I’m in get ready for fall and a new school year mode big-time. I’ve been working to clean out every cupboard and cabinet, plan meals for September, and get a loose daily schedule pulled together. Okay, so I haven’t actually planned any meals yet, but it’s on my list to do this week. I want to plan three meals a day for every day of September (well, starting after Labor Day) because September is traditionally our most difficult month of the year. My big problem is that I would rather do most anything, even clean bathrooms, than plan meals, shop for groceries, or cook those meals. I do like good food, I just hate to plan for it, and I hate to execute those plans. I can’t explain it. I love food and I hate food. I was raised this way, that food is sort of a necessary evil. One must eat to live, but my mom fought intensely personal battles with food throughout her life, and while I didn’t inherit her precise struggles, I definitely absorbed some of her negativity. I share her stress over figuring out what to feed one’s people. Complicating the matter are seven children. Some hate beans, some hate chicken, some hate most everything outside of smoothies.
I’m fine with my kids hating what I cook. I simply get tired of them sharing their feelings with me. I wonder if I added to my mom’s food woes with my own bad attitude. She was devoted to frozen mixed vegetables, and I surely hated them with all my being, still do, though I totally get their appeal. All the colors, and all the ease. Getting your kids to eat four vegetables at once feels good. I’m sure I mentioned my negative feelings more than once, because I suspect that I struggled to keep my opinions to myself. Knowing when to keep silent wasn’t my special childhood talent (nor a hallmark of adult Ginny, though I think I’ve improved). I have a daughter (guess which one?) who has the same issue. In fact, last night in an attempt to avoid planning or making dinner, I took a handful of children to the grocery store and fed them from the pizza bar. Beatrix requested a piece of pizza from the center of the pie because it had the best bubble, and the teenage boy reached awkwardly across to slide the wedge onto his spatula. He remarked, “If I were smart, I would have turned the pan around.” Beatrix immediately replied, “Well, I guess you’re not!” Fortunately, he was amused.
Anyway, I better get planning, because September starts tomorrow.
Things that were not necessarily on my list for this past week: Dyeing more yarn and starting a new shawl. These things help me to attack all the less appealing items on the actual list, and for those reasons I view them as important and necessary.
Ravelry notes for the pink shawl here. Yarn here. Pattern here.
Also, I seem to love pink and yellow now. This is new.
Annalisa says
Ooh, ooh! Read Auntie Leila’s post from today. I’m sure you do so much of what she suggests already. But it’s encouraging!
barbara arenburg says
Oh Ginny! I just love you! I stood out back today looking at who knows what kind of bush, weed, tree, vine with berries hanging from it, and wondered to myself over you actually picking something like that and using it to dye yarn. I just marvel at the neat homesteading kind of things you share with us. And then didn’t I go inside and see this post of yours about planning meals and scheduling for school too! You’re amazing!
I’ve been doing just the same today (alongside a bit of hair pulling over the same issues of who likes what and how to incorporate each child into the process of our food making). I agree..Sept is the hardest month to get through unless one has that plan on paper to start one off with. Funnier still, I’ll get through September and go, “what? I forgot to plan October meals?! How’d that happen?!”
Martha says
So… would you share a photo of your completed Sept meal plan?? 🙂
Ginny says
Yes, I plan to!!
Stephanie says
Does your family like tacos? At least you can top them as each person desires. Whenever I’m working on my grocery list and ask DH to suggest a dinner, he always says tacos. 😉 (sjn821 on Rav)
karen says
there is just two of us now and I’m having trouble planning for that. It’s easier just to not cook at all and graze the frig…Good luck, I’d rather be knitting than cooking and although I love to eat I have to have meals that are created within the hour.
Deborah says
I really love the photo of your desk. And the flower photos. So beautiful. And of course, the photos of the children. There’s nothing quite like the exuberance and innocence and joy and delight captured in children’s photos.
“I’m fine with my kids hating what I cook. I simply get tired of them sharing their feelings with me.” I laughed out loud at this. I relate to much of your love/hate relationship with food. I’ve told my husband so many times that, “I love the things I do, they just need done often and I never feel like I keep up with everything like I want to.”
I enjoy baking more than cooking. When I’m really needing to inspire myself, I try to find some new recipes to try or dig out some old favorites. Recently, I realized if I view my meal-fixing as a fun-thing by trying something new instead of a have-to thing, it gives me new incentive. For a bit! 😉 One meal down anyway!
Blessings on your September!
Helena says
I’m with you on the meal planning/food shopping/cooking thing. I just started meal planning–August was the first month I successfully did it–and even though I hate sitting down and trying to come up with 30 dinners (breakfast and lunch are easier, they don’t change much so no need to formally plan those), the relief of knowing the planning was over once I did it was lovely. I keep telling myself I just have to do a year’s worth, then I can reuse all the plans. 🙂 I was flying by the seat of my pants before, and it just wasn’t working. My husband is on a very strict low-sodium diet, so I can’t reach for convenience foods anymore (even something as simple as canned beans are often too salty, so have to cook dried–which means knowing ahead of time that I need to soak them, etc). Planning has helped me not be stumped at 4 pm when the kids start whining that they’re starving and can’t possibly make it ’til dinner time. My mom loves to cook, and likes to make complicated recipes to relax, so I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it’s okay to revel in her cooking when we visit while also accepting that that’s just not me.
TarynKaeWilson @ WoolyMossRoots says
I hear ya about the things that aren’t “necessary” and yet they really are. I need my knitting time to fuel my other activities I don’t feel excited about. It helps somehow.
When my sister and I were little, we complained about dinner one night. My mom said “fine, you don’t like it, make your own dinner.” She left the room. My sister and I looked at each other with wide eyes in the kitchen, expecting her to change her mind and come back, but she didn’t. My sister was younger than me and I think she grabbed a piece of bread and made herself a butter sandwich or something. I, being the older one, just sat around pouting and acting helpless, and ended up being hungry. We still remember that night, it was a good lesson. I don’t think we complained much about meals after that, but then again maybe we did. 🙂
Lately I’ve been more excited about baking than cooking. So I’ve been picking a day where I bake three frittatas at once since we get so many eggs from our chickens, with lots of veggies. They make great easy lunches for us throughout the week and are even delicious eaten cold out of the fridge. Each one could even have varying ingredients for people’s different preferences. I’ve also been baking muffins with coconut flour to have throughout the week and it’s great to have them on hand in the fridge.
I’ve been trying to start a weekly rotation of meals. Lamb on Sunday. Sardines on Friday. (Would probably not sound appealing to most people, but we love them.) Frittatas on such and such a day. Soup day. You get the idea. That way, I don’t have to think about it so much. I know what to get out for breakfast and lunch/dinner each day. Plus we can look forward to certain days, like we all do when “Smoothie Night” rolls around. Our schedule has been a bit out of whack, so I don’t have all the days down right now, but for the days we’ve got down it’s worked out really well for us! Just thought I’d share some of the things that have been helping around here.
P.S. Beatrix’s comment cracked me up!
Emily says
I can’t even imagine cooking that many meals a week for that many people….. I only have a baby and I am kind of dreading starting him on solids because I struggle just to feed my husband. However, I just finished a free trial to eMeals and it has been the most stress relieving thing I have ever done. It gives you a main dish and side and even bases the plan off what’s on sale at the store. I save so much money and time worrying!
Lana says
My daughter and DIL love e-meals. I looked at them and decided that there would be too much waste for just the tow of us.
My meal planning involves a wall calendar on which I plan the meals and then I can look back and get ideas when I am planning a new month. I don’t throw away last years’ calendar when the new year starts because then I would not have a cheat sheet. Menus that do not get used get circled and moved forward when new menus are planned. Our breakfasts are the same every week. The calendar also stopped the ‘what’s for supper madness because they knew where to look and I would not answer. I raised five and my thought was that everyone is going to have meals they don’t prefer but their favorites will come around too=SO JUST EAT IT!!!
Sammy says
ARGH! The settler shawl by Libby! I met Libby this weekend at KAN-Knit August Knits! She is just so lovely. I will have to ket her know that YOU (hello, one of my most favourite bloggers) is knitting her shawl. Although you two may have connected already, this yarny world is very small 😉
Isabel says
The photos of your dye pot are magnificent, and as always, I adore your yarn choice! Happy September (with meal planning and all….)
Nancy says
Sounds like there’s many of us that understand your pain because we are there too!!! Today was our first day of school and I decided that is make sure and have a crockpot meal planned for today. Then after I got into school and knowing how that would go – then I’d tackle the menus because I was getting too overwhelmed to worry about both. But I know it makes things easier with a plan but these grocery prices, 3 teens and 1 ten yr old is making it necessary to figure out a plan. Hang in there!
Gwendolyn says
Ginny, I think we are all going through the meal planning with you. Now that my daughter and her 3 kids are living with us we have decided we need a plan. My husband and I commute 1 hour away from home and it’s so easy to stop by a fast food place to eat instead of cook from home. But my daughter reminded me that I didn’t like meal planning when we lived in town either when my kids were little…I would have them prepare what they wanted. This made for many meals of mac and cheese, spaghetti, cream of chicken mixed w/minute rice, or home made pizza. So we didn’t do any favors for our children. Now that the grandchildren and my daughter are around, we’ve been eating more fruits and vegetables and using the 1/2 of beef we have in the freezer. I want them to stay slim since their grandparents didn’t.
Lovely pictures of the family and the yarn projects. Love seeing your life!
Dawn says
Ginny, I feel so much empathy for you after reading this post. I have only two children, but one is a sensitive eater, so sensitive he was food adverse and in therapy for 8 years, and had a feeding tube from ages 2-5. He also happens to be allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, soy protein and sesame. Child number two is allergic to dairy.
My husband is a Paleo eater and wants no carbs, and will not eat anything pickled or that contains mayo.
Finally, we are on a tight budget that limits choices at the store and on the table. So…it is a struggle to find any joy whatsoever in the daily task of feeding people. I pray for gratitude and patience each day, then muddle through it.
I am inspired by your goal of creating a monthly meal calendar. We begin homeschool next Monday, so maybe this will help things feel a teeny bit less insane. Thank you, as always, for sharing!
Olivia says
Food. Always thinking about food. Do we have enough? What will I cook? Will it be healthy? When do I need to start? Are there leftovers?…
I never knew that so much of parenting, especially a larger family, involved so much thinking about food, because when you’re little, your mom did that. Sigh.
I like to cook, I like food enough but I certainly don’t like having to think about it as much as I do.
Every Wednesday I start fuming that we need a meal plan…and by Sunday I’m too pooped to start it, and so we continue as we are.
Olivia says
Also, that pink yarn is gorgeous, I’m off to check out what shawl you’re working on!
Kate says
I don’t really enjoy cooking. I don’t have food issues, I just rather would do other things than spend a lot of time in our kitchen (our kitchen is dark and has an inconvenient layout, so maybe that contributes to it). After 28 years of marriage, I have developed some “dinner coping mechanisms.” I don’t plan any meals but dinner and my planning consists of knowing the night before what we’ll have for dinner the next day. I shop for dinner foods once a week and make out a rough menu in my head at the store based on what’s on sale or what we have in the garden. I roasted a whole chicken last night and saved the leftovers (always cook enough for leftovers) I’m going to make chicken/zucchini enchiladas tonight. If I had more peas or carrots in the refrigerator, I might have decided to make chicken pot pie instead. I’m boiling the chicken carcass down for chicken noodle soup during the week. We have lots of lettuce and vegetables in the garden this time of year, so I only have to think about a main dish. I have eggs, oatmeal, farina, goat’s milk, yogurt, fruit and bread available for breakfasts. Most of the kids are old enough to make their own breakfast or help the youngest make his. Lunch is whatever is in the refrig or pantry, excluding the items I’ve announced I’m saving for dinner.
I don’t have picky eaters, but the kids do have certain likes and dislikes. I don’t cook around those, because as my dad used to say, “This is not a short order kitchen!” They don’t have to have a big serving of what they don’t like, but they have to have some of it and finish it out of gratitude to me for making dinner (and God for providing us food) and solidarity with those who go hungry every day. I don’t give that lecture every meal, of course, but every once in a while it’s necessary along with sitting at the table finishing dinner while everyone else is having dessert. I also tell the kids they can’t announce at the table, “Mushrooms (or whatever) are gross!” but they can say “I don’t like mushrooms.” The first is offensive to those who do like mushrooms (like myself), it often starts an argument, and it seems like a “dogmatic” statement, whereas food likes and dislikes are a matter of taste and those who disagree are not idiots (or heretics). Nor can they make comments about how slimy and disgusting mushrooms are while others are eating them. Those are all anti-social, uncharitable and punishable offenses. It’s hard work teaching kids to be civilized….
kim schildbach says
“I’m fine with my kids hating what I cook. I simply get tired of them sharing their feelings with me. ”
SNORT!!
Too true. 🙂
Elizabeth says
I hear you on difficulty cooking. I recently rediscovered my love of soft tacos with organic beef but I know organic meat can be costly!
Something I do for myself is put greens and berries in a yougurt/milk/kifir smoothie as I am terrible at getting enough vegs; so if they love smoothies, then pour in the berries and add kale or spinach and presto! and with enough fruit, you can’t really taste the greens! 🙂
God bless you! it’s good when you know what months are more challenging, etc. I will light a lampada my my icons of the Mother of God and St. Anna for you today!
Judy says
I’m another one for whom grocery shopping and planning meals is an anathema. Give me ironing, vacuuming, even stove cleaning first…
Years ago, one dear friend who had four young boys who complained about way too many meals, shared with me what she had done to improve things, and it significantly changed the way her children (and mine) spoke about the meals that were put in front of them. She explained to them that cooking meals was like all their creative endeavours – that it took time and effort and encouragement to do well, and then she asked them – gently – how they would feel if each time they brought something they had made, to show or give her (dad/the teacher), she responded with comments about how she didn’t really like it, or wished they had given her something else. In an ah-ha moment one of her boys had responded with, “I’m sorry, Mummy.” Of course, part of the conversation, acknowledged that sometimes we do wish we had received something different, but that it is never okay to say a gift is yucky. You don’t have to love every meal or gift ever given to you, but gracious speech is always right. When you can’t say something nice about the meal, it is still appropriate to say “Thank you for making dinner.” Of course, any wise mum will also ask for occasional favourite meal requests just as one might ask if there is a preferred/hoped for birthday gift.
Blessings today – and good luck with that month long plan!
Bonnie Schulzetenberg says
thank you Ginny for allowing me to see you through your words. You really should add to your list of many many duties to WRITE A BOOK!
It would be the #1 seller on every mom’s or grandma’s list.
Love you
Bonnie S.
Brigitte says
Don’t despair on the value of healthy foods for the kids. My four are all grown and they are good cooks and eat healthily. I believe it does make a difference. We weren’t extreme, but mostly non-meat, and from scratch cooking when they were at home.
Claire says
I can relate here! I actually LOVE cooking, and sort of don’t mind shopping (as long as I am ALONE!), but with 4 kids and three meals a day it does seem to consume my life at times. I am either cooking a meal, cleaning up a meal or planning for a meal. It never ends. I personally DO NOT like eating the same things over and over. I have no desire to pick a few favorites an cycle them in and out every week. That takes the pleasure and joy out of the consumption of the meal. (We do repeat meals, of course, but not every week!)
Two ideas for you… first, I recently read on another Catholic blog that this mom does not allow any complaining about the meal at the table (cite Philippians 2:14 if necessary – I’ve made my kids memorize it). If anyone complains, they are immediately sent away from the table and can return when they are ready to apologize to the cook and eat the food. We have implemented this in our house with pretty good success. I personally don’t care that much if they don’t like it because I know I make good food and I make a variety of food. I just don’t want to hear about it if they don’t like it! They are allowed to say that something “isn’t their favorite.”
Also, I don’t watch a lot of TV (and I don’t think you have a TV), but once a month or so I love to watch a Food Network show and get randomly inspired to try something new. I don’t always make the exact meal I see on a show, but it inspires me to look up a new recipe or ingredient featured on the show. I need a breath of fresh air in my cooking regularly so I can stay inspired and motivated. You might find this inspiration on a blog or on pinterest or on the foodnetwork website (which has some video excerpts from the shows).
In response to your kids saying they don’t like something, here’s what the French say, and I love it. French parents just reply, “You’ll like it when you’re older.” End of conversation.
Best of luck with the month of September!
Naomi says
I like cooking, and once upon a time I could get pretty fancy with it – but when I have to feed mouths day in and day out, I go for least amount of work. And the food left on plates…”this no taste good.” Grrr. When I plan my meals, cooking goes so much smoother even if the meal changes, it’s just hard to sit and think of meals. I draw a blank.
I find it easier to sit with some actual print books for inspiration, and once I get going it goes easier. I also made a list of ‘regular’ foods, divided into breakfast, vegetarian, meat, soups, etc. Then I can look at the list when planning and say, oh yes, we know that this is good. You can also get family members to list, say, three meals they each like, and use those in rotation. Not everyone will like everything, but tough luck. You really only need two weeks worth of meals, then you can use the same meal plan and voila, a month of meals. And I try to cook only twice a day, breakfast and then a honking huge amount for both lunch and dinner (make for lunch and eat the rest for dinner or eat yesterday’s dinner for lunch). I make a lot of soups and stews in the winter because it’s easy to make in massive quantities.
Jennifer says
Oh man, I’m right in the middle of the same struggle. I don’t know when this became such a pain in the rear. I used to plan 2 weeks at a time all the time, make my list, go shopping and then make meals. No sweat. Now? Half the time I fill in my meal plan after the fact so I know when we ate what. My kids are not complainers and pretty much eat what ever is set in front of them, my husband on the other hand has the opinion issues. In his defense however, he is a great cook and will pitch in and help or cook at the drop of a hat. In fact ribs are on the menu for tonight and that is all him. 🙂 I think this is just a chore with a high burn out level. I mean, I get tired of the same things over and over too. Add to that eating gluten free, and well, there go about 90% of my recipes. Maybe this is another area to pray about.
Meryl says
“I’m fine with my kids hating what I cook. I simply get tired of them sharing their feelings with me.” SO TRUE! We’ve been working on, “It’s not my favorite” instead of “Yuck!” or “That looks disgusting.” But the real problem isn’t learning to express bad opinions nicely, it’s learning that sometimes you don’t need to express them at all.
Lee Cockrum says
My mom always told us she only put good food on the table. So we had to taste one bite? And if we didn’t like what was available, we could eat bread and butter. The only time she made something different or separate was when she made liver for herself and my father. We also were not allowed to complain. Just eat your bread and butter and move on with life. There would be something different for dinner tomorrow night!
Emily D. says
My mom was a lot like you–she hated planning meals, I think. So we had a regular rotation of things. It wasn’t bad, we all ate well and were well-nourished, but cooking was NOT something she enjoyed. And we ate what she put down, because that was The Way It Was. 😛
I have a question about circular needles–what kind do you use?
Laura says
“I’m fine with my kids hating what I cook. I simply get tired of them sharing their feelings with me.”
YES. I actually really enjoy cooking. Or at least I did before my oldest got opinionated about her likes and dislikes and poisoned all subsequent children against my cooking. At least that’s how it feels.
Currently, the four-year-old will tell me at length about all the foods he doesn’t like. When asked what he does like to eat, he responds, “Bacon. And peanut butter and jam.” Ah. Yes. That is very helpful for the meal planning.
Jessica White says
Fellow food struggler here too! I make my husband do it. He does all our butchering and knows what’s in the freezer, so I let him tell me what meats on what days and I take care of the rest. That way he knows what needs to come out of the freezer for us.
I’m with you on having to have a little something to get me through the less desirable jobs, for me that’s reading or quilting 😉
Sophie says
Let.
Them.
Cook.
Pom Pom says
Hi Ginny! The yarn is so pretty, a lovely shade.
Meal planning can be very mundane, but eating is good! Your post caused me to remember that old adage, “People support what they help to create” and I wonder if each able child could come up with a dinner. The picky eaters, STRONG preferences, and trying to be frugal make the whole shebang VERY hard, I know!
And then back to knitting . . .
Brooke says
Meal planning is my cryptonite so instead I do a staples grocery list. Four of my five like porridge so that is what I make for breakfast. My eldest makes his own breakfast these days. Lasagna is my go to for amount to make, heartiness, ability to put mystery vegetables in the pesto and the fact that all like it aside from the occasional squawk of ‘I don’t like pasta with things on it’. Sigh. I am making four loaves of bread right now and make everything a pie with crust. Suddenly everyone loves it. And mashed potatoes. I highly recommend poutine. Big cheap crowd pleaser. I cut the potatoes in to fries in the morning put in a bowl with water and a tablespoon of acv then at dinner time drain, toss with olive oil and salt then bake thinly on sheets in the oven they cook in about 1/2 hour. Anyway. I’m in the throes of the same dilemma working on my loose homeschooling plan too! Many blessings and easy days to you!
Jess says
There is nothing worse than sweating in the kitchen for 2 hours to make your family a healthy meal, and then they look at it with disgust as soon as you smilingly put it on the table. I take it too personally and have even cried over it. Kids do not understand or appreciate having a mom that works hard so she can feed them healthy foods. They really would be happier with hotdogs and boxed macaroni every night. Sigh.
I went to a Wildtree freezer meal workshop recently and learned how amazing gallon freezer bags are for making meals up ahead of time. Meatloaf for instance… Put all the ingredients in the bag, including the egg (you have to whip the egg first in order to freeze it) then put it in the freezer. Pull it out a few days ahead, dump it in the pan and cook it. I make ahead lot and lots of freezer meals now using these freezer bags and it has made life so much easier. Such a simple idea, but saves me so much time. I have my girls help me put together a weeks worth of meals in one day…only dirty the kitchen once.
Lori Ann says
Forgot – quick questions … Do you have a stash of yarn or do you order by the project? You always have beautiful yarn from some interesting places!
Lori Ann says
I HATE frozen veggies – it is all my mom used to make – mixed being worst for all! And canned beets – had my first fresh ones this year and LOVED them – who knew?!? I am just beginning to organize the home school subjects and order books – a little late but we start after Labor Day too. Trying not to feel frantic about it all – but rather ease into it. My son works much better when I stay calm and patient!!!
Teresa says
Wow! I did not think anyone else in the world had a child who won’t eat chicken! He doesn’t do eggs or ham either. I can manage dinner but breakfast and lunch are optional in my world. Guess I’d better work on that.
thecrazysheeplady says
If I could have one luxury employee here, it would be a cook. I too really struggle with planning, purchasing and executing meals. Maybe you could do a cooking challenge sort of thing and have everyone suggest/send you recipes that are good but super simple and quick – like no more than 5 ingredients…or THREE !
a spirit of simplicity says
Beautiful yarn, Beautiful, beautiful happy children…and what is that humility book? It looks interesting.
steph says
I know you will have a hard time believing this at the point you are in your life….but cooking for just two when all the kids have left the nest is sometimes even harder. The motivation to introduce new things, the joy of having little people help (or not) in the kitchen, the unending leftovers since you never can quite really just cook for two; the only real plus is on those days when you find knitting is much more important than food, you only disappoint one person. I think I’m casting on that shawl….my one person better be prepared to be disappointed at dinner.
Jeanette says
I loved reading this post. Cooking…meals…all of it…is not my forte. AT ALL. I try. I really do. Good intentions and all that but I can just never seem to get it down. You’d think after 4 kids and them almost being grown adults now that I’d have it. nope. Not even close. *sigh* I’m glad to know that its not easy for everyone else either. We had no relationship with food growing up. There was no family meals or good friends over a hot bowl of yummy food. So food for me is just sustenance that I can eat by handfuls out of the fridge when I get hungry. I like the above commenters idea of making a months worth of food ideas then reusing it the next year! so really your only making 12 lists…..that sounds sorta doable doesn’t it?
Tracey says
I do love your Bea, she makes me laugh!
Bee says
I, too, hated frozen mixed vegetables with a fiery passion as a child. I still think they’re pretty gross, though regular frozen vegetables (such as green beans or broccoli) are fine now.
Love Beatrix’ response to the store clerk, ha! And love the picture of those flowers in the pot…it looks beautiful.
And as for dyeing and starting a new scarf…if those are your moments of time for YOU, then they are important indeed.
Good luck with everything this week!
Chere Mama says
Your little guy in the window looks like he is just about to dive right in the middle of the heap of kids. What a great picture. Kids are so much like puppies, aren’t they?
Kristen | The Frugal Girl says
I understand about the meal planning. It is SO not my favorite task. And neither is grocery shopping.
Keeping a family fed is such a gargantuan task. Especially if you also happen to be trying to feed them healthfully. And frugally. Oy.
Barbara says
I like meal planning, but I find I over plan, and I plan “like” meals together, and meals my kids are going to dislike together, all unintentionally, and then have no desire to implement. And I would rather eat glass than go to the grocery store, bring it all home, unpack and put it away. The woes of be chief cook and bottle washer. I just checked out three more cook books (now I have six) from the library for inspiration. I just want quick and healthy.
Molly says
I feel you in some way – getting fed up with the food battles and it’s just a pain in the but to meal plan, let’s just be honest there. Even though I know we eat better, and stay on budget better when I do…. I still hate doing it (says the girl who’s up at 7:30 to do exactly this). Bleh =(
Meeresrauschen says
I find it difficult as well to plan aforehead such a long time. What me and my family always like, especially in autumn time, are curries with rice and pumpkin or sweet potatoe or zucchini and coconut milk. Maybe you want to share some of your food-hits?
Have a nice time,
Kathrin
Kitty says
Ooh, I feel your pain, I hate menu planning, although enjoy the cooking part, I find with only 3 kids its relentless. I had a plan to write up the menu each week on the chalkboard, take a photo and then use the same week, the following year … this worked for about a 3 weeks and then very sporadically. I am liking your plan for the month meals, that would take the pain out of each week, still be seasonal, and mean if I did it 12 times, i have a years worth of planning done which could be tweaked year on year … September is a good time for new beginnings, maybe this is mine! Thanks for the inspiration x
julie says
Ha! I love this post. I dislike meal planning as well. Mostly because I will meal plan a new recipe ( or even an old one) and fail to read a step, or get an ingredient, so dinner is either late, or not as originally planned (as in it doesn’t look like the original recipe.) I plan even less for breakfast and especially lunch. I tell my husband that with our 4 kids there is always a 25% chance someone is not going to like what I cook. This also holds true for eggs, it becomes a “prefer” fest. Ahem. “I don’t prefer, scrambled…fried…with bacon…with cheese, at all”and et.all. Yay for the mom’s of the world, who listen to preferences, and then try to convince their children that the child’s individual preference doesn’t matter today. Let the cajoling begin.