Mama is Cooking, Again
It’s 5:30 p.m. and Mama has NO idea of what to cook tonight. The children are hungry, tired, and likely cranky. This scene plays itself out over and over again in kitchens around the world. We may have beans in the cupboard, soup in the freezer, and a cabbage in the fridge, but none of these do a meal make without the time and vision to pull them together into a meal.
In Mama Renew groups we often find ourselves exploring ways to simplify and ease the strain of household responsibilities. Our discussions have raised some interesting possibilities around food & dishes:
1. Tired of the pile of dishes?
No, don’t switch to paper. Consider, however, keeping only the bare minimum of dishes in the cupboard. Try a month with only one plate, one bowl, and one set of utensils per person. You benefit from a less daunting pile of dishes, and the necessity to wash them Now rather than waiting a few days until the counters are covered again.
A simpler version of this is to choose one glass per family member to last the week. It helps to choose a different style for each of you – kids loving having a choice.
2. Didn’t Plan this Week’s Meals yet?
The advanced planning of family meals is a standard tip that we hear over and over again. It seems so simple, and yet most of us never get around to doing it. So….we won’t tell you to do it. We will, however, share this much simpler idea – theme nights. What if Monday was Pasta, Tuesday Seafood, Wednesday Stirfry, Thursday Soup, Friday, Pizza, and so on…. We’ve found that simply knowing the genre of food to be cooked that night simplifies things immeasurably. It’s helpful for your children as well, providing a rhythm to family meals that they can depend on.
Looking for menu inspiration? Go no further than our latest discovery – Tastespotting – a delicious collection of foodie blog recipes with photos that will leave you feeling both inspired to cook, and Hungry.
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Happy Eating! What secrets have you found to simplify mealtimes?
