SOOooooooOOOOOOOOOOOooo….
I hate cooking. I love to bake, but cooking … there is no luster! I think it’s because you HAVE to cook everyday and you GET to bake every so often. Cooking feels rushed, necessary and chore-like. But, I like to eat. Do you see my dilemma?
In part of simplifying our lives, especially while I go back to work, planning is crucial. Even planning for the unexpected.
Planning for:
- No time to cook
- Not feeling like cooking
- Eating out because other people cook better than you
… amongst other things …
Planning for:
- Late daycare pickups
- Busy afternoons
- Sick babies or spouses
- Spontaneity
- Social events
- Fun
With that in mind, this weekend I did some organizing for Hazel and me. I packed breakfasts/lunches, bagged daycare items by day, chose and set out outfits for the week, and last but not least, planned dinners.
Meal planning for me was defined by over Pinteresting and blog researching. In the end, I wound up at Costco and caved into buying Danielle Walker’s amazing “Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple” cookbook and went on a culinary spree.
I actually prepared all of the items listed below in advance and put them in the freezer (including a set of real deal chocolate chip cookies which I ate most of already… ) because I am generally not a “day of” cook.
Note: Embrace yourself. Like I do. I accept my inflexibility and “A” typeness.
- Monday: Beef Stroganoff with cashew cream, zoodles and salad
- Tip: I prepped the cashew cream in advance by soaking the cashews one evening and finishing the recipe during nap time
- Tuesday: Roasted chicken and vegetable soup
- Tip: I bought a Costco rotisserie chicken and a pre-chopped pack of cauliflower, carrots and broccoli to cut down prep time. I used the remaining chicken for lunch the following day. You can also buy pre-cut butternut squash, but I am a squash cutting pro 😉
- Wednesday: Slow cooker Thai beef stew and cauliflower rice
- Tip: I used the pre-chopped veggies from Costco which I also used in Tuesday’s meal.
- Thursday: Waffles (who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner?!)
- Tip: I made a whole container of waffle mix to use at another date.
- Friday: Maple-Dijon pork tenderloin and creamy mashed root vegetables
- Tip: No tip at this point …
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(All photos belong to Against All Grain: MealsMade Simple)
Hi Dallas, I know exactly what you mean. Before I got my baby I used to bake on the weekends. it was a hobby! But cooking, blaah, I hate it! And for the planning part: I plan that once a week I won’t feel like cooking so I buy frozen fish filets or pizzas to eat on this day. Combined with a salad, so I don’t feel like I eat only junk 🙂 Every Friday when I’m tired after work I buy a grilled chicken (ready and warm from the grill at the butchers) en make only the salad at home: it’s tasty, easy and healthy! So I have to cook 5 times a week instead of 7. 🙂