"K.I.S.S." (Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!): An on-going series of ideas to bring simplicity, structure, and serenity into the home.
Creating a weekly meal plan is one of my newer endeavors.
It began a few months ago, when I realized that my husband and I were eating the same meals nearly every day (What can I say? He's not picky!)-- and that our health would likely benefit from a little variety. With the birth of Elise, it also became clear that my previous approach to cooking-- surveying the fridge and throwing something together minutes before a meal-- would no longer work. I needed a plan.
Through much trial and error, I believe I've found a meal planning approach that works for me... And, through the process, I've learned a lot about what works for me in general: I need simplicity, flexibility, and balance in my daily tasks!
I tried to begin my meal planning mission by flipping through cookbooks and searching popular food websites and blogs. The results were surprising. Instead of finding healthy, simple meals, I found myself blown off course by information overload.
When I finally shut the books and closed the twenty five open windows on my computer screen, a small whisper in my heart reminded me a of a profound truth: The best plans begin and end with God.
With that preface, I'd like to share a new approach, step by step:
1. Consult with God.
Have you ever noticed that today's cookbooks look utterly exquisite? A quick flip-through might reveal pictures of a gleaming, golden roasted chicken cradled in sprigs of hand-tied herbs, or a layered cake smothered in impressionist swipes of frosting and perched on an antique porcelain stand. These lovely images (and, perhaps, their ability to arouse a growling stomach) possess an allure that could call us off track if we're not careful. It's tempting to see pictures of coq au vin with asparagus risotto and want to serve that for dinner.
But, we must ask ourselves, "What is my present vocation?" In other words, "What is God calling me to do today in my real life?"
For me, the answer to that question (besides being a child of God, which is our constant vocation) is being a wife to Louis, a mother to a nursing, teething 5-month old, a daughter to my parents, a sibling to my sister and brother, a friend to my friends, etc.
The next question, then, involves time. We must ask, "In light of my vocation, how much time does God want me to spend preparing meals?" The answer to this question will vary from person to person. Perhaps you are a person who finds cooking to be a positive outlet, and your vocation allows you to carve out ample time in the kitchen. In this case, it's conceivable that cooking more advanced recipes could line up with God's present will for your life. Or, if you're like me-- a person who doesn't enjoy cooking-- and your vocation limits your kitchen time, perhaps it isn't in line with your vocation to cook recipes that require a lot of time and attention.
Once I developed a general idea about the amount of time and involvement I wanted to dedicate to cooking, I determined the number of recipes I would need per week. I've found that 4-5 large meals will suffice for my family, depending on our schedule. If you're wondering how we make it on so few meals, I should note that my husband and I don't eat a traditional dinner (I'll blog about this soon) and that the recipes I'm choosing usually feed 6-8 (plenty of leftovers!).
Before choosing my recipes, I also decided to limit my resources. So, I thinned out my cookbook collection and bookmarked a few key recipe websites. Because I like the convenience that my slow cooker offers, I chose cookbooks and websites that are heavy on slow cooker recipes. Casseroles, too... I love the ease!
When it comes to picking the actual recipes, I've learned to ask three simple questions:
Even if a recipe meets these three criteria, it won't always make the permanent cut-- for example, if the recipe calls for an ingredient is prohibitively expensive (like the $8 dried mushrooms I bought last week... Oops!).
It began a few months ago, when I realized that my husband and I were eating the same meals nearly every day (What can I say? He's not picky!)-- and that our health would likely benefit from a little variety. With the birth of Elise, it also became clear that my previous approach to cooking-- surveying the fridge and throwing something together minutes before a meal-- would no longer work. I needed a plan.
Through much trial and error, I believe I've found a meal planning approach that works for me... And, through the process, I've learned a lot about what works for me in general: I need simplicity, flexibility, and balance in my daily tasks!
I tried to begin my meal planning mission by flipping through cookbooks and searching popular food websites and blogs. The results were surprising. Instead of finding healthy, simple meals, I found myself blown off course by information overload.
When I finally shut the books and closed the twenty five open windows on my computer screen, a small whisper in my heart reminded me a of a profound truth: The best plans begin and end with God.
With that preface, I'd like to share a new approach, step by step:
1. Consult with God.
Have you ever noticed that today's cookbooks look utterly exquisite? A quick flip-through might reveal pictures of a gleaming, golden roasted chicken cradled in sprigs of hand-tied herbs, or a layered cake smothered in impressionist swipes of frosting and perched on an antique porcelain stand. These lovely images (and, perhaps, their ability to arouse a growling stomach) possess an allure that could call us off track if we're not careful. It's tempting to see pictures of coq au vin with asparagus risotto and want to serve that for dinner.
But, we must ask ourselves, "What is my present vocation?" In other words, "What is God calling me to do today in my real life?"
For me, the answer to that question (besides being a child of God, which is our constant vocation) is being a wife to Louis, a mother to a nursing, teething 5-month old, a daughter to my parents, a sibling to my sister and brother, a friend to my friends, etc.
The next question, then, involves time. We must ask, "In light of my vocation, how much time does God want me to spend preparing meals?" The answer to this question will vary from person to person. Perhaps you are a person who finds cooking to be a positive outlet, and your vocation allows you to carve out ample time in the kitchen. In this case, it's conceivable that cooking more advanced recipes could line up with God's present will for your life. Or, if you're like me-- a person who doesn't enjoy cooking-- and your vocation limits your kitchen time, perhaps it isn't in line with your vocation to cook recipes that require a lot of time and attention.
Photo Credit: Barnaby
2. Pick recipes that fit your needs and lifestyle.Once I developed a general idea about the amount of time and involvement I wanted to dedicate to cooking, I determined the number of recipes I would need per week. I've found that 4-5 large meals will suffice for my family, depending on our schedule. If you're wondering how we make it on so few meals, I should note that my husband and I don't eat a traditional dinner (I'll blog about this soon) and that the recipes I'm choosing usually feed 6-8 (plenty of leftovers!).
Before choosing my recipes, I also decided to limit my resources. So, I thinned out my cookbook collection and bookmarked a few key recipe websites. Because I like the convenience that my slow cooker offers, I chose cookbooks and websites that are heavy on slow cooker recipes. Casseroles, too... I love the ease!
When it comes to picking the actual recipes, I've learned to ask three simple questions:
- First, the obvious: Is it something my family will like?
- Second: Is it healthy, and does it meet the special dietary needs of my family? For example, I am extremely sensitive to sugar, white flour, and white starches-- and whenever I try to convince myself that I can handle the 3 cups of sugar/ white rice/ etc., I always end up regretting it! Therefore, any recipe that requires these ingredients beyond my tolerable limits is rejected unless I can make substitutes (agave nectar for sugar; brown rice for white; etc.).
- Third: How involved is the recipe, and do I have the time to make it? When I look at a new recipe, I skim the instructions for prep work and cooking. If it seems overly complicated, I reject it or file it for special occasions.
Even if a recipe meets these three criteria, it won't always make the permanent cut-- for example, if the recipe calls for an ingredient is prohibitively expensive (like the $8 dried mushrooms I bought last week... Oops!).
Now that I've been meal planning for a few weeks, I have several "go-to" recipes that I intend to make on a regular basis. When I'm finished moving, I'd like to print them out and place them in a recipe binder for easy access.
I have seen many great meal planning sheets around the blogosphere, but I've found that I don't really need a sheet-- just my grocery list and meal ideas recorded in my weekly planner
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Photo Credit: Bubbels
3. Fine-tune when necessary.
Sometimes when I make plans, I become too attached to them-- even if they no longer suit my lifestyle. I'm slowly learning that when the stuff of life happens, it's perfectly acceptable to come up with a "good enough" plan.
Last summer I experienced morning sickness so severe that it kept me in my pajamas for nearly three months. If this happens to me again someday, I obviously can't expect myself to maintain my meal planning as usual. I still will need a plan-- just a "good enough" plan, or a plan to accept help. I should not allow false guilt to consume me when the normal plan needs to change.
Last summer I experienced morning sickness so severe that it kept me in my pajamas for nearly three months. If this happens to me again someday, I obviously can't expect myself to maintain my meal planning as usual. I still will need a plan-- just a "good enough" plan, or a plan to accept help. I should not allow false guilt to consume me when the normal plan needs to change.
Photo Credit: Garytamin
4. Check in with God-- a lot.
We humans can be tempted to fashion any simple thing into an idol... Even cooking. It's funny to step back and think about what cooking actually is-- to throw out any mental images of Martha Stewart and the Barefoot Contessa and get back to the Merriam-Webster simplicity of it all. To cook is to prepare food so it is safe and perhaps a bit more delicious to eat. That's it.
Simple things can become idols, but with God those same simple things can become opportunities for prayer and channels of grace and blessing. St. Paul thought so when he told the Corinthians, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Happy meal planning, friends!
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