Food and Fun Friday - What I Plan On Eating Now

Like most of the rest of the world, come the New Year and New Year Resolutions, I have made my own plans. One of which is to lose weight. 

Luckily, it also dovetails into another goal which is to watch my spending. Meal planning really helps me (1) not drive through somewhere for something to eat and (2) cuts down on food waste.

And...

It also slots into a third area - gardening. I want to grow and eat more of my own food this year. Gardening gets me outside and moving. It is also relaxing (until I have to look for and kill tomato hornworms). 

I know I also need to get more veggies in my life and stomach. Thus, the winter sowing of lettuce, spinach and kale. 

But I felt I needed a jumping off point for how to plan my meals. I am really tired of what I feel are the same meals over and over again. Yes, taco and fajitas are quick and easy and yummy. But for a whole week?

So, in my OCD-ness, I decided I would do the following - 

• Two nights of chicken/pork
• Two nights of beef
• Two nights of fish/seafood
• One meatless meal

This really simplifies my meal planning. Or it at least gives me more of a focus. I am also cutting down on the amount I fix. I don't want to have to eat the same thing for a week. Plus, I want to have something different for my lunches. 

I also have to get out of the mindset I HAVE TO feed Savvy. If she is here when I cook and what's some, fine. If not, she's an adult and has been feeding herself for ages.

Another thing I am giving a try, after several years of toying with the idea, is a CSA box.

For those who don't know, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, what you are doing is subscribing for a set number of weeks for a farm to give you a weekly box of seasonal fruits and vegetables. 

I am trying it out on the Spring I box from Bush-N-Vine Farms. 

The box size I selected is for 1-2 people and will hopefully introduce me to some veggies I normally wouldn't pick up to eat. It will also add to the beans and greens I will grow myself. I am planning on doing the pick-up at their main store. It's a bit of a drive, but will allow me to pick up additional fruits and vegetables if I want. Plus, I can get one of their 'blendies' - a combination of homemade soft serve ice cream and fresh local fruit slushy. 

If it works out well, I will subscribe to boxes for the rest of the year. Besides getting more good stuff on my menu, it makes me feel good about supporting a local farm which is family owned and operated. 

While I have started my meal planning system already, I have to wait almost two months before my first box is available. I can't wait!

Now to go check on my winter sowing and how my lettuce, spinach and kale are sprouting and to figure out how I'm going to fix beets.