As I write my first REAL entry, it's my hope that as I muse about my own life, that others might take inspiration and/or share their own insights. Although the ultimate goal is balance, I am fully aware that many aspects of my life are still completely out of whack. If you have insight, please share!
FOOD: This entry is about how severely out of balance my family's meal preparation practices had become and outlines a plan that might actually work!
The Old System:
There was really no typical week's meal prep scenario for our family. It was all hit and miss. Grocery shopping occurred approximately once every two weeks to amass the stockpiles of items that we, using no particular system, noticed had gone missing. And when it came time for meal prep the chef was chosen based on who was the least exhausted or could come up with the most palatable idea given their exhaustion. At least twice a week, the better option, at the moment, sounded like fast food, or otherwise eating out. This system contradicted my motherly instincts in that I was simultaneously neglecting my responsibilities to protect: my children's health and my family's finances. We'd reached a breaking point. Enter: the new system.
The New System:
Inspired by a conversation with my PhD mentor (thank you, Dr. Stockman) regarding how she managed to live the life of a professor and raise two children, I was inspired to implement the following plan with my family.
Saturday: Eat leftovers. Come up with a "theme" for the following week. Some examples we've come up with over the past few weeks are: Mexican, Italian, and Chinese.
Sunday: Eat leftovers. Plan menu for the week. Each person chooses a dish that fits the theme and is responsible for his/her dish one night during the following week. Make shopping list. Shop.
Monday: Youngest son is the chef. My husband, Derrick or I am "prep cook."
Tuesday: I am the chef. Both sons are prep cooks to the extent they feel like it.
Wednesday: Oldest son is the chef. Derrick or I am "prep cook."
Thursday: Derrick is chef.
Friday: Family night. Our one freebie night. We're allowed to order out or cook something quick and easy at home. The focus of family night is to spend quality time doing something together.
The Pros: So far the plan has been successful in a lot of ways. We are eating out far less than we used to. Fewer french fries in the mouths of my children is a good thing! Hooray! The boys are also continuing to develop their love of cooking, and there seems to be a sense of meal-related responsibility developing too. They are very aware of which night belongs to them. And they want that responsibility. The nice thing (for me) is that the responsibility rolls around only once a week! For each of us. Lazy? Yes. And I'm teaching my son's (and husband?) how to cook. I might feel one ounce of guilt about not being the sole cook in the house. But only an ounce.
The Cons: The biggest con is that Derrick is not completely on board with the plan, although he seems to be more invested when he is involved in meal planning. But at this point his choices of menu items are rather simple and pre-prepared. For example, during Mexican food week, he chose pre-prepared, frozen burritos as his menu item. And because he's not fully on board, he is rarely a prep cook for the boys. So, in essence, my meal + the boys two meals equals three meals a week that I am at least partially responsible for.
Maybe we just need to entice him with a weekly theme that he really loves. We could try a Louisiana themed night. I know, a little boring for a family living in Louisiana, but it might just be crazy enough to work!
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