Better late than never

So, as some of you might realize from my last post, I'm starting this food blog a little later than I previously thought. What can I say about my sloth self? I could give excuses about being busy chasing two rambunctious kiddos around or being stuck in the winter blues but the truth of the matter is...I just got LAZY. I'm sure none of you can attest to that! :)

So, now that Spring is here where everything that can bloom is blooming it's bloomiest (oops, apparently that's not a word), I have decided to go forth with my aspirations and start this food blog. I have always wanted to do a food blog. Why? I just love, love, love good food. And I don't mean a hamburger from McDonalds, people! I'm talking about home-cooked meals made with love. :)

Where do I get my recipes from? Magazines, Cookbooks, and sometimes I just make them up (whenever I feel aspired to do so, which probably doesn't happen as often as it should). Some of my favorites include anything by Cooking Light, Rachael Ray, and Ellie Krieger. If I'm looking through one of the magazines I just rip out the recipes I want to try. Then I rate the dish with 3 stars if everybody in the family liked it, 2 stars if just half of us liked it, and 1 star if only one person liked it. The 1 stars get tossed, the 2 stars get one more try, and the 3 stars I put in a binder with sheet protectors. I'm only posting 3 star recipes which have become family favorites.

Meal planning for one week is a lot simpler once you get in the habit of it. It's not something I have always done, mostly because no one really showed me what to do or where to start. Starting this Monday I will be posting 5 recipes for you to try during the week or weekend. My goal is to post healthy but tasty dinners that your whole family will enjoy. I will also once in a while include our favorite snack recipes, breakfast ideas and yummy lunches.

One of the most popular questions I get from my family every day is "What's for dinner?" I love being able to give them an answer instead of "Ummm, not sure honey. Let's see what I can think of" or "I'll just pick up a frozen pizza from the store or order out."

This brings me to another point...I DO NOT like making multiple trips to the grocery store every week. I have two young, active children and I would rather just make 1 trip and buy all the supplies for the week in a single trip.

Plus, making a meal plan will save you $ on your food budget every month. When I first started meal planning, I was saving between $60-100 EVERY MONTH!

I hope you will enjoy these recipes as much as my family and I have and that I can help you on your quest to getting your meals organized for the week. Also, I would love to hear from you! How did you like the tips, did you try the recipes, etc? How can I make this blog more accommodating to your family? Are there any other avid meal planners out there? Do you have any tips/tricks to share or favorite recipes?

Can't wait to hear from you all! :)

***kristina***