After a week of cooking “according to the menu” to make sure everything works for my cooking weeks in Italy, I am all about cooking “according to the menu.” There is something to be said for planning–it’s always worked great on the job. And when I was in the 7th grade, I would buy a Woman’s Day with my own money, turn to the full calendar of dinners that were a feast on Sundays and made good use of leftovers on a Tuesday, and would think–wow.

But since I was 12, organizing my own day to day food has always felt like, saying only what you are supposed to say, or doing only what are supposed to do; I tried (nearly) saying what I’m supposed to say and doing what I’m supposed to do for years, and it didn’t go so well so I gave it up. I may have thrown the baby out with the bath water.

I went in to the store last Monday morning with a weeks worth of menus, bought only what I needed, and did what the menu told me to do. I was making dinners all week in no time flat. I know I am going to be able to keep this up on the home front for about long as I can keep on pair of panty hose, but it works.

Here is a super easy, super straight forward, let’s hear it for the home team, menu for the week; I’m giving it to my husband. I have to leave on Wednesday for 6 weeks. He’ll need it:

meatballs-Monday, roast chicken and potatoes-Tuesday, chicken curry-Wednesday, omelette with leeks on Thursday, and Pizza Friday.