As much as I strive to meal plan, I’m rarely consistent with my efforts. Some weeks, like this past one, I have the time and mental energy to cook most meals at home with the groceries we have on hand. Others, I can barely make it to the grocery store, and the takeout bills rack up.
So I appreciated what the writer of today’s Meal Plan had to say about making most of her dinners at home: It’s a skill, and it takes a while to learn, just like anything else worth doing. This mom of two didn’t grow up having family dinners each night, and she and her husband were determined to change that when they had their own kids.
Her children are older—nine and 15—and over the years, the family has developed a nice system for getting everyone on the same page for dinner. She also shares a sweet meal planning–related memento she plans to give to her children one day.
Paid subscribers get access to some wonderful recipes, a full week’s meal plan, and the thoughtful meal planning gift she’s working on for her kids. Lindsey and I joked that we wish she would cook for us everyday—these recipes sound sooo good!
Interested in submitting your own Meal Plan? You can do so here! And don’t forget to check out our previous editions.
Alicia Adamczyk
Age: 42
Location: Rochester, NY
Household size: 4, including my 43-year-old husband and two children, who are 15 and 9.
Household income: $165,000. Both my spouse and I work in higher education; he is full time and I’m in a contract staff position with part-time/seasonal hours, so I take the lead on meal planning and cooking.
Monthly grocery spend: $1,000 ideally, but $1,250 lately
Where do you shop for groceries? Mostly Wegmans and a few things from Trader Joe’s, plus the farmer’s market in the summer.
How did you start meal planning? Has it changed over time?
I was raised by a busy single mom, and I barely remember her cooking at all in my childhood. I couldn’t tell you what we ate for dinner. I don’t blame her for this, but it left me without much concept of what this essential life task of feeding yourself each night really entails.
