Meal Planning

     In October, just six week after the birth of our second child, I accepted my first "grow-up" job. Now, I refuse to believe that a woman of independent means equals only that. I can still be the housewife I've always been. Through some careful planning and a lot of deep breathing, I've found ways that help me still feel like the over-achieving-stay-at-home  mom I was meant to be.

     One of the greatest feelings of being a wife and mother, I think, comes when we all sit down to a healthy, home cooked meal. I was lucky enough to have three wonderful cooks, my mom, step mom, and grandma, in my life. Because of them, time in the kitchen is far from a chore to me. I love the smells, the conversations, and the memories. I love the challenge, and I love hearing, "Mommy you're the best cook!"

     That's why it kind of surprised me when I realized how much I had started dreading coming home after work to make dinner. By December, I bet we were eating out at least three times a week, spending way too much money, gaining weight, losing sleep, experiencing some minor health issues, and missing out on some very valuable family time. So with a new year, I decided to resolve the issue. My husband and I set a few ground rules, and so far it's all working very well.

Rule #1. No eating out.
With the exception of using a couple gift cards we got as Christmas gifts, I am super proud to say that we have stuck to this rule! We haven't eaten fast food since last year!

Rule #2. No overly processed foods or HFCS.
Typically if it doesn't look like it came that way in nature, I don't buy it. This includes prepackaged snack cakes, granola bars, chips, lunch meats, most breads, cereals, etc. If we eliminate "snack foods", we eat more complete meals and come closer to fulfilling our daily nutritional needs. If we want something not so healthy, I bake it myself to avoid the HFCS. Plus, homemade baked goods make the house smell good, make the soul feel great, and taste WAY better than store bought.

Rule #3. Waste not, want not.
On Sunday, I plan our every meal for the week. I usually bake muffins, mini omelets, and pancakes, so we can grab and go on weekdays. I also try to make three main courses. This past week we had lasagna, BBQ, and chicken tetrizzini. Fridays we have baked salmon, and Mondays we eat meatless, mostly soups or pasta dishes. I also make a HUGE salad. Lunches come directly from left overs. Then everyday when I get home at five, I stick one of the casserole dishes in the over on 350 for twenty-five minutes, steam some veggies and voila! I try to avoid cooking on Saturdays, and we eat the last of the leftovers then.I don't remember the last time my fridge saw a spot of mold...

Rule #4. Water.
I don't buy soda. I don't buy tea. I don't buy Kool-Aid. I don't even buy juice. Sometimes we'll drink a glass of milk, but most of the time we just drink water. We have seven 32oz water jugs that we try to keep full at all times, so we can grab and go when we're in a hurry. All other liquids are a waste of money, calories, and only add to the pollution of our world, in my opinion.

Rule #5. Bulk Cooking
By taking a lazy weekend in January to make a few meals in bulk for our freezer, I save the stress of worrying when we have a busy weekend and I don't have time to do my meal planning on Sundays. For breakfasts, I freeze whole loaves of banana bread and family portioned bags of pancakes. For dinners my favorite frozen dishes are chicken pot pie, chili, chicken noodle soup, and lasagna. I'll also make up a big batch of homemade rolls and freeze in family portioned baggies. (I swear by the recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cook book)