What's for Dinner?

Have you ever gotten home from the grocery store and realized that you spent lots of money, bought a whole bunch of stuff, and yet have no meal to make for dinner? Or you think of a great meal to make and then need to run out at the last minute to pick up everything you need? Or maybe you get so frustrated with grocery shopping and cooking that you end up eating out all the time? This whole project cost under ten bucks and saves us time and money and frustration.

I found this idea on Pinterest wayyy back when and made this Menu Board. 

Supplies Needed: 

• Picture Frame (Dollar Tree)
• Scrap book paper and letters (I actually found a this scrap book/letter set at TJ Max)
• Clothes Pins (Dollar Tree) 
• Printer
• Small cardboard jewelry box
• Hot glue or rubber cement 

I used two pieces of scrap book paper to line the inside of the frame. And used lettering to write the word "Menu". You could write this out or not even include it.  I glued some strips of decorative paper to each clothes pin and added stickers to indicate the day of the week, but you could use a marker. I then glued the clothes pins into place on the frame and set aside to dry. I cut on long side off of a cardboard jewelry box (I had this light brown one laying around from some cute earrings my sister-in-law gave me). Then very carefully I glued the box to the glass part of the frame. I used a little tape here as well on the inside of the box. While all of this was drying I sat at the computer and typed up some of our favorite and frequent meals. Upload our dinner idea pages here: Dinner Ideas, page 1, Dinner Ideas, page 2, Dinner Ideas, page 3. As you will see, next to each meal there is a list with the items needed to make the meal. You can print them (I printed them on colored paper and added stickers later) and then cut them in strips so that each strip has two boxes. Fold the strip in half and put glue in the middle. So on the front you will have the meal name and on the back will be the list of things you need to have on hand. I also included an option for "left overs," "eating out," and "prepared food" (we sometimes buy Thai kits that just require we add tofu.  

The little box is used to keep the meal ideas you arn't using this week. 

I love the way this will look hanging in our new kitchen. I used it in Nashville and found it really helpful to plan meals and plan shopping trips. I often planned meals based on what was on sale. I found that we were wasting less, eating out less, and I saved time at the grocery store. 

Do  you have a menu board? How do you plan your shopping trips?