No.14: New Habits, Little by Little – Cooking at Home (July 2017)

Have you ever read Dinner: A Love Story?  I bought it years ago, read it, loved it and then promptly put it on the shelf where my good intentions seem to die.  Fast forward to last month.  As I unpacked kitchen boxes, I flipped through it again and re-read about the dinner diary she kept for over a decade.  A decade!!  What a treasure trove that must be – not just for remembering what you ate, but also all the memories intertwined within it.  It struck a chord: I want to do this.  I need to do this.

Here’s the thing: 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.  And this book was just the kick in the pants I needed to start.  

My new motto lately has been “Just show up.”  It’s mostly been applied to working out, but I think it works here too.  Even when my head’s not in the game, I’m showing up, working the meal plan or stretching my creative muscles when I forget to make one.  (Ahem…)  Little by little, I’m starting to enjoy being in the kitchen again.

One month done.  Many, many more to go.
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Week 1:
Saturday, July 1: hot dogs with all the fixin’s
Sunday, July 2: out – Sonic on the way home from meeting our new nephew!
Monday, July 3: baked chicken fingers with potato wedges
Tuesday, July 4: brisket with homemade mac & cheese, pasta salad, coleslaw, and flag cake
Wednesday, July 5: barbecue cups and salad
Thursday, July 6: southwestern Caesar chicken wraps
Friday, July 7: homemade pizza for the kids, date night with Home Chef (Chicken Diane with mashed potatoes and green beans – yum!)

Week 2: 
Saturday, July 8: beans and rice
Sunday, July 9: Mark recreated our date night meal again – big hit with the kids!
Monday, July 10: burgers and hot dogs on the grill
Tuesday, July 11: philly cheesesteaks and chips
Wednesday, July 12: breakfast for dinner – chocolate chip waffles, bacon, and strawberries
Thursday, July 13: one pan healthy sausage and veggies
Friday, July 14: homemade pizza for the kids, date night with Home Chef (pork egg roll in a bowl with crispy wontons and peanuts)

Week 3:
Saturday, July 15: leftovers
Sunday, July 16: pasta from scratch with homemade meat sauce (all Mark!)
Monday, July 17: roasted chicken wings/thighs with rice and salad
Tuesday, July 18: crispy parmesan garlic chicken with vegetables
Wednesday, July 19: burgers and hot dogs on the grill
Thursday, July 20: linguine with summer tomato “sauce” and roasted shrimp
Friday, July 21: homemade pizza for the kids (using this recipe due to a lack of prior planning!), date night with Home Chef (sirloin steak with sauce robert, mashed cauliflower and green beans)

Week 4:
Saturday, July 22: leftovers
Sunday, July 23: make-your-own eggrolls with Mark’s new “toy”
Monday, July 24: grilled chicken legs, rice and yellow squash
Tuesday, July 25: tacos
Wednesday, July 26: Refrigerator Clean-out Night (the kids strangely LOVED this!)
Thursday, July 27: kielbasa, rice and bacon brussel sprouts
Friday, July 28: smoothies and popcorn for the kids, date night with Home Chef (chicken with sauce soubise, swiss chard, mushrooms and tomatoes)

Week 5:
Saturday, July 29: panini sandwiches
Sunday, July 30: pasta and homemade meat sauce with salad and homemade bread
Monday, July 31: hot dogs and potato wedges