January 3, 2011

{ Happy New Year }

Whew! The kids are back in school & I, finally, have a moment to write on the blog!

I am busy making resolutions for this year like most of the world. Why does it seem like I'm writing down the same goals every year? I'm sure that doesn't happen for anyone else. One of my big goals this year {as in past years} is to cook more dinners for my family. Ugh!

Yes, ugh! This is the same goal I've had since we got married. That's 18 years! And after contemplating that very fact this morning, I sat down & recognized some facts.

Fact #1- I don't like cooking so much. Baking, yes...cooking, not so much. I will spend all day in the kitchen baking bread, cookies, muffins, you name it, but please don't ask me to brown some meat & chop veggies. I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm like that.


Fact #2- I don't think about what we should have for dinner until it's dinner time. This means I have to rifle through the cupboards to see what we have, that won't take too long to cook & then try to throw something edible together. Yah, that doesn't work so well.

Fact #3- My kids are picky eaters. Isn't it the worst when you spend all that time in the kitchen making what you think is a wonderful meal & nobody will eat it but you & your husband? Argh!


Fact #4- I feel like we are having the same meals over & over again. Now, I realize this happens because of problem #2 & 3 but, what to do?

So, with all of these facts/obstacles, I really do have a strong conviction that sitting down and eating dinner together as a family is essential & I am determined to do a better job at it this year. Tonight we're having potato cheese soup. After this post, I will be living it up in the kitchen cutting up potatoes, chopping veggies & whatever else to get a good meal on the table tonight.

And, I would love to hear your ideas that might help me in my resolve. You're the best!

**By the way, the photos above were taken by the one & only Meg. I love, love, love her & have talked about her on our blog quite a few times. She was out here last year {haha...that sounds so long ago} & offered to do some photo sessions. She wrote about it on her blog here. Of course, I jumped at the chance not only to meet her, cuz, duh!...she's amazing...but to benefit from her talent as a photographer. {Another by the way, I acted like such a dork during our session. I didn't want to come off as a crazy "fan", but didn't want to try too hard to be funny, but didn't want to be nerdy so I ended up coming off as odd & weird instead...nice. On the other hand, she was so warm & friendly.}

She really is amazing & I've found inspiration in her love for God, her desire to help, her decorating {especially for Sassypant's room }, her photography, her craftiness & yes, I've even tried some of her recipes. My kids love her chicken & biscuits dish & it's super easy. An essential for me. :) Thanks, Meg, for everything!

6 comments:

A Thrifted Market said...

Hello I am new to your blog and I was the same way with meals. I found this program through Dave Ramsey called E-Mealz. They give you the meal, the grocery list and you pay $15.00 for a weeks worth of groceries for 3 months. Its so great!! They are easy and yummy and after we try them the kids give a thumbs up or down. I also run them by everyone before I go shop to see if it all sounds good. Saves money on the bill and everyone is happy. Our favorite is sweet and spicy meatballs over noodles and the leftover meatballs you use the next day for pizza calzones that are so easy! Add a salad and your ready. I think you can go to Emealz.com and check it out. Have a blessed day..hope it helps.

Victoria said...

Have you considered doing some version of meals for the month? I used to teach how to do it, back in the day. I don't do it myself anymore, because I am lazy. But it saves a ton of money, and in one day of work, you end up with a month's worth of meals in your freezer. I have tried Dream Dinners, and I think my homemade meals for the month was better. If you really want to keep your resolution, it is one way to go...

Cindy said...

Jamie--

I have a great system for meal planning. I have a master list of meals my family will eat, what I would like them to learn to eat, and what I can cook and/or want to cook. It is divided into categories (breakfasts, beef, chicken, pork, soups, salads, misc.) and I keep it in a kitchen drawer close at hand in a sheet protector. Every Friday I get it out and make a menu for the coming week on one side of a paper and the grocery list on the other side.

Oh, I should add that this paper is taped to the inside of a kitchen cupboard. My family knows that if they need something during the week it better make it on that list. (toothpaste, toilet paper, shave gel, razors, soap, shampoo, etc.)When I am cooking and run out of something or close to running out, I add it to the list. Then come shopping day (which is only once a week--saves time and money) I am ready to go!

I know exactly what I need, what to get, it is all written down and I don't have to worry about what is for dinner tonight. You can plan around a busy schedule, ie: what night needs a crock pot dinner etc. Coordinate it with the family calendar.

Anyway--this has gotten long, but call me if you want to talk about it.

Love, C

Shaunna said...

We have the same problem in our house - I hate cooking, though I've gotten better, so its not soooo bad now. We make a menu at the beginning of the week/right before getting groceries. Anyways, what we do is ask the kids what they want to eat. 90% of the time it needs to be a healthy meal (pasta, steak and yam fries, stir fry...). This way they are more involved in the meal planning, and they learn healthy meal choices. We then make that work with the plans for the week (some meals I just cant figure out - those dad needs to make, so he needs to be home, some need to be quick to eat, etc). You might get a lot of repeat meals, but it gives you more desire to try new things - because you aren't overwhelmed trying to decide 'what,' everyday.

And as an added bonus, it can cut back your grocery bill, since you aren't buying as much 'maybe' or processed food.

Bobbi said...

Jamie, have you ever seen The Food Nanny on BYUTV.org? I like how she plans two weeks at a time and makes dinner a fun gathering time for the family.

corners of my life said...

Crockpot meals are a great idea for busy weeks. I find some meats over cook so I am careful about the recipes I choose. We have Soup Sunday at our house so on Sunday out comes the crockpot and the bread maker. One night a week we have "breakfast for dinner" and on Fridays pizza. We used to have the kids cook one night which was usually something simple like grilled cheese or spaghetti.

So . . . with those ideas you'd have 4 days down and only 3 to think about!

Here are some of our family recipes
http://home.roadrunner.com/~hastingsfamily/recipes.html

Here is a blog I get crockpot recipes from
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Good luck!