Now that I have the disclaimer above, I can get to what I really am thinking about lately.
Hopefully, in the next few weeks, as I strive to do some of my continuing education I can share some of what I'll learn, but today I'm thinking of the state of the nation and all the children and families at home. I hope you are all well.
Being at home all day every day may be a difficult adjustment. I have had the blessing of being a stay-at-home mom for the last 3 years, but for many that is not the choice or even an option. And it's not always the easiest option. How are you coping with meals at home?
I'll share some things that have worked for me, then I'll add separate posts of recipes that I like that may be useful or enjoyable to try. Some may use the lesser known or liked vegetables that may still be sitting unloved on your grocer's shelves. Some may just use things most people have in their house that are quick and simple. When I post a recipe, I'll post what I'd add with it to make it a meal in my own house.
My hope is that if you find yourself running out of ideas for dinner or wondering how to use things like eggplant, cabbage, or just from-scratch cooking in general, you may get a few ideas here and continue to provide your family well-balanced meals to help keep everyone healthy during this time.
I consider myself pretty down-to-earth and though I believe in a well-balanced and healthy meal, I love pizza and Oreos (well the generic ones). I just pair them with things that are more nutrient dense and don't have them every day.
So let's get down to business. I think the biggest thing that helps me not waste food and have a plan for dinner is two words: MEAL PLANNING (or menu planning). Now, I even find this sometimes tedious, but it has been so important for my family in making sure we have food for dinners and not wasting food (and thereby wasting the money my husband works so hard to provide). Find a time (mine's usually when my child is down for a nap or after they go to bed) and sit down with your cookbooks, if you have some, and a calendar and writing utensil. This can also be a fun way to plan new food to try out, which I also enjoy. (You can also look up recipes online.)
My first thing I consider is what our week looks like. Who has what appointments or classes when. Essentially I'm looking at how much time I'm going to have to prepare a meal and then I start the search for recipes that fit the bill. If I don't have much time I find something simple. If I have time in the morning, and not the afternoon, I think to utilize our crockpot or make a bigger meal the day before and have left-overs that day. Sometimes I just want a break from cooking and I'll schedule a frozen pizza and homemade fruit and veggie smoothies or a fruit and vegetable (like raw carrot sticks that don't need any prep aside from washing) on the side. Usually our pizza day is the day we play DnD on the weekend with friends, and I don't have time for a lot of clean-up before they come after eating and getting the kids to bed. I hope I'm making myself clear enough for you to understand.
Once you have looked at the schedule and find recipes to fit which days, write the recipe down (with book and page number) on the calendar. You can also leave a post-it or piece of paper in your cookbook so it's faster to find the recipes you've selected. Once you've written that down, then on another sheet of paper (or the Keep App from Google, which is often what I use), write down the ingredients you'll need to buy to make it. If you usually have an ingredient in stock just double check that you have enough for the recipe.
I order my ingredients on my list by my usual route through the store which is also based on how the store is set up. Usually this means grouping things for different areas of the store. This keeps me from walking back and forth and back and forth. I put all my fresh produce in one section, my dry/canned ingredients in another (baking usually has it's own section), processed meats (sausage, bacon, lunch meats), dairy (yogurt, butter, cheese), eggs, milk, frozen foods last for obvious reasons. No one wants a soggy grocery bag, and it reduces ice crystals from having it refreeze if you are able to get it home fast enough.
I do this for each recipe for dinner. Writing all the ingredients in their appropriate section. Sometimes I just copy my list to look more legible if I need to after I'm done. Usually our snacks and lunches are kind of the same options all the time, so I make sure I'm stocked on those things. We sometimes go through quesadilla runs, or lunch meat sandwich, or a grilled cheese, or a good ol' PB&J. I make sure we have plenty of fruit and breakfast items, cereal, biscuits (if I'm feeling like making a warm breakfast). Whatever it is for your family, see that they're in stock or add those items to your list. Now you're ready to shop. That part I'm sure you have down if you've been on your own for a while.
Then there is one last step... follow the plan. Otherwise you end up wasting food because it goes bad. If something comes up and you get off the schedule (it happens) then adjust accordingly. Maybe switch sides around if you have fresh produce in your fridge about to go bad, use it first. I usually plan a couple of meals toward the end of my week and a half/two week meal plan that don't require fresh produce (I'll use canned or frozen). So that it doesn't go bad by then. You don't have to meal plan for a week and a half, two weeks, or even just a week. It's how often it's feasible for you to get to the store, or just how often you want to go to the store.
Getting out to shop with my two kiddos isn't always the most enjoyable moment when I'm trying to focus on the list and kids are distracting me, so I plan further out so I go to the store less. One of the things I like about the keep app is that I can make my list, and ask my husband to stop by the store on the way home. That's also how I sometimes refill on fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) and also for recipes later in the meal plan cycle if I'm worried about them going bad.
I think that's just about it. There's more I could share about shopping the edges of the store and what-not, but I think we'll end here. You're probably sick of me. I know this is not the only way to meal plan, but if someone has any other tips or things they've found useful, write a comment to share with everyone. I think that's how we best help each other is if we can all share our ideas so we can all learn from each other.
Good luck! I wish you the best in the situation we are all finding ourselves in. I hope this was helpful.
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