Start The Week Off Right

With the start of a new week, here's what I'm doing to keep on track:

Make a big pot of soup for dinner on Monday night. It should last me a few days.

Take inventory of my kitchen appliances. I pretty much inherited the kitchen and appliances from my parents, and I really don't know what I have on hand. A few of the recipes I'm looking at call for a blender, food processor, and crock pot.

Pick up a new, silicone pancake/omelet turner. I found a really nice one at Amazon.com, but first I want to check out if Bed, Bath & Beyond has it because I have a coupon.

Try out my sister's portobello mushroom casserole recipe, if I can get her to write it down.

The nice thing is that I took a quick look at my checkbook over the weekend and noticed that since I started cooking more often, I'm spending less on food. The trick is that before I would buy groceries, then go out to eat. Now I'm getting more use out of my grocery budget by planning ahead, and pocketing the extra money that I was dropping on take-out.

Don't forget that Whole Foods coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more is still good until Wednesday! Get a good look at your fridge and your pantry before then and see if you need anything before then.