Meal Planning Inspired by the Very Hungry Caterpillar

I was reading Emma The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the umpteenth time when I had a little epiphany: If the Very Hungry Caterpillar can have a different fruit each day, my family can too! And if we have a different fruit each day, we can plan on a different vegetable each day while we’re at it.  This might help our family eat more kinds of fruits and vegetables throughout the week.  And as an added plus, it could give me a framework to plan my meals and snacks around (I have had issues meal planning.) 

So I went to a website http://www.foodfit.com/healthy/healthywinterfoods_fruit.asp to get an idea of what kinds of fruits are in season for winter, and noted the ones I haven't eaten in a while, and put them down on a chart. I did the same for vegetables using the same site. I also checked to see which of those items were on sale using the local ads.  Then I bought the produce.  I’m considering getting a vegetable/fruit box through a local co-op where they pick and choose the fruit and vegetables for you. 

The result?  We have several fruits and vegetables to choose from throughout the day and throughout the week.  I have found that it has been easier to plan our family dinners because I know what kind of produce I’m going to have on hand.  And it has helped me figure out what I need to buy at the grocery store.

While I was at it, I went ahead and assigned different breakfast ideas to each of the days and a plan for dinner.  It’s a simple chart, but it’s been helpful to me.  I do my grocery shopping on Wednesday, so that’s why it’s in the second column.

 

I Should Have Taken Home Ec.

I was running new blog title ideas by my husband Ben since “Leticia’s Notebook” was rather uninspiring for me.  Here’s how our conversation went:

Leticia: “Journeys in Homemaking”?  Too boring huh?

Ben: Yes.

Leticia: How about “I should have taken Home Ec”?  Just kidding.

Ben: I like that one.

And he’s insisting that’s the best one I’ve come up with, so I’m going to stick with it.

Running a home is much more involved than I ever could have imagined as a kid.  I thought laundry was magically cleaned and folded; that budgets balanced themselves; and that food was as easy as one, two three.  Managing a home for me consisted of making my bed and keeping my room clean, setting the table, dusting, helping clean up dinner, and taking out the trash once in a while.

I’m not an expert at all in home ec, and I have a lot to learn, but I think it’s fascinating learning about how to make a home run more smoothly.  So that’s why I have this blog, to force myself to think about it a little more, to collect ideas, share what I’ve learned, vent about how my house is a work in progress, and just be real about home management. 

I’ve committed to write more regularly because I think it will help me personally as I try to stay more organized.  And I’m not going to let lack of pictures get in my way.