What's For Dinner??

I remember before I was a wife and a mother....(did I really just say that??)...anyway...I do remember then...I ate what I wanted...when I wanted...it required zero planning...and quite frankly...I miss that...I miss when cooking was fun...It doesn't feel fun anymore...only because I have to do it...Yes, I'm that type...anything I have to do...I spite :)  So let me set the scene for you...it's 4:25pm...I get off work at 4:30pm...my office phone rings...it's my husband...here's the conversation verbatim:

Me:        Hellooooo
Him:       Hey Baby, What are you doing?
Me:        Just getting my stuff together, ready to get out of here...it's been a long day
Him:       So, what are we grubbin on tonight?
***silence***

There's really no need to transcribe the rest of the conversation because I'm positive my tone becomes snippy...Like I've been sitting at my desk all day planning a delicious meal to prepare after I've worked an 8 hour day...Is he wrong to ask what we're having for dinner?  Absolutely Not...Because if anyone knows my husband they know that if at this point I said I have no idea, help me...he would in a second...Unfortunately...I am not built this way...I feel like I'm not giving 100% to my wife and mother (here we go again with that) duties responsibilities...like I'm failing somehow...So in that situation I stress myself to come up with an idea of a great meal to please everyone...This ALWAYS requires a stop at Kroger because of course I don't have anything I need at home to cook whatever I've decided on...So after the groceries are purchased...and Brodie is picked up from school...we get home and I'm scrambling to entertain a 3 year old...feed him something completely different than I've planned originally because it's already after 6pm at this point...begin cooking the AMAZING meal I decided on...give Brodie a bath...get him ready for bed...After Brodie goes to bed...I finish cooking and we get to sit down to eat...and I am mentally and physically exhausted...And all I can think is....Something has to change...As much as I hate that I'm expected to prepare meals because I am a woman...I don't expect my husband to do it...(it makes no sense, I know)...In reality I know that I cannot have Alice from the Brady Bunch live with our family to take care of the housework and cooking...How awesome would that be though??

So, I had to come up with something more realistic to not only make things easier on me, but to also take the resentment out of cooking...To make it enjoyable again...I've tried this numerous times before...Usually by cooking big meals on the weekend to eat on during the week as well...But let's be honest...How many times in a week can you expect your husband and son to eat black eyed peas and rice before they get sick of it...I noticed a few of my Facebook friends would talk about planning weekly menus...I thought that was an amazing idea...but in the past when I half-assed tried to do this...I got menu planning block because I didn't feel like I had enough recipes...I felt like I was cooking the same things over and over and over again...I guess at this point I should tell you that I am pretty picky...So, even when I browse online for recipes...a lot of them contain ingredients that I don't like...So, immediately they're out....I think the fact that I don't like cheese limits me a lot...Yes you just read that....I don't like cheese...I'm glad we got that out there...I guess I was finally in the right frame of mind to look for new things to cook and compiled a pretty good start to a list of new recipes...From there I printed a template for a weekly menu and shopping list...I planned that first week's menu and I can't even tell you how less stressful that week was! 

Believe me, I know how incredibly stupid that sounds...but to not have to worry about What's for Dinner made evenings so much better for me...Now, instead of making several trips to the grocery store during the week...I've been going once...How awesome is that??

So, the moral to the story is...well there is no moral...but I must end this rambling because it's time for my weekly trip to the grocery store :)