Menu Meal Planning, Here I come!

This started a week or two ago when the missionaries came over for dinner.

We were having a TACO night.  But a lack of funds encouraged me to make my own tortillas.

That night they sucked, and we didn't use them at all... Just trashed them.
But the next day I had to make them, and make them good.
They were ok.  Not great.  I'm still improving.

But anyways - This is a bit of a new discovery for me.  I had never before thought of making my own tortillas... a great way to save a bit of $.  And not really too much time in the Kitchen.

It got me started.  I've now decided to do the Meal Planning Menu or whatever.  I figured it will help us to eat healthier and cheaper.

We're going to be following Pat and Dave's example and instituting a few regular nights.
Salad night is a must, and it's great because our daughters LOVE salads of every kind.
A bean night will be much appreciated in many ways (and maybe not so much in others) once the weather cools off a bit.
New recipe night will expand our family's taste bud horizon.

As part of this planning, I'm thinking alot about wasting less.  I think we do waste alot.  And generally it's because something goes bad before I remember I have it and use it.

So FREEZER meals will also help out alot. I even got started yesterday with some Homemade Spaghetti sauce with a bunch of tomatoes from Dave's Garden.  A couple were starting to ripen a bit too much, and the spaghetti sauce was easy and fast (like 15 minutes!!!!)  Then I tossed it in the freezer and we've got spaghetti sauce ready.   Maybe not as easy as a jar of Prego, But if I cook the meat at the same time and toss it in too, all I'd have to do is defrost and reheat for a crazy easy dinner.

Potatoes are a hard one for me.  Sitting, rotting in the bottom of the pantry is usually how I find potatoes a few months after I bought them.  For some reason, I never remember I have them.  onions are a bit of the same way.  And we love onions, but I always forget I have some and then they go bad.

Well Not anymore!  I'm going to be using a whole bag of potatoes in just a minute to make some quick freezer meals.  I'll be turning them into twice baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, french fries, hash browns, potato skins, mashed potatoes, and baked potatoes.  Then freezing them all to be used at my convenience.  I figured sauteing some onions would be an easy thing to do while I'm at it and a way to nix a little prep work to a TON of dishes.

I'm REALLY wishing I had made a garden box in the spring and grown a little garden here at home.  Aw well... there's always next year.

But yeah.  I'm crazy excited about all this stuff.  Guess I'm moving from sewing to cooking for now.  (Just til my b-day!)  And hopefully this will save us time and money later on!

If you guys have any ideas or suggestions you've done, I'd love to hear them.  I know Jennifer makes an AMAZING homemade salsa and I'd love the recipe.  I also know some of you know how to can... Not sure I'm ready for anything like that yet, but ideas would be appreciated!