For those of you with children, and hectic lives (wait - aren't those synonymous?) my wife and I have found, at least one thing to help take some stress out of our day - Dine Without Whine.

What is it? My wife would say a godsend. It is a meal planning service. For ~$7 a month (cheaper than the price of one meal at a restaurant) you receive a weekly meal plan that is balanced, easily prepared, and that the kids actually will eat. Last night the meal was pizza pancakes - pancake batter filled with cheese, pepperoni, and green pepper dipped in pizza sauce. I wasn't too keen on the idea, but it was rather tasty. Not all the meals are so kid-centric, but my kids have eaten nearly everything we have tried without too much complaining - feat in and of itself. Not only do you get a weekly menu, already planned, but you also get a detailed shopping list ready to print. Every item has a letter beside it corresponding to the recipe the item is used in, so you can easily scratch things off the list if a dish on the list sounds totally unappetizing.

Check out their website, http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/ There is a sample menu you can download and try out. In addition, there are some other options through the parent company that are linked through this website.

There are many "menu planning" sites out there that offer similar programs, and my wife and I were a bit skeptical about them all; however, we have been pleasantly pleased with the meals we have had over the last six weeks.

Wow, meal planing, set recipies, shopping lists......that sounds almost painfully ORGANIZED! I'm not sure my disorganized life style could stand that kind of emotional strain. I can't imagine it possible to know 6 days in advance of what I am going to cook. Heck, most of the time now I don't know what I am going to cook until I actually start cooking. I usually put a pan on the stove and then start rumaging threw the refrigerator and cabinets and start throwing stuff in the skillet.

LOL!

That sounds like me Sheepdog! Well...I'm trying to be more organized. I set up a meal plan a week in advance but you know how life can throw loops at ya right? According to my "menu" I had previously put up for this week we were supposed to have *looks*
wait!! Spaghetti? Now THAT is odd because that is what I put on for dinner.....only because I was lazy. LOL! Last night we were supposed to have salmon and potato crockpot casserole. Instead we had a mac n cheese kind of thing going on. Oops! See what I mean? Sometimes I am ahead of myself ( I REALLY need to cook up the pork chops in my fridge!) and sometimes I am behind ( shoulda used that mushroom soup YESTERDAY!) and then sometimes I am lazy ( see last night).

Thanks Damen for the info. I'm gonna go take a look see at that link!