Whether you save your menu on a computer, phone, or handwritten menus in a binder, don’t throw them out once the cooking is done.
We’ve shared lots about creating a menu on Between Carpools over the years. A while back, Renee Muller wrote a guide to Writing Your Menu. And plenty of you are using our download, this Yom Tov Menu planner, to plan yours. We’ve also shared basic Yom Tov menus of dishes that work well together so you have a starting point (swap, add, delete dishes from these sample menus).
But the single most best source of menu ideas for your Yom Tov is not going to be found here on Between Carpools. Yes, we’re admitting that!
That’s because the best source of ideas for your menu is…your past menus! Those are your best starting points. Those are the menus that work specifically for your family. Or, even better, the best menus are your menus that also include notes about what went over well, what didn’t go, what you made too much of, or too little of.
Most of us begin our Yom Tov menus by adjusting menus from previous years.
If you make your menus with pen and paper, simply keep the printed pages of the Yom Tov Menu planner in a binder or folder organized by year or by Yom Tov. If you prefer more space, use our Shabbos Menu Planner. You can download and print the pages, or order a complete notepad.
You can also keep the menus organized on a spreadsheet like Victoria does here. Each Yom Tov, she simply adds another tab to the same Google Sheets file and has spreadsheets of menus from years back.
But, of course, your menu is done and you’re ready to serve. But when Yom Tov is over, make those notes. You already know those notes come in handy! Perhaps you already write your notes down after Pesach Notes and you read about making general post Yom Tov notes here too: The Note I Make After Every Chag.
So, even if you always toss your menus, this time, keep notes…and get a folder!
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