Planning and Organization

Two words that do not characterize my current state are planned and organized.  Normally, I am the paragon of planning and organization.  Since I have fallen away from my typically regimented routine (don’t worry, it happens to everyone – or so I tell myself), I felt this would be a good time to discuss my strategies.  You know, so I can re-motivate myself back into submission. 

I do not know about you, but when I fall away from my routine, my diet suffers.  So does that of my family.  I normally try to hold it together for Julian, but I cannot say the same for myself or my husband. For example, last friday night I did not feel like cooking so I just didn’t eat.  I think my husband made a frozen pizza, so he was taken care of.  I still cooked for Julian.  I probably would have cooked for myself, but I only had enough salmon and veggies for one.  Not having enough groceries in the house is usually the start of my diet downfall. 

I have no good excuses, but hopefully this review of my techniques will help me get back on track!

The most important factors in a nicely organized existence are being well-rested and well-fed.  When I’m tired and hungry I don’t care about organization, but in order to get back to feeling happy I require organization.  It’s a lovely cycle.  The key to meeting these factors is to stay on top of the game.  When it works, life is a well-oiled machine. 

I make sure that I get prepared for the next day each night. That means packing a lunch for my son and at the very least being aware of what I will take for my own lunch.  This allows me a nice long 7 hour sleep, which allows me to stay alert and organized all that day.  In order for that to happen,  I need to make sure we always have fresh food in the house.  However, I don’t have time to go to the grocery store more than once a week.

So, I always plan to shop on the weekend, normally very early Saturday or Sunday morning (when no one else is around). Or, I rely on my bi-weekly Bountiful Baskets arrival.  Simply going to the store does not result in a planned week, however.  I make lists to ensure I have what I need to make sense of the bags of food once I bring them home. I try to envision dinner recipes before making my lists, in an effort to stay on track. Otherwise, I will end up with what looks good to me on a Sunday morning and not what will be sensible on a Wednesday night.

The next step is to form these ingredients into the basis for quick meals, which I discuss more in my bulk-cooking series of posts. 

Have I mentioned lists yet?  I like lists on good old-fashioned paper.  I keep a book of lists, have scraps of lists lying around and even have a few lists that manage to make it onto my smartphone.  Mostly, however, I just use paper.  No matter how you like to keep notes, I highly suggest a system of lists and reminders.  I find that just the act of putting pen to paper helps me remember what to do when, even if I never again see that paper.  These lists consist of what I need to do and when, what dinners I have planned and what appointments I need to transfer to my permanent calendar. Lists are an organizer’s dream.

All in all, I’m fairly certain that I would not function without strict organization. Take the past two weeks for example.  I have hardly cooked at all, I haven’t updated my blog in days and I generally feel sluggish and slightly ill.  I let my organization and planning go out the window.  Sometimes that’s not a bad thing, though.  After all, how can I appreciate the benefits of it all if not for the occasional break?

Peanut Butter Alternatives

Who doesn’t love peanut butter?  My son really enjoys it (smooth, of course) and it is one food item I can count on him to eat two days in a row if necessary.  We are currently trying different brands to find the best taste, ingredients and cost. 

I am currently sampling Jif Natural.  It does have added sugar; however, the cost (for a natural peanut butter) is reasonable, everything in the ingredients list can be found in nature and – this is the best part – it doesn’t separate in the jar.  Obviously, it takes a while to get through a jar so at this time I have no other brand on which to report.

One of the reasons it takes us so long to get through a jar of peanut butter is because Julian’s daycare is a Peanut Free Campus. For those of you who do not have kids in daycare or school, that means that one of the other kids in the building is allergic to peanuts, so peanut products can NOT be on the premises.  I know, I was a bit surprised at that one. 

This news was a major bummer to me, because we learned this just when Julian was starting to eat with his hands, and sandwich bites are perfect for him.  What I typically send for his lunch, when I have it, is dinner leftovers.  But when we don’t have a dinner he can eat, or when we don’t have anything left over, my protein options are limited. PB sandwiches are such an easy go-to!

So, I embarked on my quest for alternatives.  Here is what I found:

Almond butter – not surprisingly, expensive.  I found a fancy-shmancy jar at Target for over $10!!!  Sorry Julian.  I finally found an alternative brand at my Super Wal-Mart for a little over $3.  I bought it.  It’s dry, but he eats it and so far has shown no apparent preference for one ‘butter’ over the other. The brand website shows a much higher price than I paid, so Wal-Mart must have struck a deal. People say they are an evil empire, but when they save me that much for a jar of nut butter, I don’t wish them any harm.

A good stand-by protein alternative is a hard-boiled egg.  Here, Julian can be picky.  I can only get away with one or two eggs a week.  But that’s perfect, because he doesn’t need any more of the cholesterol.  They are such an easy fix, I might try to get away with it more often if he would let me.  Thanks for being my system of nutritional checks and balances, Julian.

Kefir.  This is basically yogurt in a cup.  I drank this as a vegetarian child, and loved it. I had all but forgotten about this tasty treat until my co-worker brought it up about a month ago.  A decent protein source and something Julian can self-feed, unlike yogurt (self-feeding is a requirement for big boys at Julian’s daycare).  I found an organic, low-fat variety at my local natural food store.  He can’t get enough of the stuff. 

These are just a few of the ways I make quick, easy lunches for daycare or when we are out on the town on weekends.   I am eager to hear your ideas for quick and easy protein sources for growing little ones!

Fabulous Food Finds: Bountiful Baskets

If you live in the western half of the U.S., chances are you live in a Bountiful Baskets state and may not even know it!  What is Bountiful Baskets,  you ask?  It is a great way to bring fresh healthy produce to your family’s table at a reasonable price.  And,as a bonus, you may get to sample fruits and veggies you never knew existed. 

Several months ago, some good friends  inadvertently turned me on to BB by posting a picture of their fresh agricultural bounty on Facebook.  I was intrigued and after many questions I found out that this all-volunteer food co-op purchases food at a good price then distributes the food (and the savings)  to participating members.  Unlike other food-sharing co-ops, however, BB is flexible. 

One primary difference is when you join, you are not obligated to participate every week .  You choose when to buy and when to sit-it-out,  only paying for the week  when you want  food.   It’s simple – you pay online in the middle of the week and on Saturday an amazing basket of fruits and veggies is waiting at a drop-off location near you.  Here is a FAQ from the web site to answer more of your pressing questions. 

Although they also offer breads, tortillas, cakes and specialty baskets*, my first purchase included just the standard basket (contents vary by week).   As it happened, this basket turned out to be a baby-food making paradise!  As you see below, it contained  several delicacies for the momma and a plethora of apples, sweet potatoes and bananas for Julian’s delight! 

Our First Bountiful Basket (bonus baby sighting in mirror)

The best part of this basket was the price.  In addition to a one-time membership fee of $3, I paid $15 for my standard basket, plus $1.50 handling.  My total investment for the two-week supply of produce was $19.50 (only $16.50 every week thereafter).  The same selection would have fetched over $30  dollars at my local grocery.  I believe the going rate for a bunch of asparagus was , at the time, $3.99.  As you can see above, my basket yielded two such bunches.  It’s easy to see how after a just a few items, the basket pays for itself ! 

Although this particular basket consisted of known specimens, we were subsequently fortunate to be turned on to swiss chard, mexican grey squash, mangos, a coconut and beet greens, just to name a few.  That’s right, I didn’t know I loved mangos until this year!  The variety ‘forced’ me to become wildly creative in the kitchen and to work outside of my comfort zone.  While I am willing to try just about any food, that does not mean I know how to cook it. 

Fortunately, the BB web site provides ideas for cooking with their more exotic food offerings.  I got some ideas and soon I was off and running with my new-found natural treats.  They also provide information on food storage – nice to know when you get a large amount of potentially perishable foods  in one day.  I found enough of the items to be under-ripe, allowing  me to prioritize my menus accordingly.  Our first day, we usually focus on the greens, berries and bananas – saving the other fruits and heartier veggies, such as potatoes, for later in the week. 

So, if you live in a BB state, like fresh food at a fair price and find the idea of culinary Russian roulette fascinating – give it a try!  

*specialty baskets include the mexican food pack, italian food pack and more.  The ingredients vary, but include all the herbs and veggies you need to create a fresh, delicious ethnic dinner your family!