When our daughters were young, it seemed as if time disappeared into our dryer, like that matching sock we had been looking for forever. We started going from school to dance, to taekwondo, to gymnastics. Then we started Girl Scouts. I cannot forget Girl Scouts. I started volunteering and eventually became a troop leader. Our daughters remained active through high school and are now life members.
They also discovered soccer. Our evenings and weekends were consumed with travel soccer, soccer practice, matches, and tournaments. They practiced two days a week. On the weekends, we played on our home fields or traveled. We traveled to Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Rock Hill, and surrounding areas to play. It was not unusual for us to return home as late as Sunday evening to prep for the next week.
Needless to say, our girls were busy and we were too.
My husband and I worked full-time jobs. When our daughters grew old enough to manage somewhat on their own, my husband picked up a part-time gig. I started a part-time private practice/consultancy when they entered middle school. Time was never our friend. As they became more active, we had to figure out ways to manage household responsibilities. After adding additional work, we had to deal with the elephant in the room. Who was going to wash the dishes, wash clothes, cook, and keep the house clean?
Thoughts about hiring a cleaning person like Alice from The Brady Bunch or Flo from The Jeffersons were fleeting. We could not afford a full-time cleaning person. We were pinching pennies and using super saver coupons.
Never once did we considered letting other people exclusively shuttle our children around either. As older parents, we were committed to spending as much time with our daughters as possible. We put together an effective carpool with several other families, however. The carpool lasted for years.
We were Not Slobs
I obsessed over keeping my house clean. My parent’s and in-law’s homes were immaculate. They were also retired and had time. A neighbor tried to reassure me once by saying “you have young kids. If someone does not like the lived-in look, then they should stay at their own house.”
That is easier said than done. Traditionally, women are still judged by how well we “keep” our home, spouse, and children. If the house is in disarray, if the spouse appears unkempt, if the children misbehave, the woman is blamed.
No one would look at my husband and condemn him. Nor would they hold our children responsible. The thought of being judged as a poor wife and mother added to my high stress levels. After speaking with the family, we agreed to keep the common areas clean, clutter free and guest ready. I will talk about how we did so in another post.
Healthy Eating was Another Issue
Eating healthily was another major concern. Our schedules prevented us from cooking healthy, wholesome meals for the family. After picking the girls up from school, they were whisked off to one of their activities. Consequently, we drove through fast food lines almost daily. We tried to make healthier choices, like Chik-Fil-A or Zaxby’s, but fast food is fast food. Even the healthiest fast food has high levels of sodium, sugar, and fat.
Cooking a full meal every day after work was not practical either. We consistently arrived home after 6 pm when they were younger. Once they were in middle school and on practice nights, we would get home around 7 pm. Sometimes we arrived home later. The girls only had enough time to shower, eat, finish homework, and keep their bedtime.
We also started looking at the money we spent eating out almost every day. It was not cheap. We had to figure out how to feed them, fit healthy eating into our schedule and save money at the same time.
We did it and you can, too. Here are seven things I did and grew to enjoy.
Use Frozen Veggies:
I bought a variety of microwaveable frozen vegetables. Pop a bag or two in the microwave for 5 minutes and we had delicious, healthy veggies. I kept track of the kind my family liked best and looked for coupons to supplement the purchase price.
Repurpose and Save:
My husband is a meat eater. A meal to him consists of meat and well, meat. On Sunday, I would cook two types of meat. I planned to repurpose the meat in different recipes. For example. I would grill chicken breast for Sunday dinner. During the next week, we might eat the leftover chicken in tacos, chicken salad, or top a lettuce salad with chicken. I have also used the leftover chicken in a stir-fry.
Ground beef or turkey are other meats that are also easy to repurpose. Extra meat sauce can be used in pasta dishes like spaghetti or lasagna. We also like chili dogs. So, we will cook hot dogs and top them with the meat sauce Quick, easy, and fun.
Use leftovers for lunch. Before we cleaned the kitchen, I would pack my lunch for the next day. My husband started doing the same when he realized how much money we saved with our upscale brown bagging. We each spent an average of $10 – $12 a day on lunch. That adds up to a monthly average of $200 – $240. Taking the leftovers proved to be delicious, nutritious, and cost effective.
Double the fun:
Occasionally, I intentionally doubled a recipe. I would freeze it and use it later. Doubling also works when you chop veggies like onions, sweet peppers, or mushrooms. Save your chopped veggies in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you eat loaded salads prepare your ingredients ahead of time and store in airtight containers. For example, wash and shred the salad greens. Chop onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and other vegetables. You can also put toppings like nuts, raisins, sprouts, etc, in small containers.
Jump start:
I enjoy eating oatmeal for breakfast. I will make a large batch, scoop equal amounts into covered dishes and store in the refrigerator. In the morning, I will grab a dish, add my toppings, heat, and eat.
Rice and quinoa are other grains that can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator. Cold rice is perfect for a fried rice recipe. Quinoa can be added to other recipes or eaten as a side dish or cereal.
Timed Cooking:
Another neighbor, who is a teacher, told me that she cooked all her meals in a slow cooker. Multicookers like Instant Pot add supplement time management efforts. Cooking a meal requires less time.
You can do other things while your food is cooking when you use a multicooker or slow cooker. These appliances do not require you to stand, stir, or sift once you hit the start button. You can set the timer or cook time before leaving in the morning and come home to a fully cooked meal in the evening.
Quick and Easy:
We love breakfast. In a pinch, we cooked breakfast for lunch. Scrambled eggs, omelets, pancakes, or waffles became our go to dinner when all else failed. Our girls loved it. We enjoyed the ease.
Grilled cheese was also a family favorite. We would come home and pull out the griddle. Within 15 minutes we were eating.
Convenience is good:
Spaghetti or pasta sauce in a jar saves time. There is nothing like the taste of sauce that has simmered for hours. The reality is that we did not have that kind of time. We often started with a jar of sauce and seasoned it to our taste. Alfredo sauce in a jar was another family favorite. We sometimes used olive oil and herbs or pesto in place of sauce.
Speaking of convenience, the roasted chicken that Sam’s Club, Publix, Walmart, and other stores sell is convenient, delicious. The leftovers can be repurposed in many ways. You can simply make chicken sandwiches.
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