Rotation-to-Recipe Workflow

Weekly meal rotations are the testing ground for the permanent cookbook.

The goal is not to save every meal. The goal is to identify which meals deserve to become reliable family recipes.

During the Rotation

For each meal that might become permanent, capture:

• What was cooked.
• What changed from the plan.
• What the family actually liked.
• What took too long or created friction.
• Whether the leftovers worked.
• Whether it created a useful 2:00 AM work meal.

End-of-Rotation Review

At the end of each weekly rotation, sort meals into four groups:

Promote

The recipe is ready to become approved or nearly approved.

Revise

The idea is good, but the recipe needs adjustment before it belongs in the cookbook.

Repeat Test

The recipe needs another real-world cook before deciding.

Drop

The meal was useful once but does not belong in the permanent cookbook.

What Gets Preserved

Permanent recipes should preserve the family's lived version of the dish:

• Actual ingredient choices.
• Realistic prep timing.
• Preferred substitutions.
• Kid or family feedback when useful.
• Work-box transformations.
• Mistakes worth avoiding.

What Gets Removed

Before a recipe is approved, remove clutter:

• Unused optional ingredients.
• Generic blog-style commentary.
• Variations the family would never cook.
• Notes that only mattered once.
• Duplicate instructions.

Editorial Decision

The executive editor should favor improving existing recipes over adding new ones. A smaller cookbook of excellent family-tested recipes is more valuable than a large archive of untested ideas.