I can’t believe it, but we are actually starting to menu plan tonight and it is not the last-minute! We are usually scrambling to menu plan, shop, and cook just days before our seder! This year… our kitchen is turned over and we only have the dining room and cars left to clean (unless you count bathrooms!). We even ate Pesadik food tonight!
Planning the menu is no easy task, though. I always like to try new recipes, but there is sometimes the risk that they won’t turn out or are too hard to make. The other factor is getting it all done in time! I have a few tricks, though, that really help us!
1) Get organized! – We have all of our Pesach recipes organized in a binder and have a few Pesach cookbooks. I also save my menus from past years. Check out my post on how we are able to use our favorite recipes from Chometz cookbooks. Chometz cookbooks for Pesach?
2) Write it down. – We use a menu planning form I created on Microsoft Word. This helps us clearly write down what we plan to make and where to find the recipe. My husband also likes it because he can check off or highlight dishes as he finishes making them. Here is my form that I use for the week before and first days and then again for Chol Hamoed and the second days. I print one for each part of the week.
- Menu Plan for 2-day Yom Tov – includes space to write up to 4 meals the days before Yom Tov and a 2-day Yom Tov menu plan
- Menu Plan for 3-day Yom Tov – made for a 3-day Yom Tov only
3) Compile your favorites! – We have a list of our favorite Menu Ideas from past years. Each year I add to it those ideas that we liked and used. The list is ever-growing, but also very helpful! Check out my current file: Menu Ideas
4) Add a few new recipes each year. – Today I printed a few new recipes and I splurged on a new Pesach cookbook (A Taste of Pesach) that I think we will be able to use during the year, too. A friend recommended it. (It has lots of gluten-free recipes, which are best for me!) I plan to put the new recipes right into my Pesach binder in page protectors. If you are looking for some new recipes, check out the following places:
- Where do you find kosher recipes online?
- More kosher recipe sites
- Joy of Kosher’s Passover Section
- Kosher on a Budget’s Passover Menu Plan 2017 and more
5) Check for Amazon sales. – Each year around Black Friday and sometimes one other time during the year, Amazon offers a 30% off one book coupon code (sold directly by Amazon). This is a great time to get a new cookbook! I put them on my wish list, but always feel guilty since we have so many! Using a coupon code sure helps!
How is your menu planning coming along? I would love to hear about your favorites!
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Surviving on a tight budget 
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