I am reposting this for this week’s themed version of Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family. The theme is Orgnizing Tips. Using Google Calendar for planning our weekly menus is still one of my best organizational tips…Enjoy!
My menu planning used to take place on Sunday nights as I would gather all of my cookbooks around me and pour through them searching for recipes to make for the upcoming week’s dinner.
That is, until I started using my Google Reader and Google Calendar to help in my meal planning endeavors.
I have subscribed to several cooking blogs (I’ll list them below). Oh, and did you know that you can subscribe to Taste of Home’s recipes?? That one RSS subscription has done so much for me in the area of meal planning!! I subscribe to their main dish recipes and lower fat recipes.
I have also become a huge fan of my Google Calendar. I have several different calendar’s set up. I have a color-coded calendar set up for my activities, household chores, crafts, daily routine, special days, and our menu. My husband and I even share calendars. I keep his hidden, but I can pull it up at any time and kind of know what he’s up to.
So, as I read through the blogs in my reader each day, I immediatley add the recipes that look good to my calendar. When I edit the details of the menu calenar’s entry, I paste in the url of the blog or website where the recipe can be found.
I still use my beloved cookbooks, too. When I’m leafing through them, I enter in recipes that catch my eye or that I want to make to my calendar and when I edit the details I type in the name of the cookbook and the page number where the recipe can be found.
Now when I do my weekly planning, I just have to sit at the computer and browse through my calendar at the meals that are already planned on there. Sometimes I may do some tweaking to adjust the meals to my schedule. But it doesn’t take nearly as long.
And I am so super excited that since using this system, I have meals planned until around the time that my husband will be back home from Iraq! It is so much fun to think….”oooh, I can make this for Keith”!
Using my Google Reader and Google Calendar to assist in meal planning has worked for me! To see some great Works for Me ideas from other moms, visit Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.
Oh, and as promised, here’s a list of the food blogs that I have in my reader right now (some of them are more for baking but you should check them out too, because they are oh, so good!!)….
Kirsty says
I clearly need utilize Google more effectively. All this sounds amazing! Thanks for all the links too, I am particularly excited to learn about the Taste of Home feed, I love their recipes! Thank you!
Kirsty’s last blog post..My Mom Logic
Tonya says
I really need to learn more about what Google can do. TFS
Tonya’s last blog post..A Smile Rarely Captured…Special Exposure Wednesdays–April 22, 2009
Lana says
I really need to become more current in all that google can do. Thanks for the advice to assist in meal planning. That is such a biggie! 🙂 Lana
Lana’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday….almost!
Sherry says
Thank you for sharing! I just saw another post about using Google and going to check this out. 😀
Sherry’s last blog post..Being a Good Steward! Going green!
mub says
I wouldn’t have thought of using Google calendar to do menu planning, what a good idea!
mub’s last blog post..On My Way!
Kate says
Wow, neat idea! I also like the idea of having different color-coded calendars for various areas of your life.
~Kate
“Which Proverbs 14:1 Woman?”
http://proverbs14-1.blogspot.com
Kate’s last blog post..WFMW: A New Download!
Bridget says
Thank you for adding me to your list!!! 🙂
Bridget’s last blog post..Good Morning, Sunshine!
angela says
thanks for the tips a way i gather ideas is by visiting blogs and especialy monday menu plan
bahama shores mama says
i soooo need to learn to use my google. thanks!
Mama Bird says
GREAT idea! I’m totally going to create my calendar tonight. Think I might even try it for blogging as well….to help plan my writing and posts. Love it! I’ve been meaning to learn how the google calendar works and this has inspired me to do it.
Thanks!
Mama Bird’s last blog post..Kid Art Display + Storage
Julie@Momspective says
What a great idea, I just don’t use my cookbooks anymore and get everything off the internet. That’s a great way to organize them!
Julie@Momspective’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday-Freedom
Linda@cookingtipoftheday says
Gald you like my blog!… I love the calendar idea… I had no idea there was a google calendar…
I really like your blog… I will be back.
Linda@cookingtipoftheday’s last blog post..Recipe: Peachy Yogurt & Granola Crepes
Louise says
I never thought of using google calender for my menus
Louise’s last blog post..Eat at Taco Bell April 23, 2009
Grandma says
Too cool! I’m going to send the cooking info to my cooking daughters (I’m mostly at salads and health-ish tv dinners :)) and then I’m going to follow your great example on a different path I’ve been putting off and set up Google calendars for my blogging schedules. You’ve given me the courage I need to try it 🙂 Thank you!
Healthy Diet Lets Woman Lose Thirty Pounds in Thirty Days says
Hi, good post. I have been pondering this issue,so thanks for writing. I’ll certainly be subscribing to your site.
SJL says
Great idea! I use Google calendar because I can sync it to my iPhone. Using it for my menu planning will help tremendously so I can see what we’re having for dinner now when I’m away from home in case I need to pick anything up from the store. Thanks for sharing!
.-= SJL´s last blog ..WFMW ~ Organizing Food =-.
Buffie says
How do you send the link from Reader to Calendar in Google. I use my Calendar for my menu plan reminders and that is a big help. I have it pop up in the morning to remind me to take things out of the freezer. I would love to be able to send the links to the posts right from Reader to Calendar too.
.-= Buffie´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday =-.
sharon says
Excellent idea!! I’ll be using it for sure!!
.-= sharon´s last blog ..Storage boxes =-.
sharon says
Love this idea!!! I like this a lot! And my Blackberry syncs w/ my Google calendar and that will help too!! THANKS!
.-= sharon´s last blog ..Storage boxes =-.
Jenna says
Oh my goodness! Thank you!! I just posted about how I need to get back to meal planning! 🙂
.-= Jenna´s last blog ..The Irony of Motherhood =-.
Amyswandering says
Ooooh, I did know Taste of Home had an RSS – thanks!!
.-= Amyswandering´s last blog ..september =-.
Erin @ Closing Time says
This is such a great tip! Menu planning is definitely an area I need to work on!
.-= Erin @ Closing Time´s last blog ..WW: Just a Little Moon Sand =-.
missy @ it's almost naptime says
I am ADDICTED to my google calendar. I am not organized enough to use it for meal planning, but it keeps my life on track.
.-= missy @ it’s almost naptime´s last blog ..SIX =-.
Sarah at themommylogues says
Great idea! I’m ALWAYS at my computer and that would be easy for me to do.
.-= Sarah at themommylogues´s last blog ..Third Day of School, Third Day of School! =-.
Shaina says
I use the Google Calendar with multiple calendars set up within it, I even do the same ones you do! How funny 🙂
It is SO useful! Sometimes I think, whatever will I do if google goes out of business someday? haha
Shaina
.-= Shaina ´s last blog ..Saved Through Motherhood =-.
Jenny says
That’s great. I’m not much of a cooker, otherwise I’d try this out. 😉 I’ll definitely show it to my mother in law or my husband though. They’re the chef’s.
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Alice in Wonderland =-.
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