The week ahead...

For several years now, I have done weekly menu planning. This means that I figure out what is needed for breakfasts, lunches, and select dinner recipes, and pair them with a day of the week. From this, I make a grocery list and head to the store list and recipes in hand. Well, the other day, I headed to the store with no menu plan and only a list of staple items I needed and some recipes. At a certain point as I was wandering the store, I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. I was wandering aimlessly with no end in sight. I quickly thought about what I could cook and began to menu plan on the spot. Then I get to shopping. Unfortunately, the damage was done and I left the store exhausted and with a headache. I will never do this again. Menu planning has become essential in my life to the point that I am lost without it. It is helpful not only to shop efficiently but to keep track of what I eat as I am continuing my weight loss and getting healthy journey. Menu planning helps anyone to keep control of the money spent on groceries, eating healthy, and making sure that they are not buying too much. Throwing out food because your eyes were bigger than your mouth is a bad habit to get into. And yes, you can compost most of it. However, New York City ended its composting program and my backyard compost bin is full. So either it’s garbage or I walk to the local community garden on a Saturday morning to drop off my compostable waste. Maybe in the new year, I feel motivated to store and drop-off my compost on a Saturday morning. For now, I’ll continue to sleep in and take it easy, as it is Shabbat.