Dinner: Where's Alice when you need her?

Over the last year or so one of the things we've struggled with as a family is dinner. During the week it's really the only meal we have together, and during certain times of the year (i.e. Fall Harvest and Spring Planting) it's often just G and I having dinner together. You would think with just one meal a day to worry about (thank you, Day Care, for providing breakfast, lunch and snacks!) it wouldn't be an issue to plan ahead to have a delicious, nutritious evening meal four days a week (we go over to my parent's and they take care of the delicious, nutritious meal one day a week). In response to that thought, I will tell you that our 2.5 year old knows how to make Easy Mac. (If anyone is reading this and then saying, "Oh, Katie, that's horrible"...feel free to come to my house and make dinner. I'll even let Vachel pay you).

The root cause of our dinner problems stems from the fact that I never plan ahead for meals, and Vachel is rarely available to cook by the time G needs to eat. For some reason I feel the need to justify his availability here, so I'll just say that between the farm and his full-time day (and some evenings and weekends) job he's promised to be available for either dinner or bedtime, but can't consistently do both. I've chosen bedtime because that process causes me more stress. I've decided I need to get better about planning ahead for meals, make them in advance and just put them in the freezer/fridge to eat through the rest of the week. Or at least have the ingredients on hand if it's something quick. We'll see how this works out, as I've been saying the exact same thing for the last year.

As I go back to work in 10 days, this whole dinner thing has been weighing even more on my mind. I'm assuming things will be a little bit harder, require more planning, etc, once I go back to work full time. Other than the normal challenges associated with dinner that I'm used to, we'll have the added challenge of V. Whom I'm primarily nursing, eats on demand, and not on any particular schedule. I'm imagining she'll decide it's time to nurse while I'm in the middle of handling raw chicken and using the stove, while G is hanging on my leg crying because she's hungry and I've moved the Easy Mac from it's regular location so she can't feed herself. It could happen.

 I don't do this

Or this

 I've spent the last few days scouring cookbooks and recipe apps for quick, easy meals that include things like ground beef. I live on a cattle farm so most recipes that include ground beef don't require me to plan ahead, as I have an entire freezer full. I also have a lot of steak and pork chops, but no idea how to turn on the grill or how to make anything with those that doesn't require a grill...let's be honest, I can make things with ground beef or chicken breast. And most desserts, because that's the best part of every meal. Not only is planning for dinner a challenge, I'm not a big fan of the cooking part either. Vachel loves to cook, he finds it relaxing. I do it because eating pizza for every meal will make you fat. 

In addition to cookbooks and apps, I've spent quite a bit of time on Pinterest's Food & Drink page. Apparently the last time I spent quality time on this section of Pinterest I was pregnant, because the number of decadent chocolate desserts on my own board is a little ridiculous. Although I highly recommend the ice cream sandwich cake.

Any recipes or good apps anyone knows of that can easily help me plan meals ahead, come up with a grocery list and will help make sure I actually make the food? Or does anyone know where I can find Alice from The Brady Bunch?

That one day I did stuff

Two weeks from tomorrow I return to work. Which means that two weeks from today will be my last day of maternity leave, and last day at home with the amazing little girl who just discovered smiles. All of a sudden realizing I have a deadline, I felt like I should start doing more than hanging out in my pj's watching Netflix and snuggling with my baby. Not much more, mind you. I'm still in my pj's while V alternates between smiling at herself in the mirror and napping on her play mat.

Best looking girl around!

Last night hubby returned from an eight day trip to two separate conferences, one was an APEX conference designed for networking and leadership training for agriculture leaders. The second was for U.S. Grains Council, which helps determine both national and international grain policy. He may be out making a difference in agriculture for our farm, the state of Iowa and the nation, but I kept a 2.5 year old and a 2 month old alive for eight days and didn't lose my sanity. Beat that!

To celebrate his homecoming, G and I made a cake. She wanted a pink Abby Cadabby cake, but I'd already bought the chocolate cake mix and my culinary skills don't extend to actual decorations. My best friend Duncan Hines does all of the work for me. We made this last night and when he woke her up this morning to go to day care her first words to him were, "Hi Daddy, I made you a cake. Can we eat it?" Those two are definitely related. I was shocked there wasn't a piece missing when I went downstairs this morning.

Decorations of a 2.5 year old

This morning I was super ambitious and decided to make banana bread with my old bananas, treats for day care's Valentines Day party tomorrow AND do the dishes. Normally I just pick one thing a day and today I aimed for three.V was in her swing looking at the poster G and I made for her, so I started with the banana bread since that takes longer. This was only interrupted by V spitting up all over herself, requiring a bath and outfit change. Back into the swing to finish the banana bread, and onto the pink heart shaped Rice Krispie treats. Since she was still entertained by the poster and swing combo I decided to clean up after myself instead of piling all the dishes on the counter and waiting for my husband to come home.

All of this before noon! I'm not quite sure how I'm going to manage any "extras" such as cake, Rice Krispie treats and banana bread for the first few weeks back at work. Adjusting to life with a newborn and toddler without working was hard enough, the extra stress and hours away are just going to mess with what little routine I've established (this current routine does not include getting up at 5 AM and getting everyone out the door in a timely manner). With this in mind, I want to get in as much as I can now. That way when my husband complains about me not making dinner or something I can reply with, "Hey remember that one time I made stuff? And you didn't have to do the dishes afterward?"