i reckon the single thing that takes up the most energy around our place is the daily matter of feeding ourselves.
planning, shopping, storing, preparing....it is all very time-consuming and there is no way around it.
sure, we can resort to prepared foods, but i am not interested in loss of quality, or in flavours designed to please a wide audience and therefore blander than we'd like.
i am always looking for ideas on keeping our food *real* and delicious and SIMPLE.
i have found the stonesoup blog to be a tremendous resource, even though i always add a variety of herbs and spices to the recipes!
the stonesoup rule is "five ingredients or less" and while i admire that, i don't want to live it at every single meal.
but as a starting point, it's a fantastic concept for the time-pressed and indeed anybody just looking to simplify things in the kitchen, without losing quality/flavour/nutrition/variety.
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Feeding ourselves is much easier since I started getting the shopping delivered by Ocado.
1. I make a meal plan for weekday nights, the delivery is on Monday, the fresh things generally have a long enough life for the weekday nights.
2. Weekends I'm more flexible as we may eat out, have friends or family with us and these things mostly happen at the last moment. I have enough shops, not too far away, to go and get the things I need then when I have more time.
3. If I know we are going to be rushed one day I can order a ready meal for convenience and because Ocado do Waitrose stuff I'm happy about the food quality.
4. We tend to go for quality not quantity and I like to have some idea of the provenance of meat, Waitrose have different relationships with their suppliers than all the other UK supermarkets.PS I have nothing to do with Waitrose, not advertising just a fan!
Posted 1 year ago # -
For me the stress of putting meals on the table is greatly diminished if I have a weekly meal plan. I only have to think about it once a week instead of every day. I usually sketch something out on Saturday and we shop on Sunday morning. I spend a few hours on Sunday preparing -- if a stew or a casserole is on the menu I'll assemble it then. I also make a couple composed salads that keep well (like 3 bean salad.) I might also half-make some things: if we're having quiche, for example, I'll make the crust, line the quiche pan and caramelize the onions. A side benefit is a lot of the "messy" cooking is done all at once: after I'm finished with the Sunday prep I mop the kitchen floor. I normally have to make a mid-week run for more fruit and lettuce, but other than that, it's all prepped and ready to go.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I have been decluttering/purging now for the past 2 weeks and really feel I've accomplished a lot! My new resolution/plan is to spend on quality rather than quantity when it comes to clothing. I tend to be a clotheshorse, and I buy too much, both for myself and for my kids. At my (mature) age now, I think I need to buy fewer items and spend more on each one so the fit is correct and I love the item and wear it often.
Posted 1 year ago # -
bandicoot, I will check out the recipe website, sounds good. Right now meal planning is not working, I really give up on it. Dh got home at 9.30 on Monday night, I'd made a lovely risotto for his usual home arrival time of 7pm and he wouldn't answer his phone or ring me to tell me he was late. I know he didn't want to be home late, but really, it drives me crazy trying to plan for people who don't like what I cook, complain about it or just don't turn up to eat it when I've put effort into it. My kids are currently living on eggy bread, pancakes or baked bean toasted sandwiches, all with lots of carrot sticks and tomatoes :) Or picnics, which are a lot less stressful and still perfectly nutritious. This weekend my dh went shopping and cooked us steak and chips and stir fry for the kids, so at least he's attempting to make up for it! Still, it would be really nice to be able to plan meals a bit more... I did also ask him to buy some gammon for a roast dinner today, so I can use up all the veggies we have waiting to be used.
Netleigh: I just downloaded the Ocado app, I love Waitrose food :) Now I need to put in that first lot of effort to get everything sorted that we usually buy and I will try to use it regularly.
I know we were discussing habit tacking. I lapsed a bit on reminding my kids to do their 2 minute room tidy before pudding, but they recently resurrected it themselves after a week's hiatus. They've been really good about it, plus if there is something else which I really want them to do like tidy another room or whatever then I can get them to do that too. Their rooms are moderately untidy right now, the 2 minute thing just stops chaos from descending but I'm happy with 'moderately untidy' rather than 'complete tip' status...
Oh, another thing I've been doing is using my dustbuster a lot more instead of the big hoover. It's one of those Dyson ones so it actually works, and I'm finding it really good for doing a quick going over of the stairs or getting the kids to pick up their crumbs from the lounge room.Posted 1 year ago # -
hey, good to see you lottielot.....sounds like a hectic couple weeks at your place!
Posted 1 year ago # -
A big help to keep my life running smoothly is preparing the night before for the next day. I don't always lay out my clothes but I look at my schedule for the next day, pack up my bag, and set up the coffee maker.
Something else I am figuring out (better late than never, I guess) is that I get confused/overwhelmed easily (cotton-wool brain) when I haven't had breakfast or lunch. Astonishing how productive and efficient I can be when I have eaten. Not to mention less grumpy. Am trying to eat low-carb, so with the ease of bread out of the question, this requires quite a bit more planning. I also don't like to eat in the mornings, as I am not remotely hungry until about 11, but I don't get my first break until about 2 pm, if I get one that day. So some major lifestyle shifts are in order.
The bar-none supreme tool to make my life easier has been my iPhone. It is such an all-in-one asset. I use it for work and personal tasks. The NOTES section is invaluable. When I need to replace toner, or the HEPA filter in my vacuum, or need the measurements for a tablecloth, etc., I have all the specs in a note.
Posted 1 year ago # -
djk - I used to think I wasn't hungry for breakfast, and when I moved in with my DH he always ate breakfast. He fixed it himself, but I would get up and drink my coffee and keep him company. Pretty soon I started eating a little, maybe some toast or a bit of cereal, or yogurt. Before I knew it I was ready to eat when I got up. Now I wouldn't think of not eating breakfast. I think you need the baby steps to make the habit. :)
Posted 1 year ago # -
eating at an early hour is repugnant to me too.
but i can always manage a smoothie and big latte.
consider the smoothie:
seeds
nuts
oats
fruit (usually half a banana per person and a couple of dates)
cinnamon and turmeric
yoghurt
ice
a little water
man, that is some serious nutrition, right there.
lately i am adding a spoonful of barley greens powder as well.
provided this isn't thick and gluggy, i can drink it at 4am if necessary.
and it is a decent amount of food, and i am not starving and dizzy by mid-morning.
i know that cotton-headed/overwhelmed feeling....in me it manifests as a slightly panicked irritability and then i realise.....ooops, starving.Posted 1 year ago # -
so bandicoot, did you ever try the spinach in your smoothies??? Hmmmmm?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm gonna try that smoothie as soon as I'm on phase IV of my eating plan 8P
I use barley greens powder or wheat grass powder in smooties and love the taste of it. I also LOVE putting cilantro in my green smoothies - yummy! I also like the taste of matcha so sometimes put some of that in (but it's expensive and the greens powders sorta taste the same so I usually just use the greens).
Today I just tried a smoothie using coffee, ice, a T of evaporated milk and vanilla stevia drops that for me was quite satisfying.
My vitamix is kinda acting up. Have you had that or any problem with yours and how does one deal with it?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I just bought a kitchenaid blender after having been without one for months. You people have me craving smoothies.... I have some fruit I've been tossing in the freezer for awhile now....I can't wait Til morning.....
Posted 1 year ago # -
Just remember the greens too - kale (the leafy part only)
Posted 1 year ago # -
pkilmain....the barley greens was my compromise until the wet season is over and we can plant again.
ntch, if my vitamix acts up, i swear i will have a cow.
it was too expensive to act up.Posted 1 year ago # -
mmm, that smoothie sounds both delicious and nutritious bandicoot! Could be improved only by adding a spoonful of malt extract and some wheatgerm :) It's so true about breakfast, this morning I made my porridge but had to rush the kids to school so couldn't eat it till I got back. I was sooo grumpy going to school! On the days when I have to leave really early and don't have time even for a small bowl of muesli, I take a banana with me to eat on the run.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I also love a smoothie in the morning, but more in the warmer months. It was a cold, cold winter. Usually I make one a couple of times a week, but sometimes even that takes too much time:(
sometimes I soak oats in water (or milk) overnight in a pot on the stove, then turn it on low when I shower and then I can manage to eat it when I'm out of the bathroom.
on the general topic of making life easier: after my shower I give the tiles a fast spritz with a mix of vinegar & whatever essential oil I have on hand, usually tea tree or eucalyptus. It cuts the soap scum and calcium buildup; the weekly scrub is considerably easier as a result. The smell of the vinegar doesn't bother me, as it disappears quickly, but I like the smell of the e.o.'s too.
Posted 1 year ago # -
djk: I've taken to wiping down my shower with a dry cloth after every shower. It takes 20 seconds and means almost no cleaning. I use vinegar and water in the sink and to clean the shower upstairs but didn't think of adding an essential oil to it, will do so, nice idea. Dh complains about the vinegar smell but at least it's better than the chemical cleaners which give me a headache.
Posted 1 year ago #
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