Cooking in Bulk

It has been 18 months since we went from being DINKs to a family of three and in twoish months, we'll be a family of four. It's amazing the impact a child can have on the way you cook. As the primary chef/nutritionist in our family, I try to make the most of our meals. We are fortunate to live in a state where you can actually grow produce year round. So our veggies and fruits come in a CSA box each week, our grains/legumes come in buckets, and our meat comes from a local farmer. My family's health is important to me. If you are what you eat, I'd rather fill my family full of whole grains and naturally grown food than with factory made food. The downside to this is lack of convenience, so the biggest change has been cooking in bulk.

There are days when I just don't have time to cook or a certain toddler is bound and determined to keep me away from the countertops. He literally wedges himself in between me and the cabinets and pushes with all his might against me. It really makes cooking interesting! I know this will be amplified once I add a newborn to the mix. But gone are the days where we have a supply of Tombstone pizzas and Marie Callendar pot pies. So usually one night a week, I cook multiple meals at once. Tonight was my bulk cooking night.

This week's menu:
Monday: Alfredo
Tuesday: Pork Chops and Gravy
Wednesday: Black Bean Quesadillas
Thursday: Chick Pea and Parmesan Pasta
Friday: Leftovers/Clean out the Fridge Night

So today, I made the pork chops and gravy in the crockpot. It smelled SO good. I put it in tupperware for tomorrow because Tuesdays are our busiest day of the week. I made tonight's alfredo, homemade tortillas (for Wednesdays Quesadillas), and three batches of split pea soup to freeze.

Making meals to freeze helps me use up food that might otherwise go bad before I get to it and keeps us from ordering out when I don't get the chance or don't feel like cooking. I also make our snacks. We usually have homemade granola and hummus on hand. Just last week, I found a really easy homemade graham cracker recipe. It's healthy and delicious. We also have quick breads in the freezer.

Quick breads are my favorite! They are great for using up the extra produce we get in our CSA box. I make squash bread, banana bread, peach bread, strawberry bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread... you name it, I've probably made a quick bread out of it. Next up, apple bread! It's delightful with a cup of coffee in the morning and easy to pull out when company is coming over for a snack.

Eating this way requires more planning, but we are getting spoiled. Once you start making the homemade equivalents of most foods, you'll find the taste and nutritional value far superior to factory made foods.