Tuesday, November 22, 2011

What's for dinner???

It's inevitable.....how many times do you hear that during the day?  I have responded to this comment sometimes by saying, "I don't know, what are you cooking?"  Most of the time the kids will just laugh, but every once in a while I'll get a volunteer.
But I have a secret.  I am totally OCD about my kitchen and cooking.  I have a hard time allowing the kids to help me cook.  I watch what they touch while cooking.  (Joey has a tendency to carry about LEGO projects...and yuck they lay all over the floor.)  If they try and play with toys while we are cooking, I make them go and rewash their hands before they can continue to help.
We have a unique situation in our house and I cannot allow them to use the stove, even though Joey is 11.  His judgment is not good, and we are working on that, but I cannot trust him to use the stove.  It's a fear for his safety.  But I try to teach him basics.  Unfortunately they microwave cook alot.  But even then, I have to be very careful because of possible burns.
Anyway...back to the topic.  I am working really hard at planning meals out.  My quietest times are usually in the morning, which is when most of experience the calm before the storm.  So I have started taking advantage of this time and actually cook our dinner (if it's a reheatable item) then.  I stick it in the fridge for later.  If we are having more than a simple lunch that day, I cook that also.  There have been days this past month, where I have cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner all before 9:30 am.  This is great for those days when the kids are just struggling getting morning work done, which is usually due to stubborn attitudes and short attention spans.  If we run over into "lunchtime" a bit, no big deal.  Lunch is ready....it just needs heated up.
For the past few weeks, I have just been planning on a weekly basis.  But for December, I am going to try a monthly plan (again).
I have alternated some favorites and thrown in a couple new recipes that I found.
Here are a few favorite places to collect recipes and ideas from:

E-mealz
Recipe Link
$5 Dinners

I find the recipes and then adjust them for our family's diet.  We have so many dietary restrictions, some days it is basically like "re-inventing the wheel".  Or at least that is what it feels like.

Here's to December...I'll let you know in January if this works for us.

2 comments:

  1. I really need to get more organized like that with our meal planning, maybe I will put that on my to do this week list. Do you have the calander template you could email me:)If I was more organized I might not go to the store 3 times a week.

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