Meal Planning

Today marks week 4 of cooking. It was a last minute new year resolution. I have a kitchen, albeit microscopic, but it never got used. There are so many reasons why my kitchen has been neglected for six and a half years.

I mean, I did cook. Once a week or so and it was simple easy box meals or one pot meals or something like that. But I hated it. It wasn't fun. I was doing it all wrong.


I realized I was shopping all wrong too. I went and bought things I figured we needed without making a list or really putting common sense into it. I bought pop and water and milk and bread and things for snacks and lunches for my son. We always had the best stocked snack cupboard. We were the envy of anyone who came hungry - as long as it wasn't meal time. Ha!

So upon making this resolution, to start cooking - which was spurred by mom son's (and now my) obsession with the Food Network, I started looking online for recipes that I thought looked good that were picky kid friendly mixed with a couple from cooking shows. It was a start.

I started with breadcrumbs. Total success! I think if I started with anything else I would have crashed and burned. Good thing Paula was there for me with her Italian Chicken Sticks.

I have learned that cooking is one of my favorite things to do. I dread the nights I don't have my son because I don't cook and I hate the nights I am rushed. When we have less than an hour to make dinner and eat before some practice or meeting or event begins. But I do love making a drink and getting lost in the kitchen and finding some of the easier things for my son to do. I have also figured out that when you have a drink in your hand or near by you don't graze as you cook. And filling up on liquids while cooking helps with portion control. Best diet plan ever.

Anyway, back to the point of this post. I was doing everything wrong before. Not that I do it right now but it is easier and way more enjoyable now. Every Sunday I sit with my son and our list of approves so far meals and we plan our dinners. Then according to that I make a grocery list with any other drinks, snacks, staples, cold lunch items and toiletries I need.

Lists help so much. Who knew?

I made my own weekly meal planner for Monday through Sunday and a space for  the grocery list. After shopping I hang up the sheet and we both know what to expect and we are good with it because we planned the meals together.

I love it.

And I kind of want to try the whole Rachel Ray thing where she makes five meals in one day. But then I'd miss out on the cooking every evening. I think I'll stick to what is working. Maybe during baseball season that would be good to try though. We are always way too busy to cook with practice and games 4-5 nights a week. And that will be here before I know it. Crap.

Single Mom Cooking

As a single mom of one picky eating son I needed a place to keep the recipes he would eat. So what better of a way to keep track of them then through a blog. I love my son and I love this new-found ability in my mini kitchen. And I wanted to share these recipes in the hopes I can help parents everywhere find kid and mom approved meals that are simple, easy and delicious.