Meal Plans

I'm a planner. My hubby and father tease me about it relentlessly. Seriously...it never ends!  And if something goes wrong, forget about it! "What happened, planner?" "You planned this?" "I thought planning was supposed to prevent these things." Oh, aren't they just hilarious little buggers? Sometimes they are two peas in a pod.

So I like to be prepared...how does that saying go? "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." That's kind of my motto. To some this may sound a bit pessimistic, but to me it just makes sense. It's what I do. I enjoy making lists and crossing things off. I have a chore list on my fridge. I make weekly meal plans/shopping lists. I make lists of things to pack before going on a trip, tasks to complete, places to see, people to call/write, etc. It keeps me sane. Maybe it's because forgetfulness runs in my family or it limits unnecessary stress. Either way, I thought I would share a few of the fun tools I discovered along the way.

Menu Planning Sites:

AllRecipes.com - You can save recipes as you search through the site and then add these recipes to your meal plan and create shopping lists. However, in order to save these lists for future use, you must become a supporting member which is $9.95 for 6 months.

Printable Planning Sheets:

OrganizedHome.com - This is right up my alley! They have awesome sheets for menu planning, shopping lists, to-do lists, diet tracking, birthday calendars, etc. Lots of useful stuff for my fellow planners!

Meal Planning/Diet Tracking:

EatingWell.com - You enter your weight/height and it gives you your BMI. Then you can add recipes from the site or items from a list of common foods such as 'Apple, raw'  to your meal plan and it calculates your caloric intake for you. You can also track your weight, put together shopping lists or keep a journal.

Livestrong.com - This is a great site because it requests your age, wt, ht and activity level before setting a goal of maintaining, gaining or losing weight. You can keep track of your food, fitness and weight. Plus, it has a ton of great info on diet, fitness, inspiration and 'dares' on every category imaginable. Did I mention it's free?!?! Check it out!

Speaking of plannning, tonight's menu is shrimp stuffed portobello mushrooms (for me), cheeseburgers (for the hubby), corn on the cob and garden salads. Yum!