How do you do menu planning?

[Madeleine]

I do a massive shopping at the big box food club for staples once a week, stocking up on what I need for at least 8 days. Dairy that is not in use gets stored on second refrigerator in basement. I also keep a binder and computer file of recipes. Over the years I have accumulated recipes that are tried and true and use the same basic ingredients. Here are the perishables I always have on hand...which might mean a mid-week run to the local grocer: milk, OJ, half&half, heavy cream, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Romano cheese, several (up to 6 doz) eggs, mayo, cottage cheese, yogurt, assorted veggies like red peppers and spinach, assorted fruit including oranges, blueberries for garnish as well as apples, seasonal berries, pineapple, bananas and melons. Refrigerator dough might also be stocked if we have a bunch of weekly guests. The freezer is well stocked with butter (I buy 10-12 lbs at a time in 1 lb blocks), breakfast meats and more fruit(bought on sale and frozen): bacon, turkey bacon, sausage (links and patties), Linguisa, frozen blueberries, cranberries and raspberries, as well as partially baked rolls, breads and sweet breads/muffins.
Since I try to avoid turning the oven on during a heat wave, having a well stocked freezer gives me the flexibility to pull things as needed. I bake on the mornings that are cool enough to be comfortable and serve baked goods (homemade) from the freezer, when hot humid weather is persistent...Or use the bread machine if I want good, fresh-baked, smells.
oh geeze...i've gone off the deep end with the details...and missed your main question. In a nutshell, I make one of my standard recipes, tweeked based on dietary requirements. Since I keep well stocked, I can do this without a shopping trip every day, which saves me time and hassle..

Since I keep well stocked, I can do this without a shopping trip every day, which saves me time and hassle.

DH wants to shop everyday. It gets him out of the house. It's a requirement that he be able to do that.
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What about the specials? Don't you use that to determine what to make? Seasonality?
For example, if your local supermarket has apples on special, then French Toast with caramelized apples. Then again, strawberries, sweet potatoes, breakfast sausage and cream cheese are also on sale at H...d this week. The cream cheese would make a nice baked French Toast dish. Sweet potatoes for potato pancakes or sweet potato hash. And strawberries with simple syrup or yogourt in a parfait?
I have some staples, but really the market often defines what I make and when. Around here, it's pears, strawberries, hamburger/hot buns, and apple juice. So a strata with the buns, a gelatin with the apple juice, French toast with caramelized pears.
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The short answer is no. DH does not shop that way. For him, there is a list, he buys what's on the list and that's it. If there was a sale on peaches next to a full price pear and pears were on the list, then pears it is.
He will come home with sale stuff but so much of it we end up having to freeze it and make sauce instead of using it fresh.
THIS is kind of why I want to get some recipes organized. Then I can say (because I know what is on sale), 'Hey, how about this for breakfast?' Then we stop spending a pile of money on fruit that goes bad in a day.
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Okay, work on variations on a theme, then.
French toast: Apple Caramel, Blueberry, Maple Pecan, Strawberry stuffed with cream cheese, etc.
Pancakes: Blueberry, banana, chocolate chip, etc.
Omelet: Cheese, Ham, Red Pepper, etc.
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Okay, work on variations on a theme, then.

Exactly what I am trying to do. In the paradise of my existence I would hand him a 3x5 card with the menu on it and the recipe paperclipped to it or a note saying where to find the recipe.
Menu for 8:
Starter: Pumpkin Panna Cotta (can of pumpkin puree, 8oz heavy cream, gelatin)
Entree: Tomato Mushroom Omelets with toast & sausage (list of ingredients here)
Then he can make notes on the shopping list that there is a GF and he needs GF bread for the toast. Or some such thing. (You know, I am not working in a vacuum here! I did ASK him how this would look best to him and I got, 'I don't know.')