Ever since having to change my diet I have found that I spend a lot of time making too many separate meals for the kids and myself during the day, and that we don't eat as often together anymore. Most days I make food for the boys and then while they're eating I try to find something for myself and then usually eat standing up while multi-tasking in between bites of food. By the time the poor papa gets home late at night I am tired of cooking and so he seems to get a leftover combination of everything we ate during the day, or else he just eats cereal. It just all feels very dis-jointed to me and extremely tiresome. Also, the boys want to eat non-stop all day long and our grocery bills are becoming more than we can afford. So, I had a long talk with panda about it last night and also went on to voice my concern about the fact that although he has two jobs right now and doesn't seem to be at risk for losing them, so many people are unexpectedly out of work and struggling to feed their families and maybe we should try to be even more frugal in preparation, you know.. just in case. Plus, I really really miss our family dinners we used to have together every night. :(
I decided after the conversation that I need to start coming up with some one pot meals that I can make a lot of all at once, that are healthy, don't cost a lot of money, and that we can ALL eat together. (That last part is a tricky one because I am so limited in my food options.) So..
Last night I made a large pot of Israeli couscous, stir fried some cubed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and turnips I picked up from Trader Joe's and some amazing kale I got from the North Market. Then this evening the TV went off, I put in a "Be good Tanyas" CD I borrowed from the library, and the boys and I sat down and ate dinner together. My oldest is suffering from a fever and a tummy ache so he just sat there all pathetic looking and ate his food in slow motion while covered in a blanket. While my younger kept asking, "Where's the couscous? I don't see it!" (Usually I make a different kind.) Plus we had to hurry because we had a parent-teacher conference to get to, so it wasn't my dream dinner.. but hey, it was a good start! :)
wow, that is fantastic! You should give yourself more credit. We also shop at Trader Joe's. :)What kind of food limitations do you have? Have you always had them?
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you. :) *blush*
ReplyDeleteI found out this past summer after two hospital visits, many allergy tests, an educated guess from my allergist, and then by keeping track of my reactions and by process of elimination (it took awhile to pinpoint!) that I am allergic to sulfites, which includes an extensive list of foods I have to avoid. Somewhere in one of my blogs I posted a list..
Yeah, Trader Joe's has a lot of organic food for reasonable prices. We just recently moved back to the city and it's so nice to have that shopping option again!
Gosh, Erin I love your "soundtrack of my life". Now I just keep your page on. :-))I haven't listened to adult music for a long time (since the kids came into my life) but you have renewed my love for music. For that I'm so very grateful for you!!
ReplyDeleteoh, good for you! i don't even have diet restrictions and i find supper time to be so discouraging... i do like to eat though ;-)
ReplyDeleteHappy to have helped. :) I keep rearranging my songs, I am so indecisive.. ha!
ReplyDeleteDinner is looking real good! Trader Joe's is fantastic but I always spend more money on food than I need. :P About your wedding with paper cranes hanging in the trees; sounds enchanting! Beautiful memories I hope. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete