How My Family Meal Planner started... My family decided in September of 2006 that we would make  each other’s Christmas gifts.  We drew names and I picked my  oldest sister’s name.  She is a mom of four children and at the  time they were 2, 6, 8 and 11 years old.  I was a daycare provider  at the time and she would always call me asking what I was  cooking for dinner.  Then she would ask me what sides I was  serving.  That is where the idea was born.  I decided I would put  together a menu for her for a couple of months.  After I had  collected all the recipes, I decided that I would just go ahead and  make a whole year worth of menus.  She was very busy and I  knew that a crock pot meal each week would really help her out,  so I decided to make sure I included that in the menu plan.  I also  knew that she would go to the grocery store without a list and then would have to go back to the grocery store 4 more times that  week to get all her ingredients.  I knew it would really help out to  make the weekly grocery lists for her.  I was so excited about my  meal planner that I completed it in October.  I decided to email my  friends and let them know what I had done and see if any of them  were interested in purchasing one.  My friends forwarded it on to  their friends and I sold 50 that first day.  My Family Meal Planner  was born!  (I did have to give my sister her Christmas gift early so  that she did not find out from others.)   Eliminating the Question: What’s for Dinner?  Plus your Grocery List is already Done!