Create a folder does not matter where - call it 'menu' say as in 'c:\menu'.
Create short cuts to the programs you use - or documents you use - and copy the shortcuts to the menu folder.
Right click the taskbar, toolbars, new toolbar, navigate to your folder, OK.
You now have a item in the taskbar which you can resize to just the width of the word 'menu' plus the '>>' which you can now use as a pull up menu.
You can place a few different folder titles in the toolbar if you want.