What’s for dinner? Never was there a more cringe worthy statement! When the kids were small meals were day by day. I had two diabetic kids and a fussy husband. Leftovers grew in the back of the fridge. Create and toss. It got better when the kids were teens, they ate everything and leftovers were a late night snack. Hubby had expanded his palette and I’d like to think I got better at it.
Sure there were the unprepared days, which in my momma circle I found myself and my friends just let cereal become supper. I did get better at that too and breakfast for dinner is my go to, except now it’s an omellete or fried egg sandwich. Then as the empty nest started to happen, I had to relearn again. I overprepared meals, create and toss happened again and it frustrated me so much! So I meal plan. It is not perfect. Sometimes I fall off the meal wagon.
Essentially it started with brainstorming all the dinners I can create, the complicated, the easy, the single meal, and the larger meal. Then I get the calendar and factor in any events taking place. The hair appointment after work that would cut into prep time. The night the grandkids stay over. A family event. Then the list of dinners comes out and seven days of dinners are choosen for the next ten days. Simple ones for the pressed for time, ones that could be created with day before food to cut down on waste. My biggest obstacle was having things on hand, so a grocery list is created too. All of this makes life easier, just the fact that I can pull out the pork roast in the A.M, so it can be prepped in the P.M. Or having Taco Tuesday and preparing the entire pakage of hamburger reserving some for the tacos and prepping the rest with onions mushrooms and peppers to freeze cooked, so spagetti on Thursday is just cooking the noodles and sauce.
Total game changer. Not fail safe of course, there will always be the night the family drops in and you have prepared a small dinner with nothing to spare. Or it’s the night hubby is coming home late and you are having a tomatoe sandwich because making him an omelette when he arrives is easiest.
For the most part it eliminates a lot of stress surrounding meals. I post the menu on the fridge and most days we eat at five, create and toss is limited. The garbage goes on Monday so if I am tossing alot on Sunday it is because my planning is falling away again. Just remember every week is a new week, just do what you can do, give it a try. Hey! What’s for dinner?
Momma Wouldn't Say 