Every once in a while, I shirk my uptight engineer persona, my protective/nuturing mom persona, and shift into super hero mode. The shift is subtle- often so much so that my coworkers continue to see only a (somewhat) mild mannered mathematician sitting at a computer. But when I look up at the screen again, it is with the insider knowledge that on the desk is a masterpiece.
I am a genius list maker.
Rather than hiding this wondrous ability, I figured I'll start sharing. There is a public service in this- I know few people are interested in my Christmas present lists, my to-do lists, my cleaning lists, or my vacations-to-take-one-day lists. However, tremendous energy goes into my weekly menu planning and corresponding grocery lists, and these have value beyond the others'.
A conversation with a single father co-worker reminded me that there is another option to copious menu planning lists: not having the time at all, and thus not planning dinners, which results in family culinary chaos. This site is intended to be a third option for everyone else. I hope people who don't have the time or mental energy to organize healthy, fast meal options can use my lists to their full advantage.
Each week my talents are stretched conceiving of a varied menu that will appease my team of critics: myself: a foodie committed to real, wholesome food; my toddler: a culinarily adventurous 19 mos old, but a toddler nonetheless; my husband: a meat and potatoes man, who'd rather avoid green stuff (unless it's pistachio pudding) but is such a good father he's willing to fake liking it- except for cooked greens which he finds slimy.
'Healthy' is a loaded word, so I'll avoid it here in the long explanation version. My menus reflect a desire to feed my family honest sustenance that will help my daughter grow and thrive, that will get me through my 5am-10pm schedule, that will keep my husband alive, strong, and healthy to take care of us until I have truly driven him crazy, and will make us all feel thoroughly nourished.
I don't believe in dieting. According to an exhaustive and completely scientific literature overview comprised of women's magazines that have been left at gyms and/or doctor's offices I have visited over the last 10 years, dieting doesn't seem to work anyway. If it did, why would there still be so many damn articles about dieting? Health food is wonderful; mostly healthy food that is extraordinarily tasty is even better, because then we'll all eat it.
I use bacon. I use butter. And I also use things like kahl and quinoa (pronounced 'keen wa', in case you're ever at Whole Foods and don't want the rest of the store to engage in collective eye-rolling/giggling/sighing over your ignorance; trust me, I've been there), and make about one completely vegetarian meal a week. Veggies aren't our enemy, and neither is fat. If you eat terribly and lots of fast food, our meals will likely seem like diet food. If you're vegan or think sugar is poison, you'll think I'm a terrible person. I believe that real food makes us feel better and that food made with wholesome ingredients can be flavorful and satisfying with less added fat/sugar/salt, but I also really like fat, sugar, and salt. I eat those not-so-great-for-you things when they are in food that is really worthwhile, which means occasionally. This, to me, is healthy- both in terms of the actual food I consume and in terms of my emotional relationship with the food.
My challenge is to put full, satisfying, and edible meals on the table each night having gone to the store only over the weekend. And then write about it. There are a few additional constraints: leftovers must supplement lunches, though toddler will not eat the same thing 2 days in a row (except bananas, which she'll eat at every meal if not physically restrained). And, because it wouldn't be a super power if it were easy, I have a full-time job and when I'm lucky as much as a 1/2 hour of time after we get home and before screaming for food commences.
I ought to mention also that I am extremely fortunate. In general, and more specifically when it comes to food. I live in Southern California, which makes 'Land of Plenty' look like a picked-over third world food bank. We have farmer's markets year round, with fruits and veggies that are barely seen in regular groceries and when they are, cost at least a leg, if not the full arm-and-leg of popular lore. Plus, fresh fish! Being in a major metro area, we have Sprouts/Henry's, Trader Joes, and fancy versions of the regular chain grocery stores. We also have ethnic markets and Whole Foods for cheap and expensive (respectively) specialty items. Part of the reason cooking real food is hard is because in other parts of the country fresh foods are a luxury. Frozen is often a good substitute, though also not usually cheap. I am also fortunate to earn enough money to splurge and buy convenience items like already-cut-up veggies. If you can, this is the best way to save time while still getting real food. So many vegetables are available in the produce section pre-chopped (nothing extra added), and often mixed in sensible combinations for things like stir-frying, so you don't have half a head of bok choy and 1/3 pint of mushrooms go bad just to make one night of asian food. Any one who can should never have to finely chop an onion again (that said, I did have to finely chop a shallot yesterday while- through tears- entertaining a toddler trying to grab hot pans and sharp knives, so I don't always take my own advice).
So, to recap, executive summary style:
-I write lists.
-I will post weekly menus, with recipes*.
-Menus must satisfy the following criteria:
-Healthy, complete meals
- Healthy to be taken to mean using real ingredients, low salt/added sugar, and including
veggies. Fats are not limited, but are to consist of primarily the good kinds and minimized when
possible without sacrificing the credibility of the food (e.g. 94% lean beef is used in lieu of 80%).
-Varied daily in protein and in flavor, though sides like 'fruit salad' are frequent and understood to be
varied by choice of fruit in said salad.
-Easy enough directions on some meals for my husband to make some nights if I'm out of town.
-Good leftovers for lunches at least twice a week
-Must be prepared/prepped either ahead of time or in ~30minutes with a 30lb munchkin underfoot
-Food only purchased on weekends so must keep until prepared
-Using these lists will a) save you time if you do this already or b) allow you, too, to be a super hero❃ at dinner time if you do not do this already.
-Sometimes take-out/go-out is scheduled as dinner. This is completely legitimate within the boundaries of this endeavor as long as it occurs no more frequently than 3 times per month, when family is in town (in which case there are no frequency limitations), or for special events.
-I know I have a lot of advantages in the realm of food, so please do not write me off as entitled or ungrateful. With modifications, many of these menus can work for a lot people with less money and less amazing grocery options.
This blog is meant as an every-man/woman/child's alternative to the amazing food blogs I see all over the web with mouth-watering creations I literally have no time to look at, let alone cook between 5:45 and wailing-'more'-hand-to-mouth-gestures-of-food-time. I love cuisine, but right now that's what birthdays and anniversaries are for; Thursdays are for simple fare- but simple does not mean boring, tasteless, or junky. I suppose I'm a super hero on a mission to prove just that.
* While I am a list-making machine, recipes are not my forte. I'll do my best, but I'm not a measurer, and I do a lot of improvising in general, so it's a little hard to be precise.
❃As long as you define super hero to be a regular person with no time to spare who manages to provide nourishing dinners for his or her family on a consistent and on-going basis. Which sure feels like an adequate definition.
No comments:
Post a Comment