Joan Cleaver??? Not so much....

I will defiantly be the first to admit it...i do not like cooking! I love baking, but cooking is certainly not my forte. I don't know if it's the fact that cooking is usually a dinner time activity and by 5 o'clock my little princesses magically turn into little fire eating dragons, cute dragons, but dragons non the less. I despise this time of day:(

The other day i was thinking about dinner and talking (ok crying, complaining, agonizing over) to the smartest lady i know (my mom) and was trying to think of a great way to enjoy cooking while making healthy meals. We decided that i didn't particularly hate cooking, i just didn't have clever, creative ways to get it all done beforehand and then execute by 5pm.

Of course there is a part of me that imagines this beautiful scene of how I would always have dinner on the table and the kids would be dressed to the nines and it would all be so Joan Clever, lets be honest it's 2011 and most of us mamas have jobs and aren't sitting around all day thinking up the next fantastic meal. If you do get to enjoy this life, i would LOVE to hear your recipes:)

But if your in the same boat as me here is what i came up with...

Sunday i decided to come up with my menu for the week and then my grocery list (i am so that girl that goes to the store and just buys what i think we need with no rhyme or reason) of all the things i would make for the week ahead. I got to the store bought everything i needed, not just things i wanted and saved money. I stopped at Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Harrison Poultry. (for all of you readers in the Chicagoland area, you have to buy your poultry here. The farm is local and the poultry is as close to organic as you can get without the overpriced USDA stamp of approval. Inexpensive and absolutely delicious.)

I made most of my meals or parts of them on Sunday evening. Monday was meatloaf, bakes potato slices and a spinach salad with avocado, onion and carrots with a vinaigrette dressing. Tuesday was lasagna (such an easy and fast thing to make beforehand and put in the freezer or fridge), Wednesday was chicken tacos, Thursday was whole wheat organic pasta and tomato basil sauce and of course friday was pizza with a caesar salad.

I felt so accomplished by the end of the week and my darling husband loved every bite. So i guess i'm not a bad cook i just needed some inspiration from my mama and one of my GREAT friends Kelley (you should check her out at the Better Bitty Bite she's a nutritionist and amazing). Cooking actually isn't that bad is you are organized.

I will never be the next Joan Clever and i'm totally great with that. I like my ideas better.....

For more amazing one of a kind recipes check out Caitlin and Sarah's blog at Two Sisters Two Suppers.
If anyone out there has some great recipes that i can add to my rotation i would LOVE to hear them.