As the return of school is upon us, I share with all of you one of my greatest frustrations....what to have for dinner? How do we stay out of the drive-thrus and in healthy and affordable mindsets once school is in? It is a challenge! Yes, yes, I know, we are out by 2:30, so what's the problem? Well, let me first address the issue of 2:30. There are very few teachers who leave at 2:30, unless it is to go across town to a meeting or their second job. Many teachers, bless their bladders and kidneys, are taking their first bathroom breaks at 2:30, chasing down a mixed up transportation issue, conferencing with teammates, and even still teaching! Our days are very long and very packed. For most, there are very few moments that we are not engaged with or about students. The days are tough, and the misconception of the shorter workday or having June, July, and August "Off" are simply myths thought of by those who just don't know the job. But that is a topic for a later blog.
Needless to say, we are exhausted and mentally spent by the time dinner rolls around. Creativity in the kitchen has never been one of my strong suits anyway. My children, now 18 and 21, will tell you of their early memories of drive-thru dinners. When I did cook at home, it was a shock to the family. I spent many weeks, starting out cooking on Monday, but by Friday, it was pizza or something with fries ordered through a speaker. The crazy schedules of a family of four just gave me another excuse not to cook. My dear husband, Jerry, is always glad to 'pick something up', so there is just no pressure here, except from within. I WANT to cook! I WANT to put a meal on the table successfully. I WANT my backside to shrink from good healthy cooking. I really believe I can fix this with some planning and forethought.
We have had some successes. Planning seems to be the key. If I wait until the moment of need, I will just stand in my kitchen like a visitor in a foreign country and have no idea of what to do. That is when eating out always sounds the best. For one brief moment in time, we decided we would each took a turn planning a cooking a meal. It lasted for a few weeks, but we let our schedules get the best of us. There was also the time my best friend Sarah told me about the book Once a Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg. This was very labor intensive for the one or two days you turned your life upside down to execute the plan, but it was certainly nice to simply follow their guide for the next 30 days.
Today, I spent the day with my mom. Now there is a woman who could put a meal on the table. There were five of us in all and we were extremely poor. She could make cost cutter fish sticks and a can of green beans taste like a night of the finest dining! No matter how bad things got, she never let us go hungry and we never ate out. There also was no issue of who would eat what, you just ate! That was dinner and you were darn glad to have it. Times have certainly changed!
So I asked many of my online networking friends to share their thoughts about this topic. Here are some of your replies, first names only to protect the innocent of course...
" I try to grocery shop once every two weeks and sort of plan out meals for us so we have something at home and can't use the excuse to go out to eat. Breakfast is our favorite supper--eggs, pancakes, fruit, etc." -Suzanne
"Whenever you make something...such as a meatloaf or pizza, etc. Just make a double portion and freeze half of it for another meal." - Cynthia
"I'm all for quick and easy when I've worked all day. I use the crock pot a lot - put a whole frozen chicken in there in the morning and throw in a few potatoes. Cooks slowly all day and is great. I just add a little butter and salt and pepper when I put it in. Also, another if I remember to put chicken out in the morning, I cook it in the microwave with a little butter, salt & pepper and BBQ sauce for about 15 minutes - great and the juice from it is great over rice."-Sharon
" The crockpot is one of the things I use the most when school start back. Chili, bbq chicken, pot roast, pork tenderloin, soup... the possibilities are endless. I also freeze leftovers and save them for a meal a few weeks later. Having sandwiches and soup or salad with grilled chicken on top is pretty quick and easy too. If you fail to plan ahead - Little Ceaser's 5.99 pizza is always a quick and affordable option."-Brandi
Those are great ideas, and I invite my readers to post more! I also know my friend and blogger extraordinaire, Jo-Lynne, features cooking and recipe segments on her blog, so here is a link to Musings of a Housewife where you will find great ideas from this busy wife and mom of three.
So what is for dinner tonight? I have to admit, I have no idea. But I cannot wait to hear some of your ideas for making this chapter of our day a little easier!
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