Two years ago I was a dewy eyed bride with visions of perfect housekeeping dancing in my head. I figured that my time spent cooking and cleaning would be forever fueled by my love for Paul. I had been waiting for (what felt like) so long to be his wife and I just knew that I could run a perfect household for him!
Boy was I in for a surprise! It turns out that you don't automatically become a great cook overnight just because you're in love. And your kitchen doesn't stay clean effortlessly just because you're a brand new wife. Nope. Like most good things, these joys of the home take practice and work. But in the first few weeks and months, I was frustrated, embarrassed and had many failed attempts. There were (are) days I thought that maybe I'm just not cut out for this. I still don't get it right all the time. But this week I've been thinking about just how far the Lord has brought me in the last two years as far as keeping our home and especially in making our daily meals. Here's what I've learned and what I try to put into practice:
Planning:
Plan out our suppers for the week. Sometimes I write it out with recipes and everything, sometimes it's as simple as laying it out in my mind, "Soup on Monday, Lasagna on Tuesday, Leftovers on Wednesday, Chicken on Thursday..." Either way, I find that if I know the plan for the next 5-7 nights, I feel a lot more ready to take on the week.
Thinking through the next 24 hours. If I know we'll have Mexican food for dinner tomorrow night, then I know I'll need to soak my rice and beans the night before.
Reusing ingredients. Sometimes, I can double my prep work to prepare for a future meal. For instance, last week I made Southwest salad for supper one night. I over estimated how many beans to cook. We made salads a few more meals, but started to grow tired of the same thing over and over. This week I still had quite a few beans left, so instead of making more salads, I refried them and used them for quesadillas.
Leftovers. Paul and I are pretty good about eating leftovers, but after a few meals, we grow tired of them. I found that we were wasting a lot of food when we would toss the end of our leftovers because we didn't eat them before they went bad. So now I like to pack and freeze half of a meal - especially if it has made a large portion. This way, we don't have an overwhelming amount left in the fridge, and I can prepare it again simply by defrosting it a while later.
Shopping:
Stick to the list. When I have my weekly meals all planned, then my trips to the grocery store are much more simple. I make a list to pick up any of the ingredients we don't yet have, and I try to stick to the list only.
Snacks and treats. I find that I prefer to snack throughout the day instead of eating distinct meals. I make it a point to buy lots of fresh fruit and veggies, cottage cheese, yogurt, nuts in addition to making bread, granola and cookies/sweets at home. These healthy options are often times much cheaper than whats in the chips/crackers/snack aisles at the store. As far as treats go, our main splurge is ice-cream. Still, I try to keep it as a "once-in-a-while purchase" as opposed to keeping our freezer stocked all the time.
Stocking up. One of my favorite things I've been doing is stocking up on staples at Costco. I like to buy my meat there and keep it in the freezer in small quantities. I also stock up on flour, rice, olive oil and peanut butter. It feels so good to not have to worry about running out of the things I use the most!
Buying in budget. This one is important to Paul and me, as we plan to live within our means. Sometimes this means I can't buy fancy treats, organic produce or specialty foods. And I'm okay with that. While I believe God calls us to take care of our bodies and make wise, nutritional choices, I don't believe it is honoring to Him if I disrespect my husband or go into debt to do it.
Cleaning Up:
Re-using pots and pans. I used to think I needed a new pot or pan for each task. Sometimes things are cooking at the same time and so I will need to use multiple cookware. But now I'm learning to space out my prep work so I can make the whole meal in just one (or maybe 2) pans. Depending on what was prepped before it, I'll give it a little rinse or wipe down and move on. This, of course also helps with clean-up!
Attitude:
- Jealousy that I do most of the cooking and clean-up at our house, and Paul gets to come home and relax.
- Hopelessness that this is a never ending job and that someday when we have children it will be an even harder job!
- Discouragement about our budget and what foods I can and cannot buy on a regular basis.
- Frustration when I don't keep up with the expectations for food and cleanliness that I have set for myself (and I know that Paul appreciates).
- Thankfulness that I get to be the one who prepares a place of rest and a meal for a husband who goes out and works so hard for me and for our future. What a gift it is to work alongside him and be his helpmate in this way!
- Hope that I have lots of time to improve and grow.
- Gratefulness that we are abundantly blessed! Look at all the good food we are able to buy. I have clean water, I send my husband to work every day with a full lunch and he comes home to a house full of food. We are extravagantly blessed beyond my comprehension.
- Praise that His mercy is new every morning. I will never live up to my standards of perfection. Jesus gave his life up and now I have new life that has nothing to do with living perfectly and everything to do with the grace He pours out on me. All glory to God!
