planning the week

Lists are the glue that keeps my life together. I have a book of lists that's in my bag at all times. But the two most important lists for me are my weekly food planner and my grocery shopping list. These two lists allow me to be in the kitchen every night. If I didn't plan ahead for the week, I couldn't be sure I'd have everything that I need in the cupboard. I'm too tired at the end of the day to bother with picking up those bits I hadn't thought about until a few moments before.

We do the weekly shop on Saturdays, so usually on Wednesday I begin my brainstorming. I've got a separate 'things i'd like to make soon' list, so often I can source ideas from there. But otherwise, it's pretty simplistic: I like to have at least one or two fish dinners, a couple vegetarian ones, and maybe a poultry dish. There's usually one soup. And then I'll usually ask Pete, 'What would you like to have next week?' His response almost never goes directly on the list and needs some massaging to be a dish I can happily make and serve. But it's great to have his raw, unrefined inspiration.