No.155: New Habits, Little by Little: Cooking at Home (June 2018)

One year ago, I wrote these words: “I’ve had trouble in the kitchen for a long time.  Mark cooks amazing food because he loves the creative process.  I cook so we don’t go to bed hungry.  That (lazy? burnt out?) attitude has never sat well with me, though, and I really want to change.“

Last July, I committed to a year of renewed interest in cooking at home.  Having moved to an area where delivery was nonexistent and fast food was a 15-minute drive, my dinner crutches were all suddenly taken away.  Sink or swim, I was going to have to figure this out!  Fast forward to today and my attitude toward the kitchen has completely changed.  The lessons I’ve learned are too many to count, but the biggest one is this: sometimes you just have to step out in faith, knowing you’re going to stumble, and work toward your goals anyway. 

Here’s to another year of delicious meals.

Week 48 (cont.):
Friday, June 1: homemade pizza

Week 49:
Saturday, June 2: cold cut sandwiches/lettuce wraps with fruit and chips
Sunday, June 3: moo shu pork in tortillas
Monday, June 4: leftover moo shu with rice
Tuesday, June 5: tuscan garlic chicken with salad
Wednesday, June 6: garlic parmesan chicken thighs and broccoli
Thursday, June 7: tacos
Friday, June 8: kielbasa veggie bake with rice

Week 50:
Saturday, June 9: brats and hotdogs on the grill, chips, chocolate covered strawberries
Sunday,  June 10: pizza
Monday, June 11: Refrigerator Clean-Out Night
Tuesday, June 12: grilled pork chops and pasta salad
Wednesday, June 13: grilled pork loin, rice and asparagus
Thursday, June 14: rotisserie-style chicken, Mark’s panko macaroni and cheese, and salad
Friday, June 15: homemade pesto pizza using sourdough focaccia

Week 51:
Saturday, June 16: pulled pork sandwiches, then out for ice cream cones
Sunday, June 17: Father’s Day! porterhouse steak for Mark, brats for the rest of us, bacon ranch potato salad
Monday, June 18: leftover pork nachos
Tuesday, June 19: cold cut sandwiches with chips
Wednesday, June 20: roasted chicken thighs, rice and asparagus with homemade sourdough bread
Thursday, June 21: tacos
Friday, June 22: pork fried rice using up a bunch of leftovers – the kids loved this!

Week 52:
Saturday, June 23: McDonald’s after baby L’s first birthday party
Sunday, June 24: one pan pesto chicken, tortellini and veggies (BIG hit)
Monday, June 25: roasted pork tenderloin with rice and broccoli
Tuesday, June 26: whole chicken with carrots, onions, and potatoes – the chicken was way too small this time and everyone was still hungry, so I supplemented with popcorn and waffles after
Wednesday, June 27: tomato soup with sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches
Thursday, June 28: one pot kielbasa pasta
Friday, June 29: homemade pizza

Week 53:
Saturday, June 30: chili dogs