It always takes me a few days, or in this case weeks, to come up with some really good New Year's Resolutions. But, I was thinking about all of the take-out and junk-food that my husband and I have been eating lately, like the box of crackers we ate for dinner a few nights ago :) and decided that the perfect resolution is for me to cook...actually cook not re-heat, at least 4 days a week. Now I've had these goals before and they haven't really stuck. But, this time I'm going to the root of the problem! I think that the root of my issue is not that I don't want to cook dinner, it's that I don't have anything at home that I can easily cook. And the minute I set foot in the grocery store on my way home from work I head straight for the rotisserie chicken and frozen pizza because its easy. So, here is part 2 of my resolution: To stock up on groceries every weekend so that I have food in the fridge, ready to go. My thinking: If I eliminate grocery shopping when I'm tired, our diet will improve.
If you've ever watched Rachel Ray prepare one of her famous "30 Minute Meals", you know how amazing it is. So, I tried to follow her lead and downloaded her recipe and shopping list...but somehow it took me hours to cook what she cooks in 30 minutes. Not so amazing...or practical! The key factor for quick cooking I've decided is having all of your fruits, veggies, meats, etc. washed, chopped, and ready to go. That's Rachel Ray's secret! So, part 3 of my resolution: The minute I get home from my weekend grocery trip, I'm going to wash, chop, marinate, and go the extra mile so that come Monday night all I have to do is cook! I did my prep yesterday afternoon. I bought chicken, pork, beef and shrimp. Ambitious, but this way we have options! I have a family pack of chicken, de-skinned and trimmed and in 2 (yes 2!) different marinades. Onions, peppers, broccoli, and garlic are washed and chopped and ready to go. My husband is going to have to suck it up and grill even though it's freezing, because grilling eliminates dishes.
The best part of the whole resolution: Any night that I cook dinner, we have to sit at the table not in front of the TV and eat together. We used to do this, but somehow we got out of the habit. If I'm going to cook, we're going to sit at the table and enjoy our dinner!
So, I'll keep you all updated on how I'm doing!
Wish me luck! {J'S}
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