A Working Mom’s Tips For Eating All the Good Food Without All the Fuss
Hi there, Moinkers! It’s Lacey here, Moink Paparazzi and Field Trip Coordinator. You may not know me yet, because I’m usually working behind the scenes with Head Hen Lucinda to help deliver the best meat money can buy to your doorstep. Today I’m here to talk to you about one of my favorite topics – dinner!
I love good food. I hear about these people who “forget to eat,” and I just can’t even relate. These people are not to be trusted! I love finding a recipe, putting my own spin on it, taking pictures of it (recovering professional photographer here), and most of all, eating it!
I wish I could tell you that I’m some kind of domestic goddess who churns out beautifully styled, seven-course meals every night. But the truth is, I’m a busy working mama of three, and ain’t nobody got time for that! Like the other Moink Hens, I’m trying to raise littles, keep my home from looking like a tornado went through it, survive the witching hour, and did I mention helping to run the coolest startup on the planet?
Keeping up with two elementary schoolers and a toddler is not for the faint of heart, especially since my husband travels most weeks, and I do it all solo. It would be easy to just grab convenience foods on the regular, but putting real, delicious food on the table is a big priority for me. While I don’t always nail it, I’ve picked up a few tricks for feeding my family well, and on a budget. Here are three of my secrets to preparing wholesome dinners my family will enjoy, while still keeping my sanity and my tiny humans alive!
Stay One Step Ahead
I’m a big believer in meal planning and prepping. I pick a day each week when I can set aside some time to chop veggies we can use in soups, stir-fry’s and crock-pot meals the whole week. If I’m going to take the time to prepare food and make a big mess in the kitchen, you better believe I’m going to get two to three meals out of it. If I cook a pork shoulder, I turn it into pork tacos the next night. Pot roast is another staple in our home, and those leftovers turn into a stew. Having regular Moink box deliveries has changed the meal prep game for me. Since I receive a box every four weeks or so, I always have a nice variety of pork, beef, chicken and fish on hand. I often pop meat right out of my freezer and into the crock pot at night, then go to bed knowing the next day’s yummy dinner is done and done!
Fake It ‘til You Make It
To me, recipes are more like suggestions. I don’t know if I’m too free spirited, or have a problem with authority, but I just can’t follow those step-by-step instructions exactly. I’d rather wing it, and I’m usually looking to use up what I already have on hand. Some of the best meals I’ve ever made were just happy accidents! I love looking online for inspiration, and then trying new things until I get a recipe just right. A couple years ago, I set my sights on creating the perfect biscuit, and we ate them an entire summer!
Sometimes it seems I have more Pinterest fails than victories, and sometimes our favorite dinners aren’t Instagram worthy. But who cares? Even if you’re not the best cook, or you don’t enjoy it all that much, find a few dishes and rock them out. You don’t have to know how to make everything if you can cook one or two things really well!
A Family Affair
I enjoy involving my kiddos in the cooking process. In addition to being the unofficial Moink recipe taste testers, each of my babies have sat on my counter tops and helped chop and stir since they were in diapers. Just the other day as we were prepping for our Super Bowl party, my 2-year-old was up on the counter helping me stuff mushrooms!
When it comes to supper time, I’m not willing to be a short-order chef. I tell my kids they don’t have to like everything I make, but they always have to try it. It’s amazing to me how much more likely they are to try new foods when they got to play a big role in preparing them. At Moink, we’re all about connecting with the food we’re putting in our bodies, and understanding how it got from farm to fork. It makes me happy that my kids are learning to appreciate real, nutritious and tasty meals from a young age. We have to pass this value on to the next generation!
At the end of the day, for me it’s about being present with my family. Our days are crazy, but I do all that I can to make sure the hours of 4-8 p.m. are really good quality time together. Between playing outside, the homework, and baths, I don’t have time to stress about a healthy dinner. Once the bedtime routines are done, I soak up a few fleeting moments of me-time, then get ready to do it all again the next day.
I’m so thankful that Moink allows me to put ethically-sourced, humanely-raised and exceptional-tasting meat in the bellies of the people I love the most. Are you ready to do the same? Try a Moink box today!
Ready to join the Moink Moovement and help us fight for the family farm?
