Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Today is my kind of day! I just looked up and it was 4:30... I head out to get Mo at 4:50. I was also able to hit up my postpartum core class during lunch, started day 1 of my tuna salad diet (homemade, to save $10! on the tuna salad I usually get), have caught up with work and am 80% done organizing Moira's 1st birthday (amazon order complete and waiting, venue emailed, food ordered, photographer confirmed, party favors ordered, other food/wine/beer itinerary typed up, and invite mostly done and getting a once over from designer extraordinaire, Tia Teresa). I think we're being pretty conservative with this party and still... these things are expensive! I'm also still trying to do as much as I can to save money while also working fulltime, and even still, it's a small fortune to put together. I can't wait until we have a house to throw these parties in (a topic for another time... but we may be moving sooner rather than later).

Yesterday I went to the store to grab groceries and it got me thinking. I love to cook, and often get questions about how I can cook while working fulltime with a little Mango running around. A lot of people have told me that they cook everything for the week on Sunday, which seems absolutely exhausting, or they prepare one big thing for the whole week, which seems boring. I also tried Blue Apron, which I loved in terms of convenience, but as a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants cook, I could not follow the recipes (though it's great for people who are just getting into cooking). I'm not sure who this advise would be for, but here's what I do.

• Hit up the store for a major purchase (online: Freshdirect, in person: Whole Foods or Union Market, both deliver) on the weekend. I like to actually look at what I'm purchasing and I like being able to choose from a variety so WF is the best there. If I'm short on time the FD will do.
• If I need any little things during the week I stop off at our neighborhood Fine Fare, but I'm always less then thrilled about their meat and produce selection.
• As soon as it's delivered I usually plan out the weekly meals, then seperate meats into freezer bags and marinate them. 
• Some favorites are: pork tenderloin, chicken breast, skirt steak
• Favorite marinades: teriyaki, miso, mustard, chile powder, soy sauce, red wine. I usually get pretty creative. I just set out all marinade ingredients, all the bags needed and in total, this takes maybe 20 minutes.
• I always get pie crusts. I love making my own pie dough, but these free up a good hour of prep and are great for quiches and pot pies of various forms. WF sells whole wheat ones too!
• I always have a quick backup. For me this is usually frozen turkey meatballs from FD. They're yummy and in my favorite Marcella Hazan tomato sauce (which takes no time to cook), they're divine. 
• I also keep tons of staples on hand: beans, chickpeas, pasta, risotto, rice, frozen veggies (green beans, broccoli, corn, peas, spinach), etc. In a pinch, that's a meal too.
• I always try to keep some kind of chicken in the freezer. Just a quick poach and I've got not only cooked chicken but a very basic/rustic chicken stock to use or freeze back. 
• Corn tortillas are also something that take a very long time to go bad and are so versatile for tacos, enchiladas, casseroles, quesadillas, migas, tortilla chips (for nachos), etc. I also have a bunch in our fridge.
• I love having pre-washed greens. I usually always give these a quick rinse anyways but in a pinch it's already cut and prepared. I love kale because it's so versatile. Last night I blanched and put a handful into some mashed potatoes I was making... easy, healthy, done. Arugula is another favorite or if I can find precut collard greens too.
• I have a laundry list of staple meals, for those days when I just cannot think. Mustard chicken, anchovy pasta, lamb burgers, quiche, homemade pizza, meatballs, truffle orzo, any kind of casserole, a tagine meal, etc. 
• Go to chefs for trusted recipes. I LOVE Nigella Lawson (her choice in ex-husbands and extracurricular activities notwithstanding), Ina Garten, Giada de Laurentiis, Martha Stewart (mostly for baking) and the Pioneer Woman, of course. If I have a designated a protein for our meal but have no idea what to do with it, these ladies are my recipe backups.
• And when it's just one of those days... there's no shame in ordering in. But I do try to limit that to once every two weeks.

And trust me, there have been a lot of pretty terrible meals. There have been a lot of starts and stops because I would rather chase a Mango around, there have even been nights where I was just so fed up Bill found me in bed at 7pm when he got home from work. But most nights, it works. Mango sits in her highchair and watches, or plays in her play "room", I am my best domestic goddess self, and dinner is served by 8. And while I consider most of my meals or cooking techniques to be pretty healthy, now that  Moira is eating a lot of what we eat I try extra hard to be cognizant about what we give her, and ourselves. I'm big with whole wheat, lots of grains (quinoa!), olive oil, the best produce, proteins and dairy. And while I'm not a stickler for organic, I like to know that I can trust the places I shop at. While Whole Foods, Fresh Direct and Union Market are all pricy, they provide greater peace of mind that I'm giving my family the best I can without having to think too hard, and as a busy Mama, that's a great feeling

P.S. We got back from Tennessee on Saturday and I'm still catching up on everything. There will be posts, believe me, but I'm still organizing all my pictures and it all takes a while. This weekend Bill and I head to Middletown, Connecticut sans Mango for the wedding of one of Bill's friends. It should be a fun time.