Meal Planning

meal planning
Originally uploaded by Jenblossom

I am working on some meal planning notes for a Yahoo group I am a part of, so I though I would do some of my thinking out loud here.

I have always planned my meals from the day I got married. I was so excited about the first meal I cooked for Artie. I can't remember everything I cooked, but I know there were several dishes including a pasta salad and some other side dishes. It looked so pretty and fresh. Artie sat down at the table and just looked around waiting for me to bring the rest of the food. He thought it was some kind of joke. I was broken hearted at his disappointment. He couldn't believe I would serve a meal with no meat!!!! What was wrong with me? Wow, what an eye opener - he expected meat at every meal. I hardly ever ate meat and had no idea how to cook it!!!

I had four meals I could cook and we rotated them each week (or really every four days)...

1. Hamburger Helper (which has many different varieties!!) :-)
2. Tacos
3. Cubed Steak
4. My mama's spaghetti

(Notice it's almost all hamburger meat!!! I had no idea how to cook any other meat!!)

That was it. That was all I could cook. We ate those four things and then one new thing. After we ate the new meal - we would vote if we ever wanted to have it again or throw away that recipe. They were a "keeper" or a "thrower". There was only one night that I remember that we actually had to throw the whole dinner out - it was a corn chowder - I've never made it since. So, slowly, the list of things I could cook grew. I got pregnant two months after we got married and was extremely sick. I couldn't even be in the same room where meat was cooking - there was a chicken commercial (we're having "chicken tonight, chicken tonight") and every time I ever heard that commercial I threw up. That lasted the full nine months of pregnancy. So it was a very long process with my learning!!!! But, I don't think my family has had to suffer too much. I have come a long way in my cooking. I'm not ready to be in any type of cooking contest, but if you sit seven hungry children down at my table - I can make them and their daddy happy!!! (most nights)