Menu Planning and Dear Jane

In an effort to save money by not going out to eat and not over-purchasing at the grocery store, I am going to make a pointed effort to do a monthly menu. I have done this before and it usually works for that month and then I forget about it for 6 or 7 months, even though it lives on the fridge door.
I am doing some research to see if there is an online planning guide for this - and wouldnt it be nice if there was a menu planner that was connected to a recipe database, WW Points and a shopping list? I did find this website in my searches that has what I want but is not helpfun in the "effort to save money" part: http://www.menus4moms.com/store/index.php This is sort of like an idea that was thrown around a while ago with Anut Sue (Hi Aunt Sue!) since she is good at this sort of thing. I am going to keep looking around for a free-er version! I dont know how possibile it is to do instead of a meal plan, an option plan - like I look through the recipes and insert them into the days of the week and it prints directions for the meals and a weekly shopping list. Asking a lot, I know but it is something that I want to play around with. I know that mine is not the only family on the planet that is a little pickier than the weekly menus usually allow for.

I still have not received my Dear Jane book, hopefully I'll get it on Monday. Also, I am still waiting to hear from the Sewing Machine store to hear that I can pick it up and have it sew, you know, foreward! I should hear from them today so thats a good thing. I am planning to go to Joann's for the last day of the Moonlight Maddness sale, I have 4 50% coupons that need to be used! I wish I knew how much yardage I need for each of the "rounds" of the quilt so I could get some.

The Dear Jane quilt is made in Color rounds starting from the center with green, then yellow, grey, orange, pink, etc. I have been saving the scraps from my market bags to use later, turns out later will be this project. Those are mostly pastels, so I think that will be my quilt - white background and pastels. I am so exceedingly excited about this I cant stand it!