janetupnorth
Gold Member
- 14,905
Borrowed from another forum...
Here is this lady's lesson on how to build a menu from a list in your freezer/pantry...
I am going to start this tonight and I will finish it tomorrow. A step-by-step method to my madness follows.
Sillicn's original list:
Freezer
1 Pizza - Spinach & Mushroom
Waffles - 6 Strawberry
Chicken Pot Pies - 2
Orange Chicken Meal
Stuffed Chicken Breasts - 2 Asparagus & Cheese and 2 Brie & Apple
Chicken Breast - 1
Cod Fillet - 4
Beef Chuck - 1.68 lbs
Pork Tenderloin - 1 lb
Hot Dogs - 1 package of 8
Ground Beef - 1 lb
Ham from T'giving - ½ lb
Turkey Broth - 2 ice trays
Sharp Cheddar - 8 oz block
Brussel Sprouts - 1 box
Blackberries - 1 qt
Carrots - ½ bag
Fries - ½ bag
Corn - 1 serving
Yeast Rolls - ½ bag
Spaghetti Noodles - 1 box
Cornmeal Mix - 2 lbs
Ice Pop - 1
Fudge Pops - 4
Butter - 4 sticks
Margarine - 4 sticks (don't use)
Saving for Holiday Parties - Spanakopita (½ box) & Little Sausages (3 lbs.)
Fridge
Carrots - 4
Broccoli - ½ head
Orange Prunes - 8 oz
Ginger - 2 roots
Lemons - 6
Mead - 2 bottles
Wine - 3 opened bottles & 3 unopened bottles
Mixer - 1 bottle
Mountain Dew - 2 cans (don't drink)
Buttermilk - 1 qt
Milk - 1 qt
Diet Dr. Pepper - 1 liter
Eggs - 5 boiled & 16 raw
Cottage Cheese - 16 oz
Yogurt - 2 servings
Sliced Cheese - 2 packages
Biscuits - 1 can
Crescent Rolls - 1 can
Cinnamon Rolls - 1 can
Chocolate Cookie Dough - ½ package
Chocolate Frosting - 8 oz
Ranch Dressing - 16 oz
Blue Cheese Dressing - 10 oz
Mayo - 16 oz
Chocolate Syrup - 2 to 3 oz
BBQ Sauce - 16 oz
Worcestershire - 3 to 4 oz
A1 - 5 oz
Soy Sauce - 5 oz
Raspberry Syrup - 8 oz
Strawberry Jam - 16 oz
Kalamata Olives - 12 oz
Green Olives -
Salsa - 8 oz
Pickles - 12 oz
Honey Butter - 2 sticks
Flax Seed - 12 oz
Pantry
Potato Flakes - 1 lb
Thin Mints - 1 box (for emergency use only ?)
Sweetened Dried Cranberries - 6 oz
Tomato Sauce - 1 large can
Stewed Tomatoes - 6 cans
Diced Tomatoes - 6 cans
Salsa - 16 oz
Peaches - 1 can
Soup - 2 cans
Black Olives - 3 cans
Green Beans - 3 cans
Chicken Broth - 1 can & 1 box (3 lb)
Frosting - 1 cream cheese & 1 chocolate
Hot Cocoa Mix - 2 box (8 packages each) & 5 loose packages
Tea Bags - 4 flavors of hot tea
BBQ Sauce - 18 oz
Duck Sauce - 10 oz
Chicken Breast - 2 cans (9.75 oz)
Tuna - 4 cans (6 oz)
Boxed Rice - 1 brown, 1 fried, 1 Spanish & 1 with black beans
Bag Pasta - 1 alfredo
Cornbread Mix - 2 boxes
Honey - 2 lb
Tomato Juice - 46 oz
Cocoa Powder - 8 oz
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can (14 oz)
Confectioner's Sugar - 2 boxes (1 lb)
Dark Brown Sugar - 1 box (1 lb)
Mustard - 1 yellow, 2 brown, 1 honey
Ketchup - 12 oz.
Horseradish - 1 bottle
Rotini Pasta - 12 oz
Angel Hair Pasta - 16 oz
Brown Rice - 2 lb
Apple Sauce - 4 servings
Jello Singles - 6 servings
Cake Mixes - 2 yellow butter, 1 chocolate & 1 spice
Spiced Apple Bread Mix - 1
Carnation Insta-Breakfast - 20 packages
Popcorn - 2 packages
Muffin Mixes - 2 stawberry & 1 blueberry
Mixed Dried Beans - 2 lb
Garlic - 4 heads
Bread - 1 ½ whole wheat loaves
Cereal - 1 box
What I do..
1) Copy list to Word document
2) Sort out all the key things to build a meal around and put them at the top. Repeating meat items that can be broken up into two or three meals. The list I am working with now looks like this because I sort out the rest of the noise.
1 Pizza - Spinach & Mushroom
Chicken Pot Pies - 2
Orange Chicken Meal
Stuffed Chicken Breasts - 2 Asparagus & Cheese and 2 Brie & Apple
Chicken Breast - 1
Cod Fillet - 4
Beef Chuck - 1.68 lbs
Beef Chuck (1/2 of the above)
Pork Tenderloin - 1 lb
Hot Dogs - 1 package of 8
Ground Beef - 1 lb
Ham from T'giving - ½ lb
Chicken Breast - 2 cans (9.75 oz)
Tuna - 2 cans (6 oz)
Tuna - 2 cans
Sliced Cheese - 2 packages
3) Next I look for the grains to go with the protein. I generally won't have pasta/rice and bread at the same meal because one carb is enough.
Mixed Dried Beans - 2
Brown Rice - 2 lb
Bag Pasta - 1 alfredo
Rotini Pasta - 12 oz
Angel Hair Pasta - 16 oz
Spaghetti Noodles - 1 box
Boxed Rice - 1 brown, 1 fried, 1 Spanish & 1 with black beans
Bread - 1 ½ whole wheat loaves
Potato Flakes - 1 lb
4) Still working on the noise (all the other stuff on the list, I am going to move breakfast and lunch items out of the way. That list looks like this.
Yogurt - 2 servings
Cereal - 1 box
Muffin Mixes - 2 stawberry & 1 blueberry
Waffles - 6 Strawberry
Eggs - 16 raw
Cottage Cheese - 16 oz
Maybe some of the canned tuna or chicken above
Carnation Insta-Breakfast - 20 packages
Cinnamon Rolls - 1 can
Jello Singles - 6 servings
5) Sort out the sweets which get turned into desserts or snacks
Fudge Pops - 4
Spiced Apple Bread Mix - 1
Frosting - 1 cream cheese & 1 chocolate
Hot Cocoa Mix - 2 box (8 packages each) & 5 loose packages
Chocolate Cookie Dough - ½ package
Chocolate Frosting - 8 oz
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can (14 oz)
Chocolate Syrup - 2 to 3 oz
Ice Pop - 1
Thin Mints - 1 box (for emergency use only ?)
Cake Mixes - 2 yellow butter, 1 chocolate & 1 spice
Blackberries - 1 qt
6) Gather all the possible veggies and sides
Carrots - 4
Broccoli - ½ head
Green Beans - 3 cans
Peaches - 1 can
Apple Sauce - 4 servings
Biscuits - 1 can
Crescent Rolls - 1 can
Cornmeal Mix - 2 lbs
Yeast Rolls - ½ bag
Brussel Sprouts - 1 box
Fries - ½ bag
Carrots - ½ bag
Corn - 1 serving
Cornbread Mix - 2 boxes
7) Sort out all the beverages but keep in mind there is wine, spirits for marinades and buttermilk...all key ingredients.
Mead - 2 bottles
Wine - 3 opened bottles & 3 unopened bottles
Mixer - 1 bottle
Mountain Dew - 2 cans (don't drink)
Buttermilk - 1 qt
Milk - 1 qt
Diet Dr. Pepper - 1 liter
Tea Bags - 4 flavors of hot tea
8. I am left with key ingredients for flavoring the meals.
Sharp Cheddar - 8 oz block
Turkey Broth - 2 ice trays
Chicken Broth - 1 can & 1 box (3 lb)
Ginger - 2 roots
Lemons - 6
Blue Cheese Dressing - 10 oz
Mayo - 16 oz
BBQ Sauce - 16 oz
Worcestershire - 3 to 4 oz
A1 - 5 oz
Soy Sauce - 5 oz
Tomato Sauce - 1 large can
Stewed Tomatoes - 6 cans
Diced Tomatoes - 6 cans
Salsa - 16 oz
Black Olives - 3 cans
BBQ Sauce - 18 oz
Duck Sauce - 10 oz
Honey - 2 lb
Horseradish - 1 bottle
Butter - 4 sticks
Margarine - 4 sticks (don't use)
Garlic - 4 heads
Kalamata Olives - 12 oz
Salsa - 8 oz
Green Olives -
That doesn't leave much out of the list but basic ingredients and popcorn. Looking at the list now grouped as I have it above, you just start with a protein, add a grain and then add a vegetable or fruit. Look at the flavoring ingredients and start coming up with themes.
Here is this lady's lesson on how to build a menu from a list in your freezer/pantry...
I am going to start this tonight and I will finish it tomorrow. A step-by-step method to my madness follows.
Sillicn's original list:
Freezer
1 Pizza - Spinach & Mushroom
Waffles - 6 Strawberry
Chicken Pot Pies - 2
Orange Chicken Meal
Stuffed Chicken Breasts - 2 Asparagus & Cheese and 2 Brie & Apple
Chicken Breast - 1
Cod Fillet - 4
Beef Chuck - 1.68 lbs
Pork Tenderloin - 1 lb
Hot Dogs - 1 package of 8
Ground Beef - 1 lb
Ham from T'giving - ½ lb
Turkey Broth - 2 ice trays
Sharp Cheddar - 8 oz block
Brussel Sprouts - 1 box
Blackberries - 1 qt
Carrots - ½ bag
Fries - ½ bag
Corn - 1 serving
Yeast Rolls - ½ bag
Spaghetti Noodles - 1 box
Cornmeal Mix - 2 lbs
Ice Pop - 1
Fudge Pops - 4
Butter - 4 sticks
Margarine - 4 sticks (don't use)
Saving for Holiday Parties - Spanakopita (½ box) & Little Sausages (3 lbs.)
Fridge
Carrots - 4
Broccoli - ½ head
Orange Prunes - 8 oz
Ginger - 2 roots
Lemons - 6
Mead - 2 bottles
Wine - 3 opened bottles & 3 unopened bottles
Mixer - 1 bottle
Mountain Dew - 2 cans (don't drink)
Buttermilk - 1 qt
Milk - 1 qt
Diet Dr. Pepper - 1 liter
Eggs - 5 boiled & 16 raw
Cottage Cheese - 16 oz
Yogurt - 2 servings
Sliced Cheese - 2 packages
Biscuits - 1 can
Crescent Rolls - 1 can
Cinnamon Rolls - 1 can
Chocolate Cookie Dough - ½ package
Chocolate Frosting - 8 oz
Ranch Dressing - 16 oz
Blue Cheese Dressing - 10 oz
Mayo - 16 oz
Chocolate Syrup - 2 to 3 oz
BBQ Sauce - 16 oz
Worcestershire - 3 to 4 oz
A1 - 5 oz
Soy Sauce - 5 oz
Raspberry Syrup - 8 oz
Strawberry Jam - 16 oz
Kalamata Olives - 12 oz
Green Olives -
Salsa - 8 oz
Pickles - 12 oz
Honey Butter - 2 sticks
Flax Seed - 12 oz
Pantry
Potato Flakes - 1 lb
Thin Mints - 1 box (for emergency use only ?)
Sweetened Dried Cranberries - 6 oz
Tomato Sauce - 1 large can
Stewed Tomatoes - 6 cans
Diced Tomatoes - 6 cans
Salsa - 16 oz
Peaches - 1 can
Soup - 2 cans
Black Olives - 3 cans
Green Beans - 3 cans
Chicken Broth - 1 can & 1 box (3 lb)
Frosting - 1 cream cheese & 1 chocolate
Hot Cocoa Mix - 2 box (8 packages each) & 5 loose packages
Tea Bags - 4 flavors of hot tea
BBQ Sauce - 18 oz
Duck Sauce - 10 oz
Chicken Breast - 2 cans (9.75 oz)
Tuna - 4 cans (6 oz)
Boxed Rice - 1 brown, 1 fried, 1 Spanish & 1 with black beans
Bag Pasta - 1 alfredo
Cornbread Mix - 2 boxes
Honey - 2 lb
Tomato Juice - 46 oz
Cocoa Powder - 8 oz
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can (14 oz)
Confectioner's Sugar - 2 boxes (1 lb)
Dark Brown Sugar - 1 box (1 lb)
Mustard - 1 yellow, 2 brown, 1 honey
Ketchup - 12 oz.
Horseradish - 1 bottle
Rotini Pasta - 12 oz
Angel Hair Pasta - 16 oz
Brown Rice - 2 lb
Apple Sauce - 4 servings
Jello Singles - 6 servings
Cake Mixes - 2 yellow butter, 1 chocolate & 1 spice
Spiced Apple Bread Mix - 1
Carnation Insta-Breakfast - 20 packages
Popcorn - 2 packages
Muffin Mixes - 2 stawberry & 1 blueberry
Mixed Dried Beans - 2 lb
Garlic - 4 heads
Bread - 1 ½ whole wheat loaves
Cereal - 1 box
What I do..
1) Copy list to Word document
2) Sort out all the key things to build a meal around and put them at the top. Repeating meat items that can be broken up into two or three meals. The list I am working with now looks like this because I sort out the rest of the noise.
1 Pizza - Spinach & Mushroom
Chicken Pot Pies - 2
Orange Chicken Meal
Stuffed Chicken Breasts - 2 Asparagus & Cheese and 2 Brie & Apple
Chicken Breast - 1
Cod Fillet - 4
Beef Chuck - 1.68 lbs
Beef Chuck (1/2 of the above)
Pork Tenderloin - 1 lb
Hot Dogs - 1 package of 8
Ground Beef - 1 lb
Ham from T'giving - ½ lb
Chicken Breast - 2 cans (9.75 oz)
Tuna - 2 cans (6 oz)
Tuna - 2 cans
Sliced Cheese - 2 packages
3) Next I look for the grains to go with the protein. I generally won't have pasta/rice and bread at the same meal because one carb is enough.
Mixed Dried Beans - 2
Brown Rice - 2 lb
Bag Pasta - 1 alfredo
Rotini Pasta - 12 oz
Angel Hair Pasta - 16 oz
Spaghetti Noodles - 1 box
Boxed Rice - 1 brown, 1 fried, 1 Spanish & 1 with black beans
Bread - 1 ½ whole wheat loaves
Potato Flakes - 1 lb
4) Still working on the noise (all the other stuff on the list, I am going to move breakfast and lunch items out of the way. That list looks like this.
Yogurt - 2 servings
Cereal - 1 box
Muffin Mixes - 2 stawberry & 1 blueberry
Waffles - 6 Strawberry
Eggs - 16 raw
Cottage Cheese - 16 oz
Maybe some of the canned tuna or chicken above
Carnation Insta-Breakfast - 20 packages
Cinnamon Rolls - 1 can
Jello Singles - 6 servings
5) Sort out the sweets which get turned into desserts or snacks
Fudge Pops - 4
Spiced Apple Bread Mix - 1
Frosting - 1 cream cheese & 1 chocolate
Hot Cocoa Mix - 2 box (8 packages each) & 5 loose packages
Chocolate Cookie Dough - ½ package
Chocolate Frosting - 8 oz
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can (14 oz)
Chocolate Syrup - 2 to 3 oz
Ice Pop - 1
Thin Mints - 1 box (for emergency use only ?)
Cake Mixes - 2 yellow butter, 1 chocolate & 1 spice
Blackberries - 1 qt
6) Gather all the possible veggies and sides
Carrots - 4
Broccoli - ½ head
Green Beans - 3 cans
Peaches - 1 can
Apple Sauce - 4 servings
Biscuits - 1 can
Crescent Rolls - 1 can
Cornmeal Mix - 2 lbs
Yeast Rolls - ½ bag
Brussel Sprouts - 1 box
Fries - ½ bag
Carrots - ½ bag
Corn - 1 serving
Cornbread Mix - 2 boxes
7) Sort out all the beverages but keep in mind there is wine, spirits for marinades and buttermilk...all key ingredients.
Mead - 2 bottles
Wine - 3 opened bottles & 3 unopened bottles
Mixer - 1 bottle
Mountain Dew - 2 cans (don't drink)
Buttermilk - 1 qt
Milk - 1 qt
Diet Dr. Pepper - 1 liter
Tea Bags - 4 flavors of hot tea
8. I am left with key ingredients for flavoring the meals.
Sharp Cheddar - 8 oz block
Turkey Broth - 2 ice trays
Chicken Broth - 1 can & 1 box (3 lb)
Ginger - 2 roots
Lemons - 6
Blue Cheese Dressing - 10 oz
Mayo - 16 oz
BBQ Sauce - 16 oz
Worcestershire - 3 to 4 oz
A1 - 5 oz
Soy Sauce - 5 oz
Tomato Sauce - 1 large can
Stewed Tomatoes - 6 cans
Diced Tomatoes - 6 cans
Salsa - 16 oz
Black Olives - 3 cans
BBQ Sauce - 18 oz
Duck Sauce - 10 oz
Honey - 2 lb
Horseradish - 1 bottle
Butter - 4 sticks
Margarine - 4 sticks (don't use)
Garlic - 4 heads
Kalamata Olives - 12 oz
Salsa - 8 oz
Green Olives -
That doesn't leave much out of the list but basic ingredients and popcorn. Looking at the list now grouped as I have it above, you just start with a protein, add a grain and then add a vegetable or fruit. Look at the flavoring ingredients and start coming up with themes.