I've always dreamed about being the type of wife/mom like the picture above (which is a mom in the 1950's when it seems like that era had it all put together) I've wanted to be the one who has it all put together in the kitchen and just whips up amazing meals for her family. It's a great dream but have since realized that it can be a reality if I change the way I think and face my fear.
I have a confession to make and some of you already know this but I have never really enjoyed cooking at all! I've been married for almost 10 years this coming September (yikes that went by way too fast) and I've not been so happy about being in the kitchen.
We've ate out a lot and its gotten so bad that each time we go out in the car the children ask where we are going to eat today! Okay I know I've done something really bad here but I know it can be fixed.
The very first goal that I've been working on this year is this exact problem or weakness that I have. I'm happy to report that its day 17 of January and I've cooked 10 meals out of 17! That is really awesome for me! It's been a lot of work though and I've realized that I have to plan accordingly each day to make sure that things are started at a certain time to get dinner on the table at 6pm!
These past few weeks the kids have actually ate 3/4 of all those meals that I made. Of course there are a few that weren't so good to them but Trent enjoyed them.
What changed my thinking you might ask..... Well I knew it had to be done and I knew there had to be something/someone out in this world that would help me go back to the basics and really find out why I was so scared and had to face this fear of mine. Her name is Liz Edmunds or otherwise referred to as "The Food Nanny" go here to check her out.
She breaks down meal planning into a weekly theme night so I jumped on board with that idea. I used her website to plan some meals but I have a lot of my own recipes that I want to try first so I'm going to hold off on hers for a bit but she's got a great tool to help you plan and prepare.
I've watched a couple of her episodes as well and related to a few of them and helped me realize that I just need to get over this fear because it has to be done so that I can have a nice family meal each night to help in creating a unified family. Dinner time is important and I want that to be our focus each night as we end our day together.
I've also enjoyed watching others and stealing recipes from them, like:
Natalie Riley - my college roomie, food connoisseur, Shelf Reliance Thrive test cook, A-mazing food critic. Look her up here and here.
My sisters - we've started our own cookbook blog because we all have recipes to share and one sister wanted to make a cookbook of my grandmother's recipes but I suggested that we just start a blog and that way we can all contribute and then put our favorites on it as well as family tradition recipes. If you'd like to check it out go here.
Sam the Cooking Guy - He is a San Diego cook here and I love watching him as well and he is so simple and honest and hilarious so he makes cooking look like a breeze. Check him out here.
I really enjoyed watching the film, "Julie and Julia" and thought for just a second that I could tackle a project like that one and start my own blog of my journey to becoming a women of confidence in the kitchen but then chickened out because it may require a lot more work and with #4 on the way that's not happening.
I gearing up for a personal field trip by a friend to Trader Joe's sometime this week. I've only been in the store like 2 times but I want to know more about this store because I've heard raving reviews about it. Stepping out of my comfort zone when it comes to grocery stores!
Question:
I'd like to know what other moms do with their kids while they make dinner? I've done dancing in the kitchen before with the girls but Easton doesn't last very long and I've had them help me measure and of course set the table, but am I missing something? What else could they do or not do?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
In the Kitchen
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4 comments:
So proud of you Sarah! Trader Joes is great, I do shop there at least once a week to get produce, frozen stuff and their already-made pizza dough is great. Pasta is always a fave cause it's fast and easy and delicious. Look up a few of these recipes...I love them: Butter Schnitzel, Baked Penne with Sausage, Waikiki Meatballs (served with white/brown rice), Cheese Enchiladas (by Rachael Ray). I'll have to email you a bunch of my faves. If I make a menu ahead of time for the week, it really helps me want to cook, especially considering food just doesn't sound great to me right now.
Sarah you are killing me these days...so dramatic it seems with your parenting. Here's a little secret...VERY few women actually enjoy cooking, it's just something you do, of course some days are easier than others and once in a while you may get into a funk and just scrape by for a few days. Here are a few of the things I do to be "okay" with the whole cooking thing. 1. Make a calendar for at least a month at a time. (last time I did 3 mos) You can repeat a lot of the meals in that time so it's less thinking about what to have which usually is the hardest part. Whenever you go to the store for the week, just take a quick look at the calendar and get the specifics you'll need, keep a lot of basics on hand so you don't have to worry about buying pasta, flour, or seasonings every time. Find 10 or so BASIC easy recipes that you can use a lot and the once in a while try some new/fancier ones. Always leave a day or two out of your calendar for left-overs and days things just don't work out. 2-Let your older kids entertain themselves for an hour or plop them in front of a movie or the TV...an hour of TV isn't going to kill them and it's a better trade off than fast-food in my opinion. I prep food sometimes while Keyan is napping if he's awake I put him in a walker or his high chair in the kitchen so he can see me and I can talk to him. It's not rocket-science it just takes some practice!
I have to disagree with Maher's. I honestly like to cook. It is not always easy with a little person under tow but really it is just like anything else you have to get done around the house.
Jacob usually pushes a chair up to the counter where I am working. Sometimes he will play with his "guys" or he tastes what I am preparing. Other times he will play with the other kids and on desperate nights he watches Dora.
The best part is when they get to be around Joseph's age and they want to help in the kitchen. I really have found this to be some of our best discussion periods. Tears have been shed and triumphs have been celebrated as we chop and prepare dinner. Even Jared has been helping more in the kitchen as we don't seem to get as much talking time as we used to.
I think the more you do it the easier it gets.
I don't like cooking either! I do it mostly because I can't afford to eat out very often. Making a meal plan is the key for me. I do it once a week, but I've been thinking about making a longer one since we eat a lot of the same favorites over and over again. I always plan a pizza night every week and a "easy" night- frozen lasagna, burritos with Costco tortillas, something like that. My kids usually watch TV while I cook. They don't watch much the rest of the day, so I save it for that time of the day when I'm trying to get dinner finished and hoping Nathan walks in the door any second :) Meg is the hardest because she doesn't watch TV yet, so she usually sits in her high chair and has a little snack. That way I know she isn't getting into trouble! Cooking with my kids just isn't that fun to me because I just want to get it over with. I do enjoy baking more and my kids do that with me. You are right- starting early and prepping things is a huge help. Good luck!
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