I've discovered a fatal flaw in the internets.

I found a link to the "World`s most amazing deserts". But when I go there, all I see is "Error establishing a database connection."

IOW, the internets are promising us yummy deserts, but not delivering.

eta: There's an error here somewhere in this post. Can you find it?

I have a question for people who actually do grownup things like make menus and shop and cook and whatnot.

How do you put together a menu for the week? How do you keep from buying stuff at the store that goes unused, and how do you know what you'll want to eat a week in advance? Also, do you like leftovers? For the most part I hate them, and would either like to avoid or know the difference between what will make crappy leftovers and what will make good leftovers.

Ok, so a bunch of questions, but we're giving up eating out for Lent.

Also, I don't know if I mentioned this but, I think we're going to buy a house. Eeep!

deserts or desserts? Because suddenly ending up in Phoenix makes more sense. Jess, I'm sorry.

deserts or desserts?

Deserts. Which, upon additional reflection, are not generally nummy.

God, I'm tired. And I've only had one small cup of coffee, because of insomnia issues.

How do you put together a menu for the week? How do you keep from buying stuff at the store that goes unused, and how do you know what you'll want to eat a week in advance? Also, do you like leftovers? For the most part I hate them, and would either like to avoid or know the difference between what will make crappy leftovers and what will make good leftovers.

When it was just S. and me and Jake was only four, I could plan for the week and build in leftovers. Like, do a big roast chicken one night and then two nights later make a chicken pot pie. Or do a big London broil on the grill and plan for steak sandwiches two nights later. * That way it wasn't just "leftovers" but a new meal using leftover ingredients, if that makes sense.

I would just make sure to buy everything necessary when I shopped -- everything for the pot pie, rolls and mozzarella for the sandwiches, etc. And we always had something frozen in the fridge/pantry if one night we didn't feel like cooking -- frozen pizzas or stuff to make pancakes.

It worked really well for us for a long time, but with three kids it's tougher to build in leftovers without making, essentially, two times the food.

I'm fine eating the same thing twice, but that's it. I usually freeze most of what I cook (when I make something big) right away, so it stops being leftovers. I don't do weekly planning, but am also willing to grocery shop a lot. I am trying not to buy stuff I won't eat in time, but haven't quite made it yet. Like literally, I've started buying just one or two fruits at a time.

How do you put together a menu for the week? How do you keep from buying stuff at the store that goes unused, and how do you know what you'll want to eat a week in advance? Also, do you like leftovers? For the most part I hate them, and would either like to avoid or know the difference between what will make crappy leftovers and what will make good leftovers.

I try and make menus for a week because for me deciding what to eat is the hardest element. The shopping & cooking are the easy part. I figure out what we are going to eat and purchase the non-perishable stuff. I only buy the spoilables the day I am preparing it, or one day in advance because I hate spoilage and the grocery store is real close.

We aren't good about leftovers. If the crew doesn't finish the stuff that day or the next day for lunch it ends up being tossed.

I envy the people that do a bunch of cooking on the weekends and make frozen dinners for the week/month. But I am not that organized. Many of our meals are toss some stuff on the grill and stir fry veggies or make a salad to go with it. Well, and frozen pizza.

How do you keep from buying stuff at the store that goes unused, and how do you know what you'll want to eat a week in advance? Also, do you like leftovers?

Well, I buy things I know I will use in particular recipes. For example, I know I'm going to make vegetarian chili for JZ (particularly around Lent since I can do it vegan). So black beans, Yves Meatless Ground, mushrooms, corn etc. And yes, that's a meal we'll eat more than once during the week. But I can use it to make the filling of a black bean burrito for Matilda or use it in a quesadilla. In short, it's not just leftovers but something I can use in other meals so it's not just the same thing.

You could also make a big pot of marinara and have a variety of pastas during the week. Something like that.

I plan for the week and shop on Sundays. It doesn't matter what we feel like eating on any given day - we eat what the menu says! (If a kid refuses what's on he menu, s/he has the option of a peanut butter sandwich.)

We have a list of things that are easy and fast that we make nearly every week (quesadillas, pizza on Boboli crust) and a long list of things we like that we rotate through, including crock pot stuff (chili, black bean soup). If there's something I want to make that takes a long time (lasagna), I cook it ahead on the weekend or on Weds. morning (I work 1-10 on Weds.) We try a new recipe maybe 1-2 times a month.

I am fine with leftovers and eat leftovers for lunch pretty much every day. The kids don't like them much, and mr. flea is kinda lazy about bothering to bring them, so I eat almost all the leftovers.

So, this week, Sunday I made lasagna, Monday we ate leftover lasagna because it was just that good, Tuesday we had "Breakfast for dinner", tonight mr. flea's friend and his 3 kids are in town on their way back from New Orleans so they are going out, tomorrow is pasta carbonara with peas, Friday is pizza night, and Saturday I have a beef brisket that I am not sure what I'm going to do with yet.

Such a bonehead. Left my laptop at home and have to go back and get it.