Domestically Challenged

Menu Plan Monday

OK, I am going to do this, in earnest. I WILL PLAN MY MEALS OUT THIS WEEK!

 
 There, see? Now I have to do it. The big issue with me is this - do I account for my food allergies or not? Cooking is sooooooo much easier when I don't worry about making everything dairy and gluten free. And, truth be told, luten and dairy free eating stinks. Especially when your fave foods are all wheat and dairy.

Anyway, here's my plan. I will be doing a weekly challenge next week (wait, you didn't know? Look here for a preview), and I am on break this week, so I should have no trouble cooking something.

Day 1 - Hamburgers

Day 2 - BBQ Chicken

Day 3 - Turkey Sausage, Red Beans and Rice

Day 4 - Beef Stroganoff

Day 5 - Chicken Nuggets for the kids

Because of basketball, I know that one night will be In and Out burger and there will be at least one night that I don't eat dinner, but since I'm off this week it won't happen as much as it usually does.

Notice I don't assign days? This is because I never know what I will be in the mood to eat on a given day, so I don't like to feel locked in to a meal.

I will edit this later once I verify all the ingredients. Hasta!

** For more info on Menu Plan Monday, go here!

Meal Planning Melee

So, I keep professing the benefits of making a meal plan and yet it is still a task that I haven't mastered. You see, with 2 ADHD kids, my health issues (including food allergies) our commute and general life, it just doesn't seem to work out.

It goes along with my favorite quote - "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

I try to plan. I really do. But then a kid keeps me up half the night, or I have a tough day at school or the hubby is running late, or, or, or.

I know this is a valuable skill, so my goal for next week is to plan a week's worth of menus and then try to stick to them. To make it easier, I'm not going to pick specific days, just make a list of the different weekly meals. I will probably eat something different than the rest of the family at least one day a week - sometimes its just easier for me to grab a bowl of cereal than it is to cook wheat/yeast/dairy free to where it actually tastes good, you know?

The other issue boils down to two things - time and skill. Yes, I know we are all strapped for time, but between commuting, homework with the kids and my infuriating need for 8 hours of sleep, there isn't much time left to cook. Especially when you suck at it.

I didn't always suck at cooking, if you call cooking Rice A Roni, Hamburger Helper and other easy convenience food items. I know its not that good for you, but it has to be better than fast food, right?

The other point is the fact that my husband is a great cook. Like, the kind who doesn't need a recipe to whip something up that is actually edible. He has a tendency to make fun of my cooking. A lot. Over the years, this has worn me down and decreased my cooking confidence. Well, that and the time I cooked a chicken without taking the innards out, but I digress.

Fact of the matter is, if it isn't simple, it isn't going to happen. I read about all these moms who are cooking things like hummus and other things that I don't even know how to pronounce, much less cook. Its all just too overwhelming, too scary, too much potential for disaster. I can grill chicken, make homemade spag and even a few other things, but you can't eat the same things every week (though we come pretty darn close).

We'll see how it works!

Menu Monday

In a desperate attempt to get back to a regular blog schedule, I am going to try and blog regularly this week. Then next week. and we shall see...

So, menu Monday. As I sat down to write this post, all i could think about was how i don't really cook during the week right now. i know that is TERRIBLE of me, but it's true. my kids eat chicken nuggets twice during the week and Mondays are McDonalds days in our house.

Now, before you all go off on me for feeding my kids crap, let me explain. I have serious time issues. My son, who is now in third grade, has daily homework, which when you combine that fact with ADD, makes for some loooooooong homework sessions. Plus I am working with my daughter, who is in Kindergarten, who is also on the road to an ADD diagnosis.

Pair this with the fact that I am staying too late at work so we aren't getting home till 5 at the earliest, the fact that the kids have to go to bed early because we are up at 5AM and the fact that I discovered that I have food allergies (to wheat and diary - and yes, that sucks for me) it really makes things difficult. I also have what I like to call "issues" so I have to make things as easy as I can for myself.

Now, I haven't done this post much justice based on it's title, but my menu goal for the week is to find a way to fit in cooking 3 days a week during the week.

I will report back next week! And for your entertainment...

I am not a big cat fan, but these pics make me laugh. And laughing is good.

Menu Plan Monday - You MUST do this!!

OK, this is my number one tip of all time. For this week anyways. LOL

When school started back up, I decided to plan out my menu for the week. We are notarious for grabbing take out on the way home and are trying to curb the habit. So, I found some great recipes and decided this was the week. And you know what? It worked perfectly.We had a nice meal on the table everyday, despite starting school.

Then the next week came.

I was tired and didn't plan out the menus, even though I knew darn well that it worked. And, big surprise, we had takeout most of the week.

Now, I am back to planning. Hubby is giving me some static about using the crockpot (he doesn't like the idea of it being on all day while we aren't home - I told him that was the point. He wants me to put it in the garage (!)) but I love, love, love it!

I have determined that I can't plan out the daily menu - it works better for me to have a list to draw from. So, I am now in the process of compiling a list of recipes that I know I can cook, without too much trouble.

If I were smart motivated, I would do this on computer, so I could also keep lists of teh ingredients I need. Hmmm. Maybe one day!

Menu Plan Monday - 10 minute meals

Here's a big gift to working moms everywhere (and remember, we're ALL working moms!) - the NY Times just posted an article by Mark Bittman called 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less.

Really? Talk about a man after my own heart. As you know, I am NOT a cook and I have very little time on my hands. Cooking is not my thing. In fact, it usually ends in lots of bad words and a big mess. But, there may be something to this.

Here's the best part: "These suggestions are not formal recipes; rather, they provide a general outline. With a little imagination and some swift moves — and maybe a salad and a loaf of bread — you can turn any dish on this list into a meal that not only will be better than takeout, but won’t heat you out of the house."

This is EXACTLY what I need. Easy main dishes that I can cook in a jiffy. My only worry is that the kids won't eat what's on the list. I have very picky kids. I don't want to set myself up to where they are eating dino chicken all the time still again. A Lot of the stuff on the list are foriegn to me (as usual) but that doesn't mean I can't try? What's the worst that can happen - takeout? Been there, done that.

Do you have any 10 minute meals you can share?

Menu Monday - Here's a plan for you

Notice I said you, not me. :) I read a great article in the NY Times about a mom and how she plans her menus for the week. It was a great article (you can read it here), but I had some issues with it.

My main issue? Not only could I not pronounce half of the items she mentioned, I had never heard of them! Now, as we all know, I am domestically challenged and make no attempt to hide it. In fact, since my mom's passing and my partial nervous breakdown, I am gainfully trying to get back to a point where my kids don't eat dino chicken 4 times a week. I. Kid. You. Not. But, I admit it, at least.

I like Kaufman's suggestion about having options at the table that will fit what everyone likes. But her options threw me.

"The next night we had lamb cooked on the grill, couscous with olives and lemon and okra pickle. My husband and I ate everything (and drank a nice zinfandel); Sam had lamb and couscous; Joe had couscous, cottage cheese and baby carrots. Needless to say, no child touched the okra."

Sounds great, but what the hell is couscous? I've heard of it, but it sounds like something that is WAY outta my league.

So, I will take a few of the tips and see where it takes me. Can't get any worse, right? Feel free to share your menu planning tips.

Menu Plan Monday ~ Check This Out!!

Oh. My. Goodness.

I just found a GREAT new website. It's called I'm An Organizing Junkie and what could be better for the Domestically Challenged peeps out there?

Today I am focusing on OJ's Menu Plan Monday feature. One of the things I mentioned in Domestically Challenged is the importance of planning (even though I don't always follow my own advice). Well, Laura has taken this to a new level by making it public. Isn't it great - now if I don't follow through with my planning, the entire blog-o-sphere will know it?

I love it.

Here is this week's menu:

• Monday - Steak, potatoes, salad
• Tuesday (soccer night) - Brats
• Wednesday - (soccer night) - Chicken Nuggets
• Thursday - (soccer night) - Hot Dogs
• Friday - Grilled Chicken
• Saturday - Mom & Dad night out, kids eat Spag
• Sunday - Grilled Turkey Legs

Now, please keep this in mind - the soccer night menus will not change much. As a busy mom, I need to keep it as simple as humanly possible and this is the way to do it.