I am snug in a booth in the food court at the mall. To my right is my three-year-old. To her right is the wall. We are munching on our coffee shop treats. We just dropped her sister at kindergarten. Across from us are a mom and her son. By the sounds of it their snack time it is way different than ours. She is bribing him to eat an apple then she will buy the fries he wants. By the sign of his crossed arms, it is not going well.
I glance at my youngest and am amazed at how lucky I am with my girls. From the time they started solid foods I had given them fresh fruits and vegetables which they eagerly ate. We allowed junk food at birthday parties. My girls didn’t even get chocolate until they were two. Even then it was only for special events.
When I was eight months pregnant with my youngest I had a huge panicked fear-I am neither a cook nor a baker. I am not creative in the kitchen whatsoever. I did know that it was important to get organized in the culinary arts. With a tenacious toddler demanding her favorite foods every day, I got to work. Now we have a family plan for every day of the week to allow moderation while eating healthy.
Macaroni Mondays is a popular day in our house. It is easy to make and there is always clean plates after dinner.
Tim Horton’s Tuesday is a happy day. It is the day for Timbits.
Wednesday is saved for leftovers from the past few days. Dinner is a mesh of foods that guarantee that nothing will be thrown out.
Taco Thursday is a quick, fun night. We either fill up the taco shells or use tortilla chips.
French fry Fridays caps off the week beautifully. It is our pizza and movie night. We all picnic in the living room while watching a family movie.
Weekends are saved for waffles, pancakes or French toast. It is what gets us a few more minutes in bed before having to make breakfast.
While we have themed days, I adapt and change as needed. Sometimes a lasagna or casserole makes its way to the dinner table. I also utilize a local food store called M&M Meat Shop which has an extensive inventory of fresh and frozen meals. When I do cook my limited repertoire, I make large batches. Leftovers are frozen for ‘one of those nights.’ We also make sure our girls have their Iron Kids gummies to balance it out.
I love the time with my daughters instead of burning dinner. Time is too short. One day they will help me in the kitchen, or not even make it home for dinner. I do not feel guilty that I am a poor cook. I am there for them in other ways, French fries and all.
Danielle Christopher 
What a great way to have your meals organized. I keep thinking that I will do something like that, but just never get around to it.
You are fortunate that your girls are good eaters – I wish I could say the same thing. Although he has always been offered fruit and veggies, around 2 he decided that he no longer liked them. He has recently discovered celery though, which makes me happy.
It’s important to know where your strengths and weaknesses are. Your girls will appreciate the time you spend together more, especially because you are not stressed all the time about your cooking skills. 🙂
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