Thursday, September 24, 2015

cooking for dummies: week 1

hi pretty friends! 

Before I get started today, let me say I am so uplifted by your comments on yesterday's blog! I love that non-moms and even moms are able to read my blog and enjoy it, also finding it relatable! Thank you, thank you for being so kind and welcoming me to this community.
I've mentioned it before and it's even in my about me that I suck at cooking nor do I even like it that much. NEWSFLASH: I'm sick of eating out and feeling like crap {plus money, people and I need to save it} so I am slowly trying to figure out meal planning. This week I sat down and wrote at least one weeks {we'll call it week 1} worth of small breakfasts, already prepped lunches and full dinners for Tripp and myself. If y'all have any ideas or recommendations on how you learned to like cooking, please share!


I don't have these in a particular order {ps. these recipes come from Mix and Match Mama since our recipes are super easy to follow along with}:

BREAKFAST
{all pictures include links}
http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2013/08/overnight-oatmeal-two-ways.html
Overnight Oats: I chose the apple filling because Tripp is an apple fan.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/nataliebrown/frozen-smoothies-are-the-easiest-way-to-eat-a-healthy-breakf?utm_term=.mo8yKpJoNZ#.kxJr3pN3vg
This is actually not a Mix and Match Mama, it's the only Buzzfeed I have but it's easy and surely I can't mess this up. Plus I am not a morning person so I need something that doesn't take a lot of work and this sounds yummmm-o!

LUNCH:
Obviously we aren't at home for lunch except for weekends so our lunches need to be something that we make and put into Tupperware for 4-5 days. Tripp can eat the same thing literally everyday and I so wish I was the same because it would make our lives a lot simpler. Unfortunately I'm not, so his lunches are simple and don't need a recipe. Tripp's lunch is: chicken & rice so the recipe below is the one I will be pre-making to take to work.
http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2014/09/dinner-tonight-tex-mex-chicken-and-rice.html
So I plan to make this to take to work next week because I need flavor. Next week I hope to have two different ones!

DINNER:
http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2015/03/dinner-tonight-pizza-quesadillas.html
This is perfect for Tripp and sounds super easy to make on days that I work.

http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2014/07/dinner-tonight-grilled-buffalo-chicken.html
Another easy one and we are both fanatics about buffalo chicken!

http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2015/09/sloppy-joe-pot-pies.html
This is a super filling meal after a loooooong day.
http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2012/09/dinner-tonight-maple-crusted-chicken.html
I think I'll pair this with a salad.
http://mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com/2015/02/dinner-tonight-margarita-chicken-soup.html
This is a Friday night when Tripp's at football game meal for me.


So that's the for the first week, maybe eventually I can add some snacks but I am trying not to go overboard on my first week. Come back next week and I will let y'all know how I did! #wishmeluck




11 comments :

  1. Ahh good luck with all the cooking you've planned! You'll be fine! Just utilize a crockpot!

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  2. Oh, lady! I think cooking is something you enjoy, tolerate or hate. But, I personally think, with time you will grow to enjoy it once you feel you are better at it, if that makes sense. Deinfilty use a crock pot, those are hard to mess up and don't take much work.

    I also think googling easy recipes on Pinterest or the food network is helpful too. Start small and slow and you'll start to enjoy chopping, slicing and mixing things. I'll look for some of my favorite recipes to share.

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  3. Both of those soups look and sound amazing! I'm definitely going to have to give those a try! And another good way to cook without really cooking is crockpot meals! So easy to just throw everything together and walk away while it cooks lol!
    <3, Pamela
    Sequins & Sea Breezes

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  4. I love cooking so much that it's basically all I did this past weekend. I've made the margarita soup and i'm still snacking on that oatmeal. The key to the oatmeal is the filling, you have to get a good filling for it to be good!!! Have so much fun baking/cooking away in the kitchen!

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  5. I'm SO INTO soup, and those both look awesome! I need to give them a go

    https://forsevenseasons.wordpress.com

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  6. I'm a new reader to your blog, and I gotta say, I was completely intrigued by the name because I am a mom and that's why I started my blog, but I can totally relate to your content! As far as cooking goes, I love to cook, always have. I have a lot of recipes I use from all over; my own creations, family, pinterest, blogs...Mix and Match Mama being one of them also! Good luck in your cooking adventures.

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  7. Ah I wish I could share my love for the kitchen somehow! I do think with time, though, you'll get to love it more and more! One of my favorite gals to follow along with is Kristin Porter from www.iowagirleats.com. She's hilarious and has easy and delicious recipes that can be gluten free or not! Also Ree Drummond from www.thepioneerwoman.com. YUM!

    A rule of thumb I go by when "meal planning" for the following week, is I try to make foods that are all different but have similar ingredients so I'm not buying 100 different ones at the store and then they go bad! For example, I bought a package of 6 peppers at Costco last week and used only 3 for Ree's cheesy corn chowder (uh, yum). But have 3 leftover peppers so I'll use them to make chicken fajitas this Sunday! I'd love to make something completely different every day of the week but it's not realistic with groceries and money.

    Whoa, long comment but hopefully some of that helps!!!

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  8. Girl I am right there with you!! Once I got married I decided I should probably learn to cook and meal plan. I try to meal plan and when I do it is awesome! When I don't I just come home from the store with $80 worth of random foods haha you got this and you picked some awesome things! I eat oats every morning for breakfast and those overnight oats sound so good!!
    xo, Candace | Lovely Little Rants

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  9. I'm with you-- I hate cooking! But, I also hate spending too much money on going out to eat so I've had to start making things at home! Pinterest is a life saver when it comes to finding recipes though.

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  10. Good luck! I love cooking but I think I always have so I don't have any tips on how to get into it. I think as you find easy recipes that turn out well then you may slowly start to like it more! Another idea is to try crockpot freezer cooking! There are a ton of pins on it...definitely something I plan on looking into myself!

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  11. good luck, i think finding a blog or recipe book that has easy, straightforward recipes makes a huge difference. I don't love cooking but I don't mind it because I have found blogs/books that make it easy. I LOVE the thug kitchen cookbook and even if you're not vegan (I am not) i'd highly recommend it. the recipes are simple yet good and it's written in an... interesting way. lol

    Emmett - Hippie Lace

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