Food Nanny 911

Food: something with calories, nutrition, energy, so that when consumed, it will help to sustain life.

Family: food allergies, texture issues, smells, mixing, and diabetes...

Cook: one, me, hi everyone!
Family 7-10 people to satisfy

Mission: to plan meals (dinners) for the crew so that 5 times a week we will have a sit down meal complete with children at the table, napkins, plates, food, and then topics of conversation.

Mission Statement: Family is the heart of the nation...our little nation of 10 needs to eat what is being served, have table manners, and communicate with one another. Benefits: Children who are less likely to be in bad places, make wrong choices, and so forth.

Challenge: to plan meals that will have the majority of the children/adults eating them and yet still satisfy all the health demands of the family, in a more timely, money saving, and efficient fashion. Example: Garrett wants to crack into the cereal anytime that he is hungry. Isaac shoots to the fridge for a gallon of milk, the girls want whatever...but RIGHT NOW...Kellis is trying to convince himself to eat...and Scott needs protein, a veggie and no real carbs.

Why the Food Nanny? I saw her program and thought, that is what I need to force myself to do. I have a general idea of things, but I feel that if my family could depend on one more stability in their life then the nights would go a lot smoother. So she recommends that you should start with themes for each night in order to come up with a menu and then with a shopping list. So...after much thought here are our themes:
Monday: Fish/Meatless
Tuesday: Pizza Night (tradition for 3 years, and once a month we get Little Ceaser's!)
Wednesday: Mexican
Thursday: Italian Night
Friday: Breakfast/Leftovers/Open night
Saturday: Hot off the Grill
Sunday: Traditional

Where do we have success? Sundays are the success. We have traditional food (pork/beef roast, Lazy Chicken, potatoes, etc) and I always serve a homemade pizza for everyone else. Where do we need to work on? all the other days of the week.

How to get this accomplished: 1) stick with the theme. 2) have the theme meal (like salmon patties--for 4 of them--and serve grilled fish and a veggie for Scott and Garrett). 3) buy for two weeks for the dinner and lunch meals and then just once a week go to the store for fresh food: produce, milk, and eggs. (on these weeks I should be able to buy the weeks worth of fresh food for $50).

I'm searching for yummy diabetic/low carb recopies for Scott that can fit the theme.

Here is the plan for April 5-12

Monday: (fish/meatless) Salmon patties, fries, corn, real salmon, broccoli.
Tuesday: (Pizza) Bread Pizza, bread sticks, salad, chicken in the crock-pot for Scott
Wednesday: (Mexican) chicken Fajitas and beef tacos, hot dog (Garrett) Isaac--cereal
Thursday: (Italian) Scratch spaghetti, salad, grilled chops with spices and veggie
Friday: (open night) leftovers, from scratch chicken nuggets, chicken and mushrooms
Saturday: (grill) burgers, hot dogs, steak on the grill and a veggie.
Sunday: (traditional) pork roast, potatoes, salad, rolls, and pizza.

Food planning and the Giauques: It is a challenge, but I think (like everything else) we can rise up to the challenge with a great plan! Wish me luck!

(My brain is laughing at me): Isn't this what usually happens?
April: yes, but now I am in charge of making it happen this way.
Brain: true, so, does that make you feel better?
April: yes, I think this helps me to figure out that we have a plan, a better way to track our food expenses for the month, and it is on paper so basically I get the satisfaction of checking it off on the "to do" list. ahhhh
Brain: okay...let's play.

Food: a way to give energy to the body, help make traditions, and save the family! What power!