KTT & WFMW-Shopping the Perimeter

I'm short on ideas this week, so I decided to do Kitchen Tip Tuesday and Works For Me Wednesday at once.

Last week I discussed inventory management in the kitchen for Kitchen Tip Tuesday. This week, I wanted to expand on that a little by covering an aspect of menu planning that has saved me a lot of money: I base, not only my shopping, but my meal planning on the produce section at the grocery store. I know, I know, it's important to center meal planning on the content of our pantries and freezers. But this idea is not contradictory.

The things that I keep in my pantry tend to be starches. I do keep some canned goods, but they tend not to be a good deal relative to fresh produce. Even in the winter. I keep meat in my freezer along with some precooked meals. However, most starches and meats are pretty versatile--having rice in my cupboard does not determine any specific meal. I also don't base my meals around meat. Meat is too expensive to be a main dish on a regular basis, it's better as a flavoring. Healthier too. So when I sit down with my spreadsheet and sales flyer, I think about how the produce in the flyer can combine with my starches and meats to make a meal. I do not create a starch and meat menu and then examine the sales flyer for side dishes.

For example, having rice and a little beef in my current inventory does not tell me what we will have for dinner. But green onions on sale for 3/$1 suggests green bean beef a la our favorite Chinese restaurant.

Check out Tammy's Recipes for Kitchen Tip Tuesday and We Are THAT Family for Works For Me Wednesday.