Ready to Begin!

My husband taking my picture as I am working on our menu and showing off my new haircut!  LOL

So yesterday I got my menu for the upcoming week finished and the grocery list ready.  It is not an easy task, but it makes it all worth while.  Right now I am still using Excel for my menu and grocery list.  I am slowly moving all my recipes into Pepperplate, in an effort to make the grocery list and planning easier.  The part that I will lose is the adding up of calories that I have Excel set-up to do.

In this picture you can see a section of my menu.  I plan out an entire week of breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert.  Each meal has its total calories and the cookbook source and page number (making it super easy come prep time).  At the bottom I have total calories for the day and then how many are leftover  - this is nice for when I feel a bit peckish.

Having the menu printed out and hung on the fridge door is great.  (So I will probably still use my Excel sheet - even after converting over to Pepperplate).  It not only is a great tool for me, but also the rest of the family.  They can see what is on there for dinner, and I don't have to answer that "What's for Dinner" question quite as much!  Now that's the real bonus!!

For those of you that know me, you know what a real sweet-tooth I have.  So that is why I think it is important to include desserts and treats into your diet plan.  There are some real great ones out there for just a couple hundred calories.  By planning those into my menu, I don't the need to search for goodies in the cupboard or get a candy bar out of the vending machine.  Depriving yourself the treats makes it more difficult to stick to your plan.  One of our favorites is Elle Krieger's  Banana Cream Pie http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/banana-cream-pie-recipe/index.html.  It is only 218 calories per slice and is really delicious - and easy to make.  The link also has a video on it.  Give it a try and tell me what you think!  Hopefully it will become a family favorite of yours as well.

KC