Planning your weekly menus and shopping once a week is a great habit to get into, but once you've been slacking for a while, it's hard to get back into it. Like exercise or flossing. Well, maybe that is not an apt analogy for some people, but it works for me. The benefits - less stress, fewer trips to the grocery store, more money in my pocket, better food on my family's table - are well worth the hour or so it takes out of my Sunday. In fact, it's one of the main reasons I began this blog, to keep track of these things for myself. So why has it been so long?
I spent most of the summer under a fog of lassitude, food aversions, and general lack of motivation - hence the slowdown in posting and slacker attitude towards kitchen activities. Fresh CSA vegetables? Get them out of my sight. Day-old toasted bagels and Dum-Dum pops? Bring 'em on! Strangest of all, there were some days when I didn't even want to look at chocolate. My Tuesdays with Dorie assignments were completed perfunctorily, with little enthusiasm.
The culprit? A tiny boy who will be making his arrival in March, four years after his big sister. He graciously decided to let up on my appetite just in time for Halloween candy and holiday baking. And I have found the will to cook again. So, without further ado, the week of November 10:
Monday: Quesadillas. Scott and Katie can't get enough of these things. They're easy. Who am I to argue?
Tuesday: New England Clam Chowder a la Allrecipes.com. I've been making a tweaked version of this recipe for years and it's always a success. Replace the water with clam juice; that's about it. When I halve the recipe, I still use two cans of chopped or minced clams.
Wednesday: Turkey Tacos. If I remember to thaw the ground turkey, that is.
Thursday: Let husband and daughter fend for selves while I work at a wine tasting fundraiser.
Friday: Country Rib Delight, another Allrecipes.com recipe. After my mother's visit, I have a surplus of country ribs in my freezer. It's the kind of thing that happens when she visits. And nothing makes me happier lately than cooking out of my freezer and pantry. So thanks, mom!
Wait, does that mean you are......pregnant? Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteNotice how I didn't bother waiting for your answer -
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
ReplyDeleteI love planning my meals a week in advance. I sometimes do it by months, but after a few weeks in, I lose interest in what I've planned, so I've learned to stick with just a week. I wholeheartedly agree that it saves time and aggravation during the week. I also love the meal planning because it helps me remember that as the seasons change, I like to use certain cookbooks such as ones called "Taste of Autumn" or "Farmhouse Christmas."
I enjoy your blog!