I’ve been struggling to figure out why I’m dreading cooking so much lately and then a friend shared this and suddenly it all makes sense. It’s not about the nail. It’s not about the cooking. It’s all of the things. It’s knowing that we have enough milk to get us through the next day and a half, unless someone spills a glass and throws off our average daily consumption. It’s remembering to pick up the Poppy-safe pasta the next time I’m at the specialty store. It’s figuring out how to incorporate lettuce into tonight’s meal before it goes slimy, not putting green pepper in the chili because the kids don’t eat green bits, buying crunchy peanut butter to keep Shawn happy and creamy peanut butter to keep Grady happy, and maintaining an allergy-safe kitchen for Poppy’s food allergies. It is a lot and it never ends.
I’m trying to figure out how to lessen the mental load of putting food in my family’s bodies but it’s slow-going. Part of the problem is that I’m drawn to cooking, while Shawn hates it, so over time it’s become one of the chores that I take on and Shawn avoids (that’s not meant as a dig at Shawn, by the way. There are plenty of chores I avoid and he picks up the slack.) Further complicating matters is the fact that we need to eat every single day, multiple times per day.
That is a lot of words to say: I’m doing my best and I’m trying to figure out how to do less.
Monday: Turkey shephard’s pie. This is what we’re having for dinner tonight. Tomorrow Shawn can throw the leftovers in the oven to reheat and there will be a hot meal waiting for us when I get home from work.
Tuesday: Spaghetti served with steamed broccoli. I made a big batch of sauce last week and froze half so I just need to defrost it and make the pasta.
Wednesday: Out with friends.
Thursday: Lentil soup.
Friday: Birthday Eve delivery pizza.
I also made a batch of baked oatmeal for easy breakfasts (this one but I cut the sugar in half and omitted the raisins and nuts) and a pan of Rice Krispies Squares for lunch treats.
What’s on your meal plan this week?