I’m learning more about our eating and spending habits with my new Meal Memo in a Jar dinner plan.
First, you can’t guarantee that even with certain foods on the menu, that’s what we’ll be hungry for; but our new motto is “Eat what’s on your plate!”.
Second, I need to add “fast” memos for the days when I’m too tired to cook. (What? You really believed I was SuperWoman?!) Foods like Little Ceasar’s $5 Hot-n-Ready, or a frozen skillet meal from Stouffer’s. Those super quick and easy and filling foods. But I should only allow one per week. I’ve also discovered that I’m more apt to go the fast-food route when I’m tired, busy, or just lazy. That’s not a good reason to eat junk food! And if they’re planned out, there are better options than just finding myself at the drive-thru and ordering whatever looks good in the moment.
Third, I have more food than I realize, and we usually eat less than I anticipate. That’s the great thing: I’ll be able to transfer all the unused Meal Memos to April’s Jar. There’s so much still there! I originally planned one Meal Memo to last two days, but they average three. That gives me two more days a week that I don’t have to cook. That’s an average of eight days a month! That’s a lot of food/savings for next month. How great is that?
Fourth, the few days I’ve eaten fast foods or “made do”, I don’t feel as good as when I follow the Memo Plan. I need to come up with ideas for really quick meals, maybe freeze-ahead’s so all I have to do is microwave or reheat on the stove top.
Well, here’s the next recap of March’s Meal Memos:
10th: Dot was at a Youth Group function and I was at the Second Family’s house for the evening. We grabbed healthy snacks before leaving home, and had an egg-salad sandwich later when we stopped by my mom’s. My mom makes the best egg-salad. No joke. It’s the one recipe I don’t even try to make. I tried once. I failed. Now I just eat hers.
11th: Mom invited us to her house Mexican Steak: it’s a slow-cooked combination of tender steak bites, kidney beans and tomatoes served over rice. Fantastically delicious!
12th: Today was My Last Disney Day. Megan and I ate ate Chicken Fusilli and Dot had leftovers at my mom’s house.
13th: A really busy day today. Forgot to pull a Meal Memo from the jar. So we made do with sandwiches and snacks.
14th: I woke up not feeling well. Pretty sure it was a combination of allergies and weather. And a little altitude nausea… I rarely leave the desert so when I either go up to the mountains or down to Disneyland, it affects me. I’m just weird that way. So on the way home from errands we picked up a pizza from Little Caesar’s. Double feature: Dot gets to take the leftovers for her school lunch!
15th: The Meal Memo called for pork loin and baby potatoes. Easy, nutritious! I cheated and bought jar-gravy so I wouldn’t have to make it today. I chopped up a nice salad and we’ll also finish the last of the Jell-O. Since on Thursdays Dot goes to her grandparents, she wasn’t home for dinner tonight but I made it anyway. That will take care of the weekend meals too.
16th: Leftovers! Deliciously healthy leftovers.
Tonight we’ll be trying to find healthy foods via the local bowling center. It’s Dot’s best friend’s birthday and we’re celebrating!
I’m looking forward to the next few entries… but you’ll just have to wait til the next recap!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
