Planning Ahead

I find myself watching the Food Network daily, but fail to try any of the recipes shown on my favorite cooking shows. I make a note to myself, as I watch 30 Minute Meals, to look it up next time I am in the mood to cook. However, the chances of me remembering what meal made my mouth water are slim. Even when I do remember and manage to navigate through the website, after reading all the ingredients I need and how long it is going to take to cook, I end up throwing the idea out the window and resort to whatever I can eat right now (usually a Cup of Noodles).

Well, it dawned on me that planning ahead might help me solve this problem. From now on I spend parts of my free time building up a “recipe book”. I browse sites like Foodnetwork.com and Allrecipes.com for whatever looks easy and tasty, print them out, and put them in a folder. Then, I plan out what I am actually going to make for the next couple of weeks (usually one or two meals per week, because the left overs will last me through the week). Planning a week or two in advance makes grocery shopping easy and gets me motivated to cook. Picking out recipes ahead of time gives me something to look forward to and reduces my chances of eating instant meals or fast food.

Here is what I have planned out for this weekend and next week:

            Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic Chips

            Peanut Soba Noodles

            Spicy Teriyaki Chicken with Broccoli