) to recipes

When I see recipes that I want to make I write the ingredient’s down on my shopping list, the reason I do this is so when I am ready to make it I have the stuff in my cabinets, but when I go to my cabinets and I see the stuff, I then ask my self “WHAT DID I BUY THIS FOR”

My cabinets are overflowing, have to put some of the food in my den closet,
Another problem, I never know what I am in the mood to eat, whether it be b’fast, lunch or dinner I look in the fridge and it is loaded with everything and still can’t decide (but I do eat something)

I have bought an upright freezer and did start cooking some double meals, mostly for the days when I work either for lunch ( reversing a dinner meal) or for dinner, and have been making a lot of soups….

My other problem is with soups, (since I no longer count calories) I usually will have a cup even if it is a bean type soup or chili(not going to measure out the beans first)with a salad or a whole sandwich (w.w, or some sort of grain bread – I need my carbs) but if I have it for dinner with a salad I usually will have around 2 cups, if it is made with fish or meat I do measure out the ounces.

Another thing is making rice with beans or any 2 starches together, am I wrong if I just measure a ½ cup, there could be more beans then rice or visa versa.

As far as fruit and vegies go I do not go by the pyramid. I eat a lot of vegies all day long and at dinner time, do not measure except on carrots, peas and corn, and the same thing with fruit…I eat it when I want it ( some fruits dried ones I do measure out..)

Well, that’s it for now, sorry for the length of this, ( and I hope I didn’t confuse you) but do need your help here

Thanks

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Carol,

thanks for all the info. I bookmarked the page and will get back with you all and let you know what I have in my cabinets and in the mean time I will take the advice of all on how to make up a meal plan..

In the mean time this morning I made another pot of Pasta E Fugile and a pot of Ministrone (sp) soup that was in my Thursday's news paper from a famous resturant in Fort Lauderdale, Fl( Gibby's) and it was scrumptious, best I have ever had, right now I am in the process of making Spanish Rice to freeze, and cooked up 2 Hard boiled eggs (using egg whites only) in the mood for an Egg Sandwich,choped up with onion and with a little mayo and roasted some vegies. still don't know what's for dinner but will think of something.

In the intrim I have done 3 loads of wash and have to iron,

will catch up with you all hopefully before the week is over.....
Thanks again

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Originally posted by Alli Coffin:
If I don't make it within a month, into the recycling bin it goes (the only excepton being recipes I think would work for holidays. these I save until the holiday). And my cooking magazines get tossed out as soon as the new issue arrives.

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What? Get rid of recipes? What if I never again find that 10th recipe for peanut noodles??

I've been hording recipes from Cooking Light and Vegetarian Times for years now. I have a huge expanding file full of "recipes to try" plus my arsenal of cookbooks.

At minimum, I need to get them categorized. Then I can add an expiration date.

Carol - I agree with a lot of what has been said. If I don't write down the meals I purchased ingredients for, I always forget. I usually forget on the way to the store. So I make a sheet with two columns - one for the menu and one for the list. Since I often can't find everything at one store, I keep the list w/ its menu until we've eaten everything on the menu. I also rarely plan a meal for a specific night. I inevitably don't want what was planned.

One thing that I try to do most weeks is to clean out the fridge before I go to the store. That is a good reminder to me of what I already have. Plus it keeps the leftovers from getting too old and demanding college money.

All of these ideas and suggestions come from people who are succeeding and well worth taking into consideration.

The one thing I do do every month before I do shopping is to do an inventory. The one thing my dh and I are not going to do is starve. We have more than enough food in our house, but, we tend to by in bulk when things are on sale.
So I have made out a listing of the things that we have, counted the number, and recorded it for January. I see that I have say 8 cans of green beans....for now that is fine, I don't need to buy anymore. But I only have two cans of tomato sauce, so that goes on my list. I do that with the frig to see what we have eaten and the freezer, to see what I need to replace...meal-wise. And then I go through my recipes and meal plans. Those are my staples, if I need something special, say egg plant, that goes on the list...and I buy that close to the date of the meal we are using if for. I post this master list on the inside of the door of the pantry and will use it next month as a guide. It has really helped me to keep down the cost of food and up the kinds of things we are eating that are healthy.

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Originally posted by Alli Coffin:
Carol,

Now, some people might find spending so much time making the weekly shopping list silly, but when you love reading the recipes and pouring through the cookbooks, this is relaxation, not work.

alli

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I like this porcess too. It is fun, relaxing and I know that I am using lots of talents and skills.

Carol,

I am a recipe-a-holic too. I subscribe to two cooking magazines, as well as Real Simple, which always has a good food section. And every birthday/mother'sday/Xmas I am given at least two new cookbooks. I read cooking magazines while I'm on my exercise bike..heck, even on the potty.

The system I have come up with to save me from myself is this: when I see a recipe that I like in a magaizine, I tear the page out (and any other page with a picture of the food) and stick it in the front pocket of a three ring binder, which has section dividers for various foods (breakfast, entrees, pasta, desserts, etc.). If I like a new recipe when I make it, it gets cut out neatly and pasted onto colored paper, put in a sheet protector, and placed in the appropriate section of the book. If I don't make it within a month, into the recycling bin it goes (the only excepton being recipes I think would work for holidays. these I save until the holiday). And my cooking magazines get tossed out as soon as the new issue arrives.

Now, as far as meal planning, I take a good half hour to an hour the day before or day of my shopping trip. I brew a nice cup of tea. I sit down at the kitchen table and surround myself with cookbooks, mags, and my binder. I flip through and write down NO MORE THAN SEVEN MEALS. One for each weeknight. As I write each meal down (I do this digitally in my Palm), I put the ingredients onto my shopping list.

As I do this, I can check in the pantry and fridge to see what ingredients I have on hand so I don't buy what I already have--sometimes doing this helps me plan the week, like when I go to see if I have enough rice to make the meal I'm looking at, notice I have several cans of black beans, and wind up skimming the books for a black bean meal. In this way I tend to use up what I have been hording.

Now, some people might find spending so much time making the weekly shopping list silly, but when you love reading the recipes and pouring through the cookbooks, this is relaxation, not work.

alli

Another tip is to try the age-old traditions of Italian women, who shop almost every day. I realize this isn't convenient for everyone, but what I've started doing is keeping a pantry full of universal items that I can use to throw together many meals, and then if I want to cook something special, I buy the special ingredients within a day or two of actually using them. That way, you don't forget what you bought them for! I am also like that, in that I have NO idea what I will be in the mood for from one day to the next. I like to get creative in the kitchen, and I don't follow recipes very well! I find keeping a lot of staples on hand, and not too many exotic ingredients, helps me make a wider variety of dishes.

I think Bee's idea of doing a pantry cleanout and inventory is a great one. You don't seem to have an idea of what you have. Maybe you could also stop shopping for a while and just eat from your freezer and pantry (except for fresh veggies and fruits).

Since you are maintaining your weight, I think you are right not to get too focused on calories or measuring things. You might think about why you have so much stuff -- are you just disorganized or does it comfort you to have the food around?

Hi Carol,

Here is what i do if I am picking out recipies and writing a shopping list. The first thing I do is to photo copy the recipie, if its not possible, I'll write the name of the book and page on a sheet of paper. I also make sure that the book i'll need is in the kitchen somewhere (some of my cookbooks are in the bedroom due to space issues). I make a stack of the grocery list, meal plan and recipies (or sheets saying where the recipie is) and punch a hole in the corner. I have a magnetic hook on the side of the fridge and hang them there. At least you know what you had in mind when you bought those items. (I tend to forget also)


Laurie

Carol,
I remember a post of your a while back. You were organizing loads of recipes. It sounds really overwhelming.

I keep things simple. I have about 5-10 favorites that I keep rotating. I make some variations of these recipes to changes veggies and protein.

Can you pick a few things that you really like and start there? Maybe forget about the new recipes for a while until you get yourself set up in a routine. Keeping things simple and easy will help.

Carol,
Sounds like the pantry can be your worst enemy at times!


I would suggest giving yourself like 20 minutes with it. Go through things you really know you won't use. With those items donate it to a soup kitchen or is your church having a can drive?

I overbuy like that too, but I am noticing more and more I am happy I did. It was on items that we use frequently. In fact, that is how my pantry is organized...green beans and soups over here for dh's meals. Tomato sauces and exotic sauces here.

I don't do this myself, just because of space, but some people even label the spaces in their pantry.

Hope this helps a little.

Take Care!

Carol
I agree with Cate about not worrying too much about your soup portion sizes - you've been maintaining for a while and I suspect have a good sense of what's the right amount of food for you!

As for the menu planning, try to sit down on the weekends and write out your plan for the week. Do an inventory of what you have in the house before heading to the market. Keep your recipes for the week organized on your counter so that you are ready to go when you come home.

If you are wanting to use up some stuff you already have, feel free to post the ingredients and I'm sure you'll have lots of posts with ideas of what to do with it.

I wouldn't worry too much in terms of amounts, or the food pyramid, as it sounds like you are eating plenty of veggies and fruit, which is one of the most important aspects to the pyramid.

In terms of the recipes, if you are buying food to make a particular recipe, put a copy of the recipe up on the fridge door (or get one of those wipeable boards and write what recipe and which ingredients) when writing your grocery list.

Catherine