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teachingmyown Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 20 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: June 14 2007 at 5:36pm | IP Logged
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I know we talk about food and nutrition alot around here. I could probably spend hours reading previous threads. But I will be lazy and just start a new thread.
I am not a good cook, or an enthusiastic cook. In a perfect world, I would love to cook and try new things. In this world, pregnant with #8, pretty worn out and dealing with a million things at once including a kid who I think needs some dietary changes, a healthy dinner is a rare treat.
I am looking for suggestions for a book to guide me in my attempts to feed my kids properly. But it can't be one that has me spending hours grinding my own wheat or one that suggests ingredients I haven't heard of and my kids won't touch.
Is there such a book? Are we doomed to tacos, spaghetti and pizza until that day when I have energy and the kids don't balk at all things different?
__________________ In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Elizabeth Founder
Real Learning
Joined: Jan 20 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: June 14 2007 at 6:19pm | IP Logged
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Molly,
Around here, tacos and spaghetti are very nutritious . Pizza could be too but we don't do the wheat thing...
Cookbooks:
Breakfast
Dinner:
These are vegetarian. For meat, add grilled, roasted, or broiled whatever--keep the protein simple, but make the veggies your focus.
Vegetable Heaven
My main go-to!
How to think about food, put it all together:
Dr. Sears Nutrition
Sound advice for us all
Here's my biggest tip: come up with only one week of menus. Plan everything: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. And then make a shopping list. Follow it exactly. If you need to tweak it at the end of the week, make little adjustments, but don't plan a whole new week. Just do one week of solid nutrition and then repeat it until the seasons change. If you want to throw in a little treat now and then, go for it. But take the thinking out of it after you've completely thought it through once. I've been cooking and eating this way since Lent began and it's amazingly liberating in the grocery store, the kitchen, and at the dinner table!
__________________ Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Tami Forum All-Star
Joined: Dec 27 2006
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Posted: June 15 2007 at 6:04am | IP Logged
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I ~knew~ Elizabeth would come through with something for you Molly! I remember what she did for Bridget way back when - planning a week's meals from only shopping at Costco's/Sams.
I would add, Molly, if you're feeling overwhelmed about making the menu and list (and I know you've got a LOT going on right now) to just write down what you've already eaten (start with yesterday, or the day before, if you can remember back that far - I know I can't ). After a week, you have a menu! BTW, this is a FlyLady tip. I think it really helps when the brain can't fathom doing one more thing!
Hope this helps, and hang in there!
__________________ God bless,
Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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teachingmyown Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 20 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: June 15 2007 at 9:38am | IP Logged
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Tami wrote:
to just write down what you've already eaten (start with yesterday, or the day before, if you can remember back that far -
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Looking back at what we have eaten this week, now there is a scary thought! But I get the idea.
Elizabeth- thanks! I had never heard of Mollie Katzen. They have a couple of the books you suggested at the library so I will check them out. I actually really like the idea of having more vegetarian type dishes, especially for summer when we are often throwing meat on the grill or in the crockpot. We usually end up with pasta salad or mashed potatoes and corn as sides.
I was trying to do an online menu thing, morethyme.com, which in one way was great because I could plan out breakfast, lunch and dinner, and print it out. The problem, which is probably unique to me, is there were TOO many choices and I would spend hours and end up picking stuff that was too much work or the kids wouldn't eat because I was tired of thinking. Story of my life. BUT, the kids really liked looking at the schedule and knowing what to eat for breakfast. Woe to me if I didn't feel like cooking that morning or if I had forgotten an ingredient!!
I have the family nutrition book. I need to pull it out again.
If we ever get through this baseball tournament, (I am loving the rain for some downtime but it stretches out the season!) I will declare a "Mom's reading week" and devote some time to clearing the cobwebs in my mind and putting together a plan, a simple one, but still a plan of action for this family starting with our meals.
__________________ In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Jen L. Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 18 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: June 15 2007 at 11:10am | IP Logged
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I can soooo relate to meal planning trials.
Elizabeth, you have inspired me to plan a weeks worth and repeat it. Somehow I always have it in my head that I have to plan monthly with minimum repeats!
My friend with 7 kids (11 on down) has started having each of the kids (starting at about age 7) plan a dinner and breakfast each week. They prepare it as much as they are able and she assists. We are going to try it here.
__________________ Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
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kingvozzo Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005 Location: Maine
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Posted: June 15 2007 at 12:08pm | IP Logged
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Jen L. wrote:
I can soooo relate to meal planning trials.
Elizabeth, you have inspired me to plan a weeks worth and repeat it. Somehow I always have it in my head that I have to plan monthly with minimum repeats!
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This is what gets me too! I'm going to try and streamline meal time here! You ladies are always so inspiring. Thanks for the kick
__________________ Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
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folklaur Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: June 15 2007 at 6:20pm | IP Logged
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Anyone care to share their "sample week"? I would love some inspiration to get going....
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Elizabeth Founder
Real Learning
Joined: Jan 20 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: June 15 2007 at 6:23pm | IP Logged
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I have been meaning to blog a sample week. There are pics in my camera. But i can't find my camera. Incidentally, our current week is all recipes my twelve year old son can cook, start to finish. Maybe I'll have him work on a blog post this weekend.
__________________ Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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MarilynW Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2006 Location: N/A
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Posted: June 15 2007 at 9:33pm | IP Logged
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I have used the Sue Gregg books - just followed her sample menus when desperate. They have also been easy to adapt for kids with allergies. Now I have a 3 week plan (though with my restricted activity - things have gone a little off track and we are not eating as well as we should )
__________________ Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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