Sunday, February 12, 2012

Answering some questions plus this week's menu

There's no doubt we like to eat in our house. And since cooking is something I have grown to enjoy just in the last few years, it is often the focus of my posts on Facebook and Pinterest. I've been told that I post about food too much, it's been implied to me that our weight issues are tied to the fact that I cook for us (as opposed to eating frozen diet meals), and I get lots of questions about my love for cooking. I thought I'd answer one question/comment each week, as part of my weekly menu post. This week's question:

Why do you spend so much time cooking? You could just order out or eat frozen stuff. It's so much easier.

It is, indeed, easier. It also tastes like #$%^. I grew up in a house where that sort of insta-meal stuff was the norm. A typical dinner was frozen veggies and either Hamburger Helper or some sort of plain baked (and bland) protein, and a side of Rice-a-roni or mac and cheese from a box. Enjoying food, exploring different tastes, and eating fresh healthy food were not priorities. Now, part of the problem was that we did not have a lot of money when I was a kid. Meals had to be cheap and they had to be quick because both of my parents worked and my brother and I had lots of activities. But I was never exposed to different types of food until I went to college. I'd never had sushi, falafel, or real Mexican food (not tacos made from a kit) until I went off to school. It wasn't until then that I realized food was something that could be enjoyed, even if it was in moderation. I had grown up being told that affordability and "healthiness" was all that mattered. We are determined to expose our son to as many cultures as possible, and food is part of that. We are also determined to make sure he understands the value of healthy eating - not by eating anything that is labeled "lite," but by eating fresh, simply-cooked food. I get a sense of pride in cooking good food for my little family. It does take a significant amount of time - almost two hours each night (including clean-up and getting our lunches made for the next day) and half a day on Sundays when I cook a bunch of stuff for the week. But I'd rather give up that time, and maybe spend a little more on our grocery bill than if we bought meals that come in a box or bag, to enjoy what we eat. Food can be good for you and be delicious. The time I spend cooking, in my opinion, is time well spent.

This week's menu

Breakfast for the week - Pumpkin, apple, bacon, and chive biscuits with bacon and egg. I read the comments and added some coconut milk for moisture. We also added the cheese since we are still eating dairy on our grain-free plan.

Yesterday, I also cooked a free-range turkey that's been in our freezer for a while (leftovers will show up later in the week), grain-free stuffing, and roasted brussel sprouts and carrots.

Finally, I cooked up a bunch of bacon to be used in some of this week's recipes and for breakfasts.

Monday - "Spaghetti" carbonara

Tuesday - A special meal for my valentine, re-made to be grain-free

Wednesday - Turkey thai basil

Thursday - Stuffed pork chops

Friday - Grain-free shepard's pie


This post is part of Menu Plan Monday

1 comment:

  1. I had a similar food upbringing. My mom did her best to get a protein, starch, yellow and green vegetable on our plate each night, but it was all pretty plain. I love all the recipes you are using. I'm going to start following all of the blogs. Thanks for being such a great resource. :)

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