No.14: New Habits, Little by Little – Cooking at Home (July 2017) | The Big White Farmhouse
Have you ever read Dinner: A Love Story? I bought it years ago, read it, loved it and then promptly put it on the shelf where my good intentions seem to die. Fast forward to last month. As I unpacked kitchen boxes, I flipped through it again and re-read about the dinner diary she kept for over a decade. A decade!! What a treasure trove that must be – not just for remembering what you ate, but also all the memories intertwined within it. It struck a chord: I want to do this. I need to do this.
Here’s the thing: I’ve had trouble in the kitchen for a long time. Mark cooks amazing food because he loves the creative process. I cook so we don’t go to bed hungry. That (lazy? burnt out?) attitude has never sat well with me, though, and I really want to change. And this book was just the kick in the pants I needed to start.
My new motto lately has been “Just show up.” It’s mostly been applied to working out, but I think it works here too. Even when my head’s not in the game, I’m showing up, working the meal plan or stretching my creative muscles when I forget to make one. (Ahem…) Little by little, I’m starting to enjoy being in the kitchen again.
One month done. Many, many more to go.
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Week 1: Saturday, July 1: hot dogs with all the fixin’s
Sunday, July 2: out – Sonic on the way home from meeting our new nephew!
Monday, July 3: baked chicken fingers with potato wedges
Tuesday, July 4: brisket with homemade mac & cheese, pasta salad, coleslaw, and flag cake
Wednesday, July 5: barbecue cups and salad
Thursday, July 6: southwestern Caesar chicken wraps
Friday, July 7: homemade pizza for the kids, date night with Home Chef (Chicken Diane with mashed potatoes and green beans – yum!)
Week 2: Saturday, July 8: beans and rice Sunday, July 9: Mark recreated our date night meal again – big hit with the kids! Monday, July 10: burgers and hot dogs on the grill Tuesday, July 11: philly cheesesteaks and chips Wednesday, July 12: breakfast for dinner – chocolate chip waffles, bacon, and strawberries
Thursday, July 13: one pan healthy sausage and veggies
Friday, July 14: homemade pizza for the kids, date night with Home Chef (pork egg roll in a bowl with crispy wontons and peanuts)
Week 3: Saturday, July 15: leftovers Sunday, July 16: pasta from scratch with homemade meat sauce (all Mark!) Monday, July 17: roasted chicken wings/thighs with rice and salad
Tuesday, July 18: crispy parmesan garlic chicken with vegetables
Wednesday, July 19: burgers and hot dogs on the grill
Thursday, July 20: linguine with summer tomato “sauce” and roasted shrimp
Friday, July 21: homemade pizza for the kids (using this recipe due to a lack of prior planning!), date night with Home Chef (sirloin steak with sauce robert, mashed cauliflower and green beans)
Week 4: Saturday, July 22: leftovers
Sunday, July 23: make-your-own eggrolls with Mark’s new “toy”
Monday, July 24: grilled chicken legs, rice and yellow squash Tuesday, July 25: tacos Wednesday, July 26: Refrigerator Clean-out Night (the kids strangely LOVED this!) Thursday, July 27: kielbasa, rice and bacon brussel sprouts
Friday, July 28: smoothies and popcorn for the kids, date night with Home Chef (chicken with sauce soubise, swiss chard, mushrooms and tomatoes)
Week 5: Saturday, July 29: panini sandwiches Sunday, July 30: pasta and homemade meat sauce with salad and homemade bread
Monday, July 31: hot dogs and potato wedges