I'm coming off a hard day.
Pharmacy: 3
Me: 0
Yes, that is 3 visits to the pharmacy. Well, six if you count the before and after visits between my shopping.
Still no meds for Chickadee. BLARGH!
I was also conned into 2 friends' visits. One for Beansprout. Two boys high on life at the same time! Bad idea. Miss THANG had a friend too. Not bad, the friend was an angel. Miss THANG just got more thangy. THANGY. Yeah. Oldest child syndrome gone haywire. Poor little Chickadee fingerprinted her glasses until it was easier for her to see without them.
Did I mention that I HATE grocery shopping? I hate making lists, I hate planning menus, I hate dragging two kids through the store. Rather I hate calling loudly (I don't admit to myself that I yell) through the aisles as Beansprout careens around corners and parks perpendicular. With Chickadee's stroller.
So, you might have realized that My Dinner Making Goal was a bust this week. I'm going to have to do it again this week. I finally went shopping. Four days late. I made dinner 2/7 times. That is crap. Since Hubbend is home I sort of feel like I'm cheating. Hooray!
So, other than Diane @ fit to the finish does anyone else have years of experience to share? Diane? How is everyone doing with dinner?
I remember well having 3 little kids and hating making dinner for their picky selves. Hated it, and I used to love to cook. I used to say they beat the love of cooking out of me. Now, all 20+, they think I'm the best cook in the world. It gets easier. Better.
ReplyDeleteI also remember dragging the 3 of them with me to grocery shop, Christmas shop, everything - I called it the ultimate schlepp, and I'm not Jewish. My best suggestion - keep it simple. Give 'em what they like, hoping that there is some nutrient value in their preferences. Most of all, give yourself a huge hug for me.
JBS, I don't have nay children so I can't help you with advice about shopping with them. Or making dinner for that matter.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can tell you right is that I'm here to listen to you. Keep up the exercise. I did a little walking over the weekend, and it helped. You inspire me to keep pushing toward being the person I was over a year ago.
I recently got an application for my iPhone that keeps my grocery list. It even has a barcode scanner so when I use the last of something I quickly scan it in. This app has finally solved the issue of me being at the grocery store and my list being on the fridge. It must be so hard to try to grocery shop with 3 little kids so I don't blame you that it's not your favorite outing. As for dinner, well I LOVE to cook so I do most of it on the weekend that way all we have to do during the hectic week is heat and eat.
ReplyDeleteI hate grocery shopping too. I either go super early on a weekend morning and leave hubby with kids or in the evenings and leave hubby with kids, or make hubby come too. Just can't hack it.
ReplyDeletei hate shopping too i thought i was the only one lol
ReplyDeleteI dread going to the grocery store too and cooking is not my forte. I recently got some good advice from Tracy at TJ's Test Kitchen though. She said to make cooking easier she tries to limit her recipes to things with 5 or fewer ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI have two children and found that making large batches and freezing portions of them was helpful. It's nice to know that you have meals to fall back on when you aren't feeling it that day.
@Leslie- ({[HUG]}). Thank you. I hope you're healing/resting.
ReplyDelete@kathyj333- You are so right. I think that is the only thing that has kept my eating on track. Even if it wasn't perfect dinners. Exercise has been a huge difference this year. It almost makes the lost weight an appetizer.
@Helen- Hubbend thinks that is the coolest thing. But he's the only one with an iPhone. You're making me jealous! great idea though.
@KatDoesDiets- Oh how I wish that worked all the time for me. Could I cry for an hour in my room while they watch a movie? ;)
@BEE- Shopping Avoiders Anonymous? Who would have thought there were so many of us?
@karen@fitnessjourney- I really do need to start freezing more. I've been cooking my meat when I get home, and freezing it. THat helps. The produce too, I should get it ready for the week by chopping and washing and spinning.
Haven't talked to you in some time! I sure hope that you are doing well!!! By the way, it's okay that you cooked twice...that's 2 times you did cook! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteHmm, cooking is also my downfall. Yesterday I didn't feel like cooking, hubby didn't feel like cooking, so Zaxby's won. I don't like making out lists and planning meals (I always get "writers block" when it comes to listing meal ideas). I do subscribe to www.e-mealz.com and it gives me easy weight watchers recipes each week.
ReplyDeleteCan you shop on the weekends or at night so you can go alone?
ReplyDeleteMy store has those "car carts", and I set my girls up with snacks and drawing supplies in it. That usually lasts until I get 3/4 through the store, then they're running around. But it's better than nothing!
Good luck!
I love cooking, which is sometimes one of my downfalls. Sigh. What I don't like doing is cooking for my family because it can be very frustrating. I have very few meals that can accomodate the picky eater(oldest child) and the multiple food allergy (youngest kid) and calorie restrictions (me and the husband) and can be filling enough for the meat eater (my husband) and still be vegetarian (me).
ReplyDeleteHaving said all that,I HATE shopping with the boys. I actually avoid it whenever possible, but sometimes there is no getting around it is there? Double sigh.
And dinner 2 times?? That's pretty good actually. Better than 0. And once you get into a groove you'll be averaging more than that I bet.:-)
Ha! I do have years of experience borne by necessity. Over time I did learn to enjoy the process, but there are weeks where I wish someone else would do it.
ReplyDeleteI do have a form that I fill out every week with the breakfast/lunch/dinner ideas on it. Then I make my grocery lists from that. I do use coupons, but not like some of these fabulous people around here do! I'll email you that form when I get a chance. It may spark some ideas for you.
@Corletta- I know dear friend! I've missed you! Thanks. My family would appreciate at least a 50% chance in getting dinner. But, you're so nice. Good to 'see' you!
ReplyDelete@Julie V.- I am living in my mother's shadow. She did menu planning/shopping lists religiously. It's kinda intimidating.
@Jenn- Alas! Hubbend has church and civic obligations that keep him out 40% of evenings. With Chickadee's disability, I have to have Beansprout push her stroller. Weekends it might have to be. Because I am just about going berzerk!
@Amy- You are an angel! Has anyone told you that today? They should. Every SINGLE day! Wow. I hope I can find a groove somewhere.
@Diane Fit to the Finish- I know with discipline I can get there. AFter all, my mom did it. It just seems like so much work, and I'm not sure where that energy would come from. VERY soon though, it is going to be more worth it to DO it than to avoid it. LIke you were talking about.
I would appreciate the email. Thank you! I admire you very much.
Hey...random...I know, but do you have any clue as to what happened to Lisa? I can't seem to locate her blog. When I click on it, it tells me that it is no longer an active account. WHAT?!?! That doesn't make a bit of sense.
ReplyDeleteDinner is my defeat too. Can't stand the daily grind of it & by the time it rools around I am tired :( I think I need to use the crock pot more often!
ReplyDeletecall me a shopping nerd..but i love grocery shopping! As soon as i turned 16, i got my license and my mom would give me the car and send me to albertsons or stater brothers (grocery stores!) and i felt so mature and cool pushing the shopping cart around and buying the food for the house! YIPEEEEEE. i just love it.
ReplyDeleteWell my kids are in colleg now (still living at home) but when they were small if I took them to the store with me, and I usually did, I had them help keep track of what we needed to get. Before my daugher could read I would draw pictures of the things she had to make sure we got. It kept her engaged in the process.
ReplyDeleteWhen they both could read I let them keep track of the list and gave them a pen to cross things off as we got them. They were never allowed to run through the store!
I like to plan out a weeks worth of meals at a time, shop for just what I need. It saves money and fewer things go to waste.
The crock pot is a huge time saver. I also have a list of quick and easy meals to choose from for those nights where things just didn't come together for the planned meal to be made and I need to get something on the table quick.
I guess years of planning and cooking for a family has taught me a lot.
I cook 5 or 6 out of 7 nights. For financial and health reasons. Taking 4 kids out to dinner anywhere costs an arm and a leg and another leg--and much of the food is crap. For half the cost of a drive-through dinner I can pull off steak, salad, and potatoes....with money to spare and enough leftovers for another meal. So..why feed them drive through when I can just cook the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteSteaks and pasta and veggies takes me about 20 minutes to make. It is not biggie. Put the pot of water on to boil, turn on the grill to heat up...chop veggies while grill heats and water comes to boil...put on the steaks, put in the pasta....10 minutes later(and for only about $12 total for all of it) we have a dinner of real food. I got top sirloin for 2.98 a pound this week....I get what is on sale.
If I thought about it...there really is only about 6 meals that I rotate--with a few other things here and there. And they are all simple....with real food (not processed..except the occassional mac and cheese from a box..they hate the yummy homemade kind...whatever...crazy kids).
I know the layout of my store....and write things on my list in the order of where they are in the store. Sounds harder than it is....it is not a biggie. I do all the fruits and veggies first, then the middle aisle stuff (pasta, sauce, cereal, PB), then the cold stuff, then the frozen stuff. I can zip in and out pretty quick that way...with or without kids along.
Dinners....Roasted or grilled chicken breast (sometimes with the skin and bones....sometimes boneless skinless) paired with rice or noodles and always veggies...usually raw veggies (they prefer those!?!). Steak--whatever good cut is on sale--usually a top sirloin--paired with potatoes or rice or noodles..and veggies or salad. Tacos..with turkey or beef...tomatoes, lettuce, cheese. Leftover chicken or steak with noodles/rice/potatoes and veggies. Potroast, on occassion (little ones are not big fans) Spagetti with meatballs and veggies. I make burgers a couple times a month...which is super simple and quick on the foreman grill. Hotdogs...rarely...when I figured out that the per pound price of hot dogs is more than real meat--and they add so much scary crap to them. Sometimes I do eggs or pancakes or waffles for dinner. I roast a turkey breast every once in a while.
I...obviously...do not eat all of that--as I am not doing tons of carbs. I stick with the meat and veggie plan most nights...which is easy..it means I eat what they eat...just minus the rice/pasta/potatoes.
Do I LOVE cooking for 6 people every night? Not really. But, I get into the groove and just do it. Unless I am roasting potatoes which takes about 45-60 minutes.....it usually only takes me 15-30 minutes to make dinner. It is never fancy or tricky...just basic stuff. My kids are not into sauces or casseroles...which is fine with me. When I feel the need for fancier and more flavorful food....I either make myself something different or go grab some Indian or Thai.
I made a soup today for lunch that took about 15 minutes. I sauteed onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes than put in a bunch of kale that I chopped up and stirred that around with the onions. Then I added a bit of garlic, some chicken broth, about 3 cups of left over chicken from last night, some dried chili peppers, some turmeric, and some salt and let it come to a simmer. Done. And....yum! My kids would NEVER eat that...but I will...for lunches this week.
@Greta from www.bigbottomblogger.blogspot.com- AWESOME! HOLY CRAP! I think I just got a ton of help! THank you so much. I love the soup and dinner ideas. Thanks again!
ReplyDelete@Tami- That list is a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Crockpots are pretty nifty. I love mine. I should use it more.
@anotherFATgirl- I am so jealous of your energy.
@MyLipstickLife- *sigh* ditto.
@Corletta- see your emails. :)