Menu Planning Matrix

I inherited a calendar and in my infinite drive to change things that I get, I whited out all the dates to get a bound book of blank squares. What can I do with a bound book of blank squares? I can insert the meals that work for my family and categorize them. For example, I can white out Monday through Friday and rename the columns for dish types, I used beef, ground beef or turkey, poultry, beans and eggs, pork, fish or vegetarian, and wildcard. I can then name the rows by dish preparation, I used stovetop, crockpot, oven, grill and wildcard again. I can then plop my meals into the categories that they fit into (wildcard gives me a bit more leeway for family favorites) and then when it's time to menu-plan, I should be able to plan more variety into my week. Theoretically I would have 35 meals to choose from for each calendar page. I can then recreate different pages for different seasons and have multitudes of seasonal recipes to glance at for inspiration when I menu plan.

Now, one of my character flaws is that I'm not good at finishing what I start, so in reality I have a half-finished menu matrix sitting on my headboard at home waiting for me to put more meals into it. I've learned that we rely a lot on certain types of dishes and that I need to find more meals that work for us to fill in the blank spots on my matrix or we won't have the wonderful variety I was hoping for. I'm also not very fond of menu planning, so we've been trying to clean out the freezer and get rid of things that have been in there, but that's another story. Does anyone want any beef tongue?

So here's an example of my Menu Matrix. You can see the categories and there are different dishes that my family likes in each. Some of the blanks were hard to fill in, which means I need to expand my horizons and find more dishes my family likes for grilled vegetarian dishes, for example. If I didn't have a recipe my family loves, I did a quick search and put in one that has good reviews on sites I trust.

I still have trouble coming up with sides. Suggestions are welcome.

Shaggy Dogs

Shaggy Dogs are a tradition at my husband's family's Christmas. I'd never heard of them until I met him and I can't find them on the internet (everything is on the internet, they probably just have a different name). The kids love them, though, and they remind us of the wonderful women who have made them in the past.

First, gather your supplies.

Here I have large marshmallows, rice cereal, butter, sweetened condensed milk, caramels and a helper. The proportions are most important for the milk, caramels and butter - the cereal and marshmallows are mostly an estimate.

In a double boiler, combine butter, caramels (unwrapped) and milk. You can use a glass bowl in a pan of water like I did here, or you can use a traditional double boiler like my husband does because he's afraid the bowl will break. I like the glass bowl because I can see the water below better and I have not yet broken a glass bowl doing this. I have better ways to break glass bowls.

When using a helper, if they disappear you need to check on them occasionally. Here my helper has helped himself to his brother's birthday cards I had in a bag and then fell asleep on the floor. I'm sure he's comfortable, he loves to use the dog as a pillow. I'm so glad he's not allergic.

After checking on the helper, while the caramels were melting (which isn't as instant as I'd like), I made a station for dipping. I have a potholder for the pan of caramel, a pie plate with cereal and a foil lined cookie sheet with marshmallows lined up on. I replaced the pie plate with a deep dish pie plate after I started making them as the regular pie plate wasn't deep enough to keep the cereal in very well. Also, the marshmallows will take up more space on the cookie after they're dipped.

The rest is pretty simple, use a skewer, fondue stick, fork or you could try a toothpick to dip the marshmallow in the caramel, then coat with cereal. If the caramel is too hot, the cereal will fall off. Using a fork to remove them from the skewer will help to keep your fingers cleaner. When you're done you're supposed to chill them for about 1/2 hour.

Oh, good. Another helper has arrived.

They keep in an airtight container for maybe a week, then they get kind of soggy.

Shaggy Dogs

14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup butter
14 ounce caramels, unwrapped
16 ounce large marshmallows (may need more)
10 ounce Rice Krispies

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Mix milk butter and caramels in double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat.

With grill skewers, fork or fondue stick, dip marshmallows in caramel mixture then roll in Rice Krispies. Place on foiled lined pan.

Chill 30 minutes, remove from pan and store in an airtight container.

Source: family recipe

Magic Words

If you do a search for "freezes well" or "freezes beautifully" (make sure to use the quotation marks), you will be inundated with pages upon pages of recipes that someone else has frozen successfully. You can also use "freezes great" and sometimes if I've found a page with lots of recipes, I'll search for "freezes."

How you use this information is up to you, you can use it to enhance your recipe repertoire, you can use it for ideas to transform your family favorites into freezer favorites, or you can use it for some dark purposes that my imagination is reluctant to think of (just kidding, I have an active imagination that isn't reluctant to think of anything).

Welcome

This is a slow process, but so is life. I'm working to find my own balance between healthy and convenient. It's taking me years to figure out that what works for one family doesn't work for another and I need to find what works for my family, not what is perfect.

Though that would be nice.