The Kitchen Slack-off Plan

Okay, so I'm actually really embarrassed and pretty reluctant to write this post. But I'm going to write it anyway. Because right now, at this exact point in my journey, this is the advice I have to offer...

When push comes to shove and the thought of cooking brings tears and nausea, just slack off. I have an abundance of chicken breasts, ground turkey, sausage links, and all manner of veggies in my freezer right now. I can barely stand to look at them, let alone come up with a meal plan for preparing them. I'm in the first trimester of a pregnancy and, while I am blessed and thrilled and overall doing great, I am also tired and nauseous. No big surprise.

And so, when my husband got paid and my monthly grocery money rolled in, what did I do? I'll tell you...

I went through my coupons and pulled out all the ones for frozen meals and Hamburger Helper. For chicken patties and ready-to-bake pizzas. For soups and "rice and sauce"-type side dishes. And I hit the store.

As I rolled my cart through the check-out lane, my cheeks flamed a bit. I don't usually shop this way. I can usually take pride in my array of fresh produce, lean meats, and my giant bags of flour because I bake all my own breads. I sometimes glance at others' carts and wonder how they can pay so much for convenience...

But you know what? The teenage cashier didn't bat a lash. And I think my husband was kind of excited to see some of the types of things we used to eat in college. And, as I served my children Lender's bagels spread with peanut butter instead of Mommy's homemade this morning, they didn't notice.

But everyone's happier when Mommy's happy. Slacker or not.

For more tips, check out Kitchen Tip Tuesday!