multi-hyphenated-me

Today, on August 31, I received my October issue of Family Circle magazine.

I love magazines, as I have mentioned many times.  I subscribe to Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Whole Living, Sunset (Northwest edition!), Fast Company, Dwell, Bon Appetit, Real Simple, Mother Earth News, Real Simple Family, Eating Well, Fitness, and Bon Appetit.  I read every one, cover to cover. I also dissect the magazines as I go along, tearing out articles, webpages referenced, house and garden project ideas, clothing ideas, recipes and anything else that strikes my mood.  I then file the tear outs into folders for future reference. My system is justified (monthly to my husband) as I get rid of what I don’t want, so I don’t store magazines in their entirety and my system is efficient because I regularly review my files to either use or purge the information.

My magazine process works but is completely ridiculous.  For one, at work, I am completely virtual, operating without paper day in and day out. Second, I despise filing, even more so than ironing. Yet, for whatever reason, my magazine system, filing included, brings me joy.

Have you ever noticed, while reading a magazine, that, in the food section, only weeknight menus are provided?   Real Simple, Eating Well, Better Homes and Gardens and Family Circle all provide 5 meals to get you through the week.  Family Circle also provides a month of weeknight dinners in the October issue. 

I don’t know about you, but I cook seven days a week (or at least strive to).  We have to eat seven days a week. Why then, do magazines only provide 5 days worth of menus for a week?  Maybe the thought is that you have more time on the weekend than you do during the week to plan your dinner menu.  I don’t know about you, but my weekends are equally as busy as my weekdays.  Or perhaps magazine people dine out on the weekends or mooch meals off of family and friends.  I can’t speak for magazine people, I don’t know their rationale.

My rationale is to plan dinner for every night of the week, all 28, 30 or 31.  If I am able to dine out or mooch meals off family or friends, you know I’m there, but I have a back up plan.

Here is our September menu for every night of the 30 days hath September.  Every week, we have a meatless meal, one or two nights of fish/seafood, and a pasta.  We only have beef 1-2 a month with chicken and pork as our standing meat meals.  I use recipes from family favorites, current magazines, cookbooks and from my file collections.  As I prepare the calendar I collect the recipes and clip it all together for easy reference.  A method to my madness, or just madness? Enjoy.