Encouragement for Meal Planning

Yesterday I mentioned how important it is to create a reasonable meal plan full of nutritious and balanced foods... and then stick to it. Remember the adage: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."?

For real, I know that putting healthy foods on the table for three meals a day can be very time and thought intensive. The good news is that most things will become habitual and lose a level of difficulty. However, even after eating this way for more than ten years, I still have to plan!

Eating healthy takes time and effort, but it pays off in energy, vitality and wellness. I find it very much worth the effort.

Today I'd like to share a simple tip with you that could increase your success... It is something I ran across in Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions. She gives a section of kitchen tips for those who need help getting started. In one of her tips, she suggests thinking ahead to the next two meals every time you prepare a meal.

This is how I have trained my mind to function over the years. But actually, I have found it helpful to think three meals ahead. So when I make supper one night, I can make sure meat is thawed for the next night. Or that beans are soaking so that they will be ready for the slow cooker the next morning.

When I make breakfast, I think ahead to lunch and dinner. At that point, I take the time to start grains soaking and I can also do any advance prep work that can be done to lighten the work load in the evening.

This is just a suggestion, but it works enough for Sally Fallon to include it in her book and it certainly works for me. I have discovered that I am greatly limited in what I can pull of if I wait until the last minute to plan and prepare supper. By waiting, I find myself with meat still frozen at the very least!

Do you have any tips on how to streamline meal preparation times in your home? I would love to hear your thoughts, so please share in the comments!

Thanks,

On Meal Planning...

With this new year of school, I am shuffling up some of my routines in order to find what works for us in this season of life. I love planning and I love order, but I do hold onto my plans with somewhat of a loose grip. I do know that life with young children frequently changes, and it only makes sense that routines would have to change as well.


I have been doing my meal planning and grocery shopping on Tuesday afternoons. I got my produce box on Mondays, so I really couldn't make a meal plan until I saw what was in my box. However, it now seems that I will not be getting the box for a while (sigh). The co-op may start up again, but for now, I am buying my produce along with my groceries. And, after school activities that we used to have on other days are now all on Tuesdays.


All that said, it looks like Saturday morning is becoming my time to plan and shop. Some things will stay the same... like making yogurt on Tuesday mornings... that still fits. And baking on Wednesday afternoons... that still fits. My meal prep time in the mornings will stay the same... and our lunches will be pretty consistently similar as well.


So, here's what I'm planning for this week:


Saturday:
Lunch -- Quesidillas, Grapes and lots of raw veggies
Make Granola and Banana Nut Muffins.
Supper -- Use leftover homemade Gyro meat in a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and a feta cheese dressing. Garlic Smashed Potatoes on the side. Limeade Popsicles for dessert. (I picked up a bottle of organic limeade at Kroger for 50 cents!)


Sunday:
Pot Luck lunch at church -- take Black Bean Chili and Corn Muffins
Supper -- popcorn and smoothie


Monday:
Use meat pulled from a whole cooked chicken in Chicken Burrito Skillet. Serve with a whopping side salad with homegrown tomatoes (thanks to dear friends!!!). Our side salads are often bigger than the main dish!


Tuesday:
Make yogurt in the morning so it can culture all day.
Supper -- Homemade Pizza made with preservative-free ham I picked up on sale with a coupon for almost nothing! We don't usually eat ham, but this was a terrific opportunity. I make a whole wheat crust and my own version of pizza sauce. I'll prepare Green Beans, just because my kids love them... and I am going to be trying Spinach Balls on the side too, a recipe from my new fave cookbook. I hope they're a hit because they look so simple!


Wednesday:
Bake bread and another breakfast item, maybe Morning Glory Muffins from the same fave cookbook.
Supper -- Beans and Rice


Thursday:
Supper -- Beef Stir Fry over rice. I have lots of grass-fed beef in the freezer, which is really nice because I have so many different cuts for a major cheap price. I see stir fry as a good excuse to cook A LOT of veggies. I will use onions, garlic, carrots, cabbage, kale and whatever else I have on hand... maybe squash or zucchini too.


Friday:
Supper -- Pakistani Kima, which is a curried beef, peas and potato dish from this cookbook. We will have another mega side salad and another portion of Green Beans with this skillet meal.

On Tweaking Recipes

It's tough to find good, whole foods recipes. Every once in a while I will find a really useful cookbook. But, it seems like most of the recipes I run across contain ingredients that I am trying to avoid... ingredients that are fractionated, over-processed or man-made.

My overarching principle in selecting and preparing food for my family is to "eat what God made as close to how He made it as possible." In doing so, I serve my family foods that are specially designed with rich nutrients in exact combination with other supporting nutritive factors that are exactly how our bodies need to be fueled. (For more on this topic, read the book What The Bible Says About Healthy Living: Three Biblical Principles that Will Change Your Diet and Improve Your Health by Dr. Rex Russell M.D.)

So what happens on a birthday celebration when my son wants a Coonskin Cap Cake? There is no whole foods recipe out there for that! But, with a little kitchen ingenuity, any basic recipe can be tweaked to fit my health principles. For this one, I started with a Basic Chocolate Cake recipe from a Southern Living cookbook, one that you can tell from the photo is well-worn.

When tweaking a recipe, I take a look at the ingredient list and see what needs to be substituted... things like whole grains for white flour, natural sweeteners for white sugar. Or, for a meal recipe, I will often have to make a from-scratch sauce to substitute for a canned product. If these things seem daunting to you, I recommend just taking an adventurous leap. You may be surprised how quick you learn. And, if you are just starting out, you may want to use 1/2 white flour, 1/2 whole grain as a transition step.

I often substitute applesauce for 1/2 of the butter or oil in a recipe, or I substitute plain yogurt for all sorts of creamy ingredients. I even make yogurt cheese to substitute for cream cheese. I hope to post about a surprisingly healthy and tasty egg substitute very soon. I like to use unsweetened cocoa or unsweetened baking squares instead of melted chocolate chips so that I can add my own choice of sweetener.

So, back to the cake... I melted 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate in a saucepan and set it aside... just like the recipe said. I creamed the 1/2 cup of butter with 2 cups of sucanat instead of sugar, then added the 2 eggs one at a time just like the recipe said. I mixed the melted chocolate into the creamed mixture... just like the recipe said.

Just a side note: I find that darker cakes are more adaptable than light cakes. Carrot cake, Apple Cake, Chocolate Cake, Spice Cakes... they are generally a bit more dense and there are more flavors to cover the more noticeable flavors of honey, maple syrup or sucanat. There is even a Hummingbird Cake in this same cookbook that is a perfect tweaking recipe... it contains carrots, apples, pineapple and nuts.

Next, the recipe called for mixing together 2 cups of flour (I used my freshly ground winter white wheat berries), 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda and 3/4 tsp.salt. I use aluminum-free baking powder, found in the health food section of my grocery store, and sea salt. Also, if you are using honey instead of sucanat, you will want to increase the baking soda by 1/4 tsp. for every cup of honey.

In a separate bowl, the recipe called for 3/4 cup of buttermilk, 1 tsp. of real vanilla, and 3/4 cup of water. I prefer not to buy the buttermilk from the store because of the added ingredients, so I used homemade plain yogurt (my dependable standby). Also, it is worth the extra expense to buy real vanilla rather than a chemical tasting like vanilla... did you know that it is one of the same chemicals used in antifreeze for your car? Interesting, huh!

Just like the recipe said, I alternately added in the flour mixture and the liquid mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Then I poured the batter into a big Pyrex bowl. Because I was baking in an nontraditional container, I had to keep my eye out for when it was done. Actually, I pulled it out and thought it was done, only to put it back in again for a while. Rule of thumb, be flexible while you're recipe tweaking, especially with a first time recipe.

So, while the cake was baking, I made the icing. I used a recipe from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions which was already healthy, but needed to be adjusted for my use. Her recipe for Cream Cheese Icing called for 2 cups of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of butter, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla and 1/2 - 3/4 cup of honey.

I creamed the softened cream cheese until it had no lumps, added the softened butter, the vanilla and the full amount of honey (because I planned to add unsweetened chocolate). Then, I added 1/2 a jar of fruit sweetened marmalade (for the orange kick). It was totally yummy! For each of the shades of brown, I added a different amount of melted chocolate to achieve the right color.

So then I had to put the cake together. I trimmed the upside down hemisphere so that it was the cylindrical shape of a coonskin cap. I cut the cylinder in 1/2 horizontally and spread a layer of icing in between the layers. Then, I used the two trimmed parts, each a semicircle, staggered to make the shape of the tail. Make sense?

I spread the shades of brown in a mottled pattern all over the cap, making sure to leave distinct dark rings on the tail. Then, I made an uneven toothpick comb and tousled up "hair." My husband snapped this shot of my concentration face.

For a final picture of the cake, check out yesterday's post. And, here is what my kids were doing on the other side of the counter... it's blurry, but isn't it a fun picture?

I'll post more about tweaking recipes, but I hope this gives you an idea of where to start. And, I hope it gives you a confidence that you can do it too! The mistakes are part of the adventure, remember?

Come Visit Me At Money Saving Mom!

After a day at the lake, I came home to a pleasant surprise! I'm a guest writer at Money Saving Mom today! Well, I did know that it was coming; I just didn't know when. My post is about our Frugal Food Night each Wednesday. You've heard me mention it in the "What's Cooking" sidebar... now you can read the details.

Crystal does a wonderful job keeping me in the loop with coupons and special deals. She also keeps me thinking frugally. I enjoy her blog and her positive perspective on mothering. So, hop on over to read my post and browse around on her blog if you have not been there yet!

Happy Summer!

Meal Rotation Charts?!?

Whew! After being gone for two out-of-state trips in the last two weeks, I am very pleased to be home for a stretch. We have four "normal" weeks ahead of us... well, that "normal" is relative to summer, of course. The laundry is done and mostly put away. I have planned meals for the week and pulled meat from the freezer. I have grocery shopped and put away that food. And, for once in the month of June, I actually feel on top of things. Too bad there are only two days left this month!

For the most part, I am feeling okay. I definitely notice I am pregnant, which is unlike my last pregnancy when each day was full speed ahead. I usually have three or four really good days, but then something will set me back and I will have a few days of feeling nauseous and fatigued. I think some of it has to do with over-exertion. With the traveling, some of it may have to do with dehydration. And, some of it is simply food not agreeing with me.

I have planned more meat into this week's menu, hoping that the extra protein will be a good source of sustained energy. I have started exercising again! And my biggest challenge is drinking enough water. Were any of you really interested in these minor details?

Well... I had a hankering for brownies today. Since I wanted to do something special in the kitchen with my girls today, I pulled out a brownie recipe given to me several years ago. It is quite healthy, as far as brownies go. It uses a small amount of whole grain, rapadura, chocolate baking squares, etc... all whole, real foods. So, my plan is to make that special treat for my family this afternoon.

BUT... in the process of digging up this recipe, I found a chart I made for a Monthly Meal Rotation in 2004. I remember at the time feeling very overwhelmed by coming up with new, healthy meals every week. So, I took a suggestion from my husband and wrote out our favorite 20 meals. The idea was that we would have the same meals each month, so I wouldn't have to keep planning everything new each week. At that point, I was already doing leftovers on Saturdays (so I wouldn't have to cook that day) and we were eating our usual Sunday evening meal.

After listing our favorite 20 meals, I organized them into 5-day weeks. Each week contained some meals that would have leftovers, two vegetarian meals, one fish meal, and meat on the remaining two nights. I didn't list out side dishes because we mostly ate salads and whatever other vegetables were in season and reasonably-priced at the grocery store. I also had alternate meals listed out... just in case, you know.

Talk about a blast from the past! It was really fun to see some of the meals that we enjoyed so much. My question is, what happened? Why am I not still serving them? There was a Jamaican Black Bean Pot... and Salmon Patties... when was the last time I made those?

Would making a Meal Rotation help you in your meal planning? Back in 2004, it was really worth my time and thought to create this useful tool. And, as I recall, grocery shopping was quite simple as well, since I kept the lists of items I would need for each week. Do any of you already use a similar meal plan? If so, I would love to hear about it!

Off to grab some more water,

A Day in the Life

The Family Meal

I am looking forward to writing this post. I have had it in my head for a while, but have been waiting for the right time. Today is the day. You see, on this Friday afternoon, after the week I've had, there is simply no way I can even begin to write something even quasi-intellectual. Today I will write about what we eat in a normal day.

Breakfasts usually consist of a combination of the following foods: smoothies, yogurt, fresh fruit, granola, eggs, toast and real milk. We also have pumpkin bread, banana bread or some kind of muffins, but not as often as the children would like. More times than not, we have smoothies with granola sprinkled in and a boiled egg on the side. I make sure to give my children protein EVERY morning. It's good for their growing bodies and their budding brains. While the children eat an egg on most days, I have a protein shake. On the weekends, I try to make special things like waffles, pancakes or omelets.

Lunch has to be simple in our house. There is so much going on in the day, we have to basically do lunch without thinking. We alternate between cheese toast or sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches. I try to keep homemade bread on hand, but we will eat whole wheat pitas if we need to. We fill out the rest of the meal with fresh fruit and vegetables. Apples, oranges, carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, sugar snap peas... every simple fresh food. I try to keep these things washed and ready in the fridge so that Rainbow or Witzy can easily put them out for everyone. I usually make the sandwiches while I make breakfast, so often I can have one of the girls put out lunch entirely on their own, while Spiderman serenades us on the piano. If the children are unusually hungry, we have popcorn, nuts and raisins or non-GMO corn chips (occasionally). This fare is so simple, if we are on the run, we can just eat it in the car.

On weekends, I try to make something different for lunch. We eat quesedillas, grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup, veggie and hummus stuffed pitas, salmon salad, something fresh and yummy.

Supper. I like simple. I like quick. But healthy isn't always simple and quick. It is nice to have a stash of recipes that are healthy, simple and quick. The rest of the time, my strategy is to have a plan and be diligent to follow through with the plan, even if I'm worn out come supper-making time. (Remember Phil. 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.) Here's my plan:

Monday - Cook a crock pot chicken. Serve the chicken with lots of vegetables and a Frugal Meal Extender. Save the stock for another supper and half of the chicken pulled off the bone for another supper too.

Tuesday - Tuesday is a busy day, full of activities. On Tuesdays I make something quick with a salad. Homemade Pizza. Salmon Broccoli Pasta. Baked Fish. Quiche. My version of Fried Rice.

Wednesday - Wednesday is our Frugal Food Night. I will be posting about this in the near future. This night is usually Beans and Rice, Black Bean Soup, Beans and Cornbread or some variation on these incredibly frugal whole foods.

Thursday - I use the second half of the chicken to make something that will last for two meals. I guess the key to making 1/2 a chicken stretch is to double all the vegetable ingredients.

Friday - On Fridays I usually make something with beef (or lamb or bison). We really like Pakistani Kima, from the More With Less cookbook. I also make Sally Fallon's meatloaf or chili, taco skillet, burritos, or when my children beg enough, a whole food version of "Hamburger Helper."

Weekends - Leftovers. I purposefully cook enough during the week so that I can take a cooking break on the weekends.

I am always on the lookout for new meal ideas. If something strikes my fancy, I'll see if I can tweak the recipe to make it fit our diet choices. So, even though I have this "outline" I am not tied to it! I do make a meal plan every week and shop with my list in hand. This way, I have everything I need for all the meals. And, since we keep a lot of fresh produce, I can't skip cooking or the food would go to waste!

Another weekly event is a baking night... or so I try. I usually make a 1/2 gallon of yogurt on Monday or Tuesday morning. Then, usually on Wednesday night, I will bake breads, muffins, power bars, granola, tortillas or other goods. Knowing this night is coming, I can set things out to soak and I can make sure to have all the ingredients I will need. I do not bake everything each week. The strategy is to make 2-3 batches of each item when I make them. This way I am only baking 2 or 3 things per baking night. That seems to keep things manageable for me (and my girls!).

I hope you have enjoyed this mindless post as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Please comment to share what meal strategies save you time and keep you cooking healthy foods.

Photo Credit: Allposters.com

Meal Planning and Frugal Meal Extenders

Meal planning is an endless pursuit. A mother cannot "wing it" if she wants to provide consistently healthy meals for her family. I'm all for "winging it" at times, but those meals are exceptions. I encourage you to plans meals and stick to your plan. Being deliberate is the best way to consistently nourish our families.

I'd like to share a few thoughts about meal planning today. When I start to think up a meal, I begin with a high quality protein. Our children's growing bodies need lots of good protein (and we adults do too!). Protein does not always have to be meat, but each meal must have a combination of animal and vegetable proteins so that our children consume sufficient "growing material." In our house, we eat meat, poultry or fish about three or four days a week. The other days are vegetarian proteins.

Once I have selected a protein, I choose vegetables. Usually, this choice is easy for me since I have to use things from my produce box before they spoil. I can't skip the veggies. But, even if you don't have your vegetables selected for you, take the time to plan for a variety of vegetables and colors. The more the better!

With protein and vegetables selected, I usually add a "Frugal Meal Extender." Are your kids perpetually hungry? Mine are! Spiderman will ask for more food before he is finished with what he has! Active kids have huge caloric needs. After I provide for their protein, vitamin and mineral content, I look for cheap, but healthy, filler food. In our family, this could be brown rice, potatoes or homemade breads. I do try to make this additional part of our meal wheat-free since we usually eat wheat at lunch.




All things considered, these "Frugal Meal Extenders" are most often starches. While some adults with weight loss intentions may be avoiding starches, they are an important part of a growing child's diet... as long as they are not refined starches. Conveniently, these fillers are the most frugal part of our diet. Without rice and potatoes, I don't think we would be able to keep our children satisfied within our budget!

I would love to hear your ideas for "Frugal Meal Extenders." Please comment to share with all of us!

Also, if you read my posts in a feed, you may be missing my "What's Cooking" sidebar. Monday through Friday, I post what I'm cooking for supper... and sometimes extras. I also keep an archive under the "What's Cooking" label. This may give you ideas for your meal planning.

Photo Credit: Allposters.com

Making Wholesome Food Accessible

As I was chopping apples and carrots this morning, I thought of you all. If you're like me, endless food preparation can feel tedious at times. But let me encourage you that making wholesome food accessible by keeping up with preparations IS WORTH IT!

I have been setting aside a block of time on Monday morning to do some basic food preparation for the week. With great music playing, my children involved in other duties, and Tickle "keeping me company," I prepare apple slices and carrot sticks; I wash and trim other fruits and vegetables for convenient additions to meals; I boil a dozen eggs; I make a couple of quarts of yogurt; I stir up the peanut butter... and so on. Yes, it is tedious, but IT IS WORTH IT!

All week long I am recurrently thankful for this time that I invested in preparing. If Monday morning is not doable for you, perhaps you could set aside some on Sunday evening to make these preparations. I know from experience (and you probably do too): if wholesome food is not convenient, you'll grab something else that is!

Here are a few more ideas:

• Make pancakes over the weekend, but triple the recipe so that you have leftovers for a while. Pancakes are the perfect answer to "I'm still hungry. What else can I eat?" My kids love them straight out of the fridge, but it is nearly as quick to stick them in the toaster and spread them with PB or jam (fruit sweetened, of course!).
• Pop a few batches of popcorn to have as a handy snack. Aren't your kids ALWAYS looking for something else to eat?
• Have an evening set aside for baking. I do this on a night that my husband and son are out. We girls postpone the supper cleanup until we have mixed up some granola, made some power bars, baked bread or muffins... not all at once though. My "secret" is to always triple recipes. I make one batch for now and two to freeze. This way, I only have to bake one or two things a week.
• Gather a few things that your kids love to eat like peanuts, raisins, cereal bites, dried apples, dates, other nuts, even a few pretzels. Baggie it all up so that it is handy for the-grab-a-snack-while-you-head-out-to-ballet-or-karate days.

I hope to post my pancake, granola and power bar recipes soon. And I also plan to give you my thoughts on why an egg a day is so valuable for our children. So thanks for coming back to check on my blog! And, seriously consider taking time each week to do your food prep. You'll be so glad you did, even if you're not while you're working. If we moms don't make wholesome food convenient, we will find it so much harder to be healthy for the long haul.

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27