What's for dinner?

Those have to be three of my least favorite words. I don't know why it's such a big deal that everyone knows what we're eating for dinner, it's not like they will get to pick and choose if they're going to eat it or not. I am not a short-order chef, nor do I ever plan to be.

So in order for me to never ask myself, "Jennie, what's for dinner?" I do a few simple things.

1. When planning my grocery shopping trip, I plan out my menu's at the same time. This helps me make sure I have all ingredients on hand. (because it really stinks when you have to run to the store to buy one ingredient) So planning the menu's ahead of time is very helpful.
2. I also plan a leftovers night. Usually on the night when I have mutual, we eat leftovers. It just makes one less thing for me to have to plan and execute that night. Mutual nights are pretty busy and when I can make it less stressful, I do.
3. I keep my list of menus for that week close. It's usually in my purse or on the desk where I can look at it quickly. I don't necessarily eat the meals in the exact order I planned them, but at least I know what options I have to chose from already on hand.
4. Start prepping dinner early. At our house, we eat around 5pm. My kids are raging wolves if we eat any later, so I begin at about 4:30 depending on what the meal is. Then my kids can see and smell what we're eating for dinner, plus by then the question, "What's for dinner" is not so traumatic for me. It's already cooking, so they have no choice!

What are some things you do in your house to avoid the "what's for dinner?" question? Tell me what works in your house, I can use all the help I can get!