Menu Board Cards & Recipe Organization

2013...

that He would equip me and mold me into a better wife and mother this year!  I am including several Scriptures that I am meditating on as I seek Him to create in me a servant's heart.

"An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels." 

Proverbs 31:10

With the start of a New Year, comes the desire to "get things in order". 

"She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness" 

Proverbs 31:27

 Menu Board...Making Menu Cards

On New Year's Eve, I compiled a Menu Board, with supplies I had on hand, in an effort to make our meal planning a bit more flexible.  I finished the board on New Year's Eve and began working on transferring all my meals to menu cards to be used with the board.  This took a bit longer, but I finished today...probably spent about 5 hours since New Year's Eve working on them. 

Here are the results with details on the photos of what I did. 

Do The Next Thing

I first read this poem when reading Elisabeth Elliot some time ago and the simple phrase "Do the next thing" serves as a continual prompting in my mind when days are difficulty, long, or weary.  It is a motivator to me to keep going...just do the next thing.  I hope it will inspire you to focus on the task at hand, the place the Lord has you and to just do the next thing.  Enjoy.

From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DOE THE NEXTE THYNGE.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Thrust them with Jesus, doe the nexte thynge.

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, doe the nexte thynge

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, doe the nexte thynge.

--Anonymous

Menu Planning with a Menu Board ~ Happy 2013

What a great way to spent starting a New Year...Happy 2013!  This is one of the projects I worked on to bring in the New Year in an effort to start well in 2013.  Chore charts were revised, schedules will be tweaked and a menu board was created!  Not to mention having packed all the Christmas decor away, rearranged furniture and put back in place our normal home decorations.  Things are clean and ready to begin our days uncluttered and organized.  One of the projects I did on New Year's Eve, which I'd like to share with you, was to create a Menu Board.

I have done menu planning for years.  I have done simple plans by just writing out my menu for the week...index cards, dry erase board, or even on a list.  I have created rotating menu plans using an index card system to a more formatted one created on Microsoft Word.  Menus have been done for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinners.  Weekly, bi-monthly and even a four/five week meal rotation plan have been created. 

Well, in this season of life, with so many "unexpected's", I am now moving on to give the menu board a try.  I found this idea on Pintrest {where else!} and loved it!  {Oh, just a quick invite...I'd love for you to join me on Pintrest.  Visit my sidebar and follow along.  You'll find all my favorite finds on my boards, added to regularly...so join now to gather some ideas that may work for you.}