My Menu is in a Rutt!
By clrumfelt
@clrumfelt (5490)
United States
September 26, 2011 4:15pm CST
I love to cook, but I still find myself using the same old recipes over and over. It's hard to find new recipes I think my family would like. Do you ever have this problem?
1 response
@o2bnocn (2992)
• United States
26 Sep 11
Yes, I love to cook and I catch myself as well cooking same old recipes. When I am going to the grocery store I buy same old products just in a hurry and routine. Here is what I do. One thing is when I am in Dr or Dentist offices I get at least one recipe each time. Family functions I make sure to grab a new recipe. Getting the whole family in the home to like can be a problem here as well, but it helps to try a new recipe once or twice a week or once or twice a month. I set a goal for myself. I also ask other family members in my home to find me just one they would like to try and we even cook it together to have some family time as well. Plus if you have young children this helps them to learn cooking essentials. And we add a lot of variety. For example one night is finger food night, southern home style, chinese, seafood, breakfast night, and fine dining cuisines. Then we just do "grab whatever night" to get rid of any leftovers. Offering the variety of styles of meals also helps those picky eaters find new foods. Sometimes I will take easy dinners or recipes and add my own ingredients to make it different. For example: Chili we have one or two nights then the 3rd I add diced potatoes and corn to end the pot off. Hamburger Helper we will have one night the next night I make something new out of the leftovers like let's say it is a taco hamburger helper I will buy tostitoes and layer in bowl add spoonfuls of leftover taco hamb. helper and top with lettuce , tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and some salsa. Other suggestions When you dine out and find entree's or sides you love. Try them at home just pay attention to the taste and what you think they have in it. I had found two foods I absolutely love from a restaurant and it was so costly to go there (for me anyways) 25-35 a meal. So it did take me awhile, but I have pretty much mastered the two items from there menu. :) :) I am a single mother with 3 kids and from time to time have to live on a very strict budget. My oldest is extremely picky always has been. My youngest is just now starting to become picky. So some of these things really work from experience. If your workplace is comfortable with a few seconds of bringing personal life touch into. Suggest a bulletin board for employees to post recipes change the type of recipe once a month. Easy/simple/cheap or dayoff recipes I call them that take some prep. then use the bulletin board for unused coupons. etc... One more suggestion that happened by chance for me, I had been sick for a few days and needed to go grocery shopping before I got sick so the home was extra low on foods a friend offered to go for me so me being that sick accepted and told her my budget and to just get some food in the house for these kids. This also gave me new ideas. So I went one day for her. Now we may periodically do this. Getting essentials of course we set a limit of 5 items. Sorry one more that might help with everyone loving the meal. Sometimes I make two main course and cut out a side. One main course something simple and cheap. Hoping this helps you and your family have more enjoyable healthy dinner menus! And remember lots and lots of fruits and vegetables even if covered in ranch or something non-healthy is better than a greasy cheeseburger anyway you eat it :) :)
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
27 Sep 11
There are LOTS of good ideas in your post. I appreciate all the suggestions and am going to copy your post and tape it to the fridge so I won't forget to use some of them. Thanks.
![](/Content/images/loading.gif)