Slammed

The transfer of schedules from Summer to Fall is always challenging but we usually get into the flow pretty quickly.

Not this year.

I just cannot put my finger on what is or isn't working.........somehow the schedules are more challenging and I am more grateful than ever that I decided not teach this Fall.   I wanted to be around in the evenings to help David with the transition to a new school and Lindsay to a new dance studio in Vancouver.  Allan is also away one evening at TWU for his studies so I hoped being more available would help things settle quickly.  But we aren't there quite yet.......

One of the things we have always managed to do, and what really gave us strength, was eating dinner together.  We talked about the day and about the next day and things coming up.  This current schedule only allows for that on Mondays after I workout.  We do manage a quick meal together between things on Thursdays but it's hurried. 

Planning meals for these nights and the other ones where we are flying in and out is challenging too especially without resorting to pre-cooked or processed meals which we are determined not to do....

So this weekend when a fairly free day presented itself I presented myself to the kitchen and made like a real "cook" and cooked and cooked and cooked to get us ahead for at least a week or two.

I made a huge pot of ground beef sauce that could be used in a variety of meals.  I love chopping the mirepoix and the smell of the aromoatics cooking (a little bacon added never hurts either).

Lindsay made a batch of cinnamon apple muffins - a new recipe to us and a very delicious addition to lunches this week.

It is always a challenge to keep school lunches interesting and healthy so I grilled up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts, bought some wraps and Lindsay made some hummus which together will make for yummy lunches.

It felt good to have some good, wholesome food cooked and ready to eat for those, all to frequent, days, when we rush in late and someone needs to be out in under an hour..........

It soothes my fretful mothers heart to make good food for the family I love so much!