As a working mom, it has always been my struggle to get a good meal on the table. When I was a classroom teacher, I spent most of my time rolling through some fast food joint on my way home to meet our nutritional needs. My husband and our crock-pot were our saving grace. He would usually throw out a few meals a week, when he was off work. The crock-pot, on the other hand, got a lot of use on the weekends. Old bad habits are hard to break. When I transitioned from the classroom to school librarian, my stress level and focus really shifted. I had more time to be mindful of what we were eating and spend time in the kitchen cooking. However, the ease and convenience of our meal routines was hard to shake. Enter this year. A year of change and transformation. A year of being connected and mindful. We have now structured our meals with our teens capabilities in mind. So each week on Fridays I sit down with the family and get suggestions for meals. I throw some of the responsibility back on them. Each member of the family must commit to cook one meal during the week. This leaves one day free for us to order out or visit one of our hometown establishments. What a blessing this has been. I feel less stress in shouldering the burden of determining a week full of meals. It is teaching my girls responsibility and risk taking. (disclaimer: not all meals turn out the way we intend them). It also pushes them a bit. Our first week they chose meals that they were well versed in and could easily pull off. This week they listed the same meals to cook again. I therefore instituted the rule that we can not duplicate a meal from week to week. They were annoyed with the new rule. but I think it will benefit all in the family. Don't get me wrong, I love spaghetti as much as the next guy. I just might not like it every Tuesday for the rest of my life. I have also found that shopping trips have gone a lot smoother. Having someone else provide a list of ingredients needed for a meal has been nice. As the year progresses I am seeing how a little planning can really free up a lot of time and clear the mind. I also see the family taking an active role in mealtime as a means to strengthen our family as well as develop skills in the girls. Each time they plan a meal they are not only planning, but also being mindful of others who they will be feeding. Family meal time is changing in our home. It is transforming from a rushed time to a time of connection. I have provided an example meal plan below. Monday - Mom
Baked Herb Chicken Green Beans New Potatoes Tuesday - Daughter #2 Spaghetti Wednesday Sub Sandwiches from WhichWich Thursday - Daughter #1 Winter Soup (Browned Ground Beef, Veggies, Kidney Beans, and Tomato Sauce) Friday - Dad Fried Chicken French Fries Saturday Beef Stew Corn Bread Sunday Roast in Crock-pot Green Bean Casserole Salad
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AuthorA muslimah mom of two teens trying to navigate my 40s. Taking time outs when I can to make it each day! Archives
January 2017
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