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As a homemaker, one of the most time consuming responsibilities I have is to provide food for my family.
When my kids were young and at home with me during the day I asked my husband what he expected from me as a homemaker. His response was "I would appreciate it if dinner has been started by the time I get home." Seriously? That's it? I can handle that!
Life lesson #45234565345: Never assume you know what someone else wants.
Have you ever felt like you are making your life more complicated because down the road you know that it will simplify your life? I'm in the process of doing that right now with menu planning.
Breakfast CHECK
Lunch CHECK
Snacks CHECK
Dinner UGGGG
Lunch
I don't have to plan for anything special for lunch. During the week we buy our kids school lunch, my husband gets to eat lunch at work and I eat leftovers at home. On the weekend I make sure to have plenty of leftovers in the fridge. My daughter usually wants to have fried eggs.
Snacks
Now that we eat a limited grains/paleoish/primalish diet we don't snack very often anymore. I buy almond butter for my husband and myself. My kids will eat leftovers, a piece of fruit and/or peanut butter. My daughter usually wants to have fried eggs (see a pattern here with her?) Now we snack more out of habit rather than actual hunger (pre-diet change we HAD to eat or suffer major hypoglycemia consequences).
Dinner
Planning for dinner has been too taxing on my brain. I was spending too much energy trying to figure out what to cook. Here's the problem. I would be happy eating just salad at dinner. Throw in a hamburger during the day and I'm good to go. I'm sure eventually I would get tired of it, but right now my body is craving protein, butter and salad.
Instead of trying to figure out what sounds good to me I decided to assign a day to each family member:
This works for my family because we all like really different things. My friend said it wouldn't work for her because her kids would choose corn dogs and grilled cheese. What do you think? Would this menu planning method work out for you?
One thing I love about the food I've been buying locally is how fast it thaws when you take it out of the freezer. I can take a pack of ground beef out of the freezer in the morning and it thaws out by the time I am ready to cook dinner. The whole chickens I buy from the Hutterites easily come out of the plastic bag that they are in. On Monday I dumped a whole frozen chicken in my crockpot, turned it on high and after 3 hours it was overdone (whoops!)
P.S. So what does a picture of an elephant have to do with menu planning? I was thinking that if I could use a small amount of brain power on menu planning, then I'd have time and energy to do other things that are more important to me (go for a walk, play a game, work on my blog, hang out with my kids and husband, plan a fun outing for our family, etc.)
Check out other homemaking posts at Raising Homemakers.
AMothersHeritage is having a master bedroom makeover challenge! She will be sharing simple and inexpensive ideas with you so stay tuned to her blog.
Jennifer is having a Shutterfly giveaway on her website JenniferDawnMcLucas. FYI - the giveaway ends on November 12th.
I don't have to plan for anything special for lunch. During the week we buy our kids school lunch, my husband gets to eat lunch at work and I eat leftovers at home. On the weekend I make sure to have plenty of leftovers in the fridge. My daughter usually wants to have fried eggs.
Snacks
Now that we eat a limited grains/paleoish/primalish diet we don't snack very often anymore. I buy almond butter for my husband and myself. My kids will eat leftovers, a piece of fruit and/or peanut butter. My daughter usually wants to have fried eggs (see a pattern here with her?) Now we snack more out of habit rather than actual hunger (pre-diet change we HAD to eat or suffer major hypoglycemia consequences).
Dinner
Planning for dinner has been too taxing on my brain. I was spending too much energy trying to figure out what to cook. Here's the problem. I would be happy eating just salad at dinner. Throw in a hamburger during the day and I'm good to go. I'm sure eventually I would get tired of it, but right now my body is craving protein, butter and salad.
Instead of trying to figure out what sounds good to me I decided to assign a day to each family member:
- Daughter - anything cream based (like Turkey Ala King)
- Son - anything Mexican or Josie's Shepherd Pie
- Husband - MEAT (ie. mini meatzas)
- Me - (butter? ummmm not sure)
- KISS night (keep it simple silly - same thing every week). This was hamburgers, green beans and sweet potatoes - we're changing it to chef salads)
- Open
- Husband cooks
This works for my family because we all like really different things. My friend said it wouldn't work for her because her kids would choose corn dogs and grilled cheese. What do you think? Would this menu planning method work out for you?
One thing I love about the food I've been buying locally is how fast it thaws when you take it out of the freezer. I can take a pack of ground beef out of the freezer in the morning and it thaws out by the time I am ready to cook dinner. The whole chickens I buy from the Hutterites easily come out of the plastic bag that they are in. On Monday I dumped a whole frozen chicken in my crockpot, turned it on high and after 3 hours it was overdone (whoops!)
P.S. So what does a picture of an elephant have to do with menu planning? I was thinking that if I could use a small amount of brain power on menu planning, then I'd have time and energy to do other things that are more important to me (go for a walk, play a game, work on my blog, hang out with my kids and husband, plan a fun outing for our family, etc.)
Check out other homemaking posts at Raising Homemakers.
AMothersHeritage is having a master bedroom makeover challenge! She will be sharing simple and inexpensive ideas with you so stay tuned to her blog.
Jennifer is having a Shutterfly giveaway on her website JenniferDawnMcLucas. FYI - the giveaway ends on November 12th.
Have you signed up for Mark's Daily apple? You can get access to two free cookbooks. Also, his quick meals cookbook is helpful. I have six children with some food allergies thrown in! I have lost weight and feel so much better primal.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this post! Your menu planning method would totally work for me. I love it because I HATE writing the menu for everyone- I want to cook them what they want to eat. ;) Yours is not the first blog I've heard this primal thing mentioned... I really need to find out more.
ReplyDeleteI have a document on my laptop called "Homerun Dinners". When I make something that turns out well, fits our nutrition (like your friend said - corn dogs won't make the cut), and everyone likes it, it gets added to that document. If I'm stumped, I can open that document and I have a decent list of tried and true meals to choose from.
ReplyDeleteAnon - isn't the primal way just amazing! I lost 10 pounds almost immediately without feeling deprived.
ReplyDeleteJennifer - Yeah! Hope it helps!
Mary - I have the same document on my computer called "family favorites." Homerun Dinners is much more creative!
I have been trying to get on the menu planning train. I'm halfway there but not consistent.
ReplyDeleteCam - I've been consistently inconsistent for years! Trying to get better though...posting it on my blog every Monday definitely helps.
ReplyDelete