Thank you, Carla and Lisa, for the praise and feedback. Stuffed peppers are one of my favorites, and I also like the colors other than green.
As to motivational tips, perhaps it can be boiled down to a few clear strategies. But you guys know, I’m not short winded, so you may regret asking.
1. Follow the old fashioned meal plan to include protein, starch and at least two veggies. Not too many desserts.
2. Usually cook “from inventory,” - my grocery list is fairly standard, and I creatively use up what I have, including reinventing or combining leftovers for another meal. I have a stock of ingredients, but not overstocked - just contains the variety I need.
3. I really like making salads, and my own dressing. I rarely use bottled salad dressing, just make enough for whatever salad we’re eating. No recipes are needed after you get some practice.
If you had a head of red leaf lettuce, a Roma tomato, a jar of Kalamata olives, a red bell pepper, celery, a red onion, carrots, grapes, an orange and an apple, pecans, a bunch of green onions, some dried cranberries, olive oil, red vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, brown sugar, Italian seasoning mix, garlic powder, salt and a pepper grinder, that would be enough for salads almost every night for a week, and no day would be a repeat. Of course, you can add or subtract: why not get a zucchini, radishes, or avocado? Maybe a pear, blueberries, or mango?
These items, plus bananas, a couple of potatoes, sweet potato, and occasionally spinach, cabbage, or spring lettuce mix are on my list every couple of weeks. I supplement these with frozen veggies, and there is no reason not to have the two-three servings of fruits and veggies each meal.
3. I kind of do the same with meats. The standard choices are ground beef, chicken breasts, ham slice, ground turkey, boneless pork chops, tilapia, salmon, and I use small portions of bacon and sausages. With these in the freezer, I can make anything.
4. Pantry staples are canned goods like chopped green chilies and salsa; soy sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, water chestnuts and ginger; jarred spaghetti sauce, pasta and Parmesan cheese; rice, canned mushrooms, beans and various tomato products. Lots of spices. Always have eggs, shredded and block cheeses, sour cream, butter. Tortilla chips, tortillas, crackers. If I don’t make rice, pasta, polenta or another starch, we have bread and butter.
5. Portions that won’t be used are often frozen. Most important factor here: LABEL! I use a small strip of paper, write the item or dish name, month and year, and then tape it on with scotch tape, covering the entire paper label with strips of tape. My scissors, notepaper, pen and tape are in the kitchen drawer right by the fridge, so no excuses.
Then to meal plan for the next several days, I write a list of what sounds good, and I know I can make usually starting with produce because that is hardest to keep, without defining any meal for any particular day. At some point, I have to decide, today’s the day for .... sweet potatoes and pork chops. Oh yeah, I have an apple and onion, I’ll make that sheet pan recipe. And salad with oranges, green onions and pecans sounds good with that. Or ... chili might be good, and I have ground beef. There are cans of beans, crushed tomatoes, cheese for topping. And some grapes on the side, or maybe mix grapes, blueberries and cut up that last pear, tossed with a squirt of honey, lime juice and a sprinkle of ginger or cinnamon.
You, too, my friends, can eat simple, balanced, filling meals. Stock your cupboards, pick simple-to-cook dishes that you like, load up on produce and EAT all of it. Experiment with new dishes that require different ingredients once in awhile but don’t try it every night.
Oh, if you hate making salads, buy the kits, or bins of spring mix and precut veggies and bottled dressing. I hate to bake, so I buy fudge stripe cookies, every time.
