It is officially 2014 and the holidays are over, so its back to real life. I don't know about you, but it always takes me about 3-4 days after we get back from traveling to reorientate myself to life at home. There's the unpacking, laundry, putting away Christmas decorations, reestablishing a routine, and the grocery shopping. I always to try to eat our cupboards empty before we leave because I hate to waste food, but this means we are out of EVERYTHING when we come home. In the last week I have been to Costco, Trader Joe's, Albertsons, Vons, and in the last two days I have come up with another list that will take two stores to complete! I ask myself, "When will it end?" Then I remember it doesn't really end, I just have been out of practice in organizing my life. In an effort to stay "caught" up with house stuff I am implementing a simple change of doing one load of laundry everyday or every other day, instead of waiting until my husband desperately needs something clean or until the laundry basket is overflowing. I think this change is doable but will take time to make a habit. As far as the shopping, the only way to curb that is to not forget to write anything down, this is not realistic for me (maybe not anyone) especially when I have what my friend affectionately calls "mama brain". So for now I'm content to have enough food in the house to make easy lunches and cook about 3 dinners, knowing I will have left overs. Here is one of my favorite things.
Roasted Chicken Go To Meal Plan:
Buy a roasted chicken (I like Costco's it is a great value).
Pull meat off the bone while it's still warm and refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat.
Depending on how big your family is you can do any number of the following:
chicken tacos (chop season with s&p, cumin & chili powder; heat in skillet with a little oil)
chicken salad sandwhiches (try adding cranberries and little dill weed)
chicken with tortillas or flat bread and hummus, saute zucchini or make a salad
chicken noodle soup
enchiladas
Just remember life isn't about trying to be perfectly organized, but rather we can use planning and organization to help us live more enjoyable lives. So, let's not compare ourselves to one another nobody can do it all, even if you think you know someone who does they don't. Please only take my tips if they seem helpful to you. Welcome back to real life let's make it a great one.
