Creating

You know how when you're pregnant, there's suddenly a whole lot more pregnant ladies out there?  Of course, you're just suddenly more aware because it's suddenly on the forefront of your mind. So, lately I've been doing some introspection. Maybe because of the new year... I don't like to admit that I conform to secular traditions like resolutions, but there is something wonderful about new beginnings.  Fresh page, clean slate, blank space...and I'll write your name (ok ok, I digress.)

Anyway, so my introspection showed me that I was kind of jealous of Husband because he is currently working on a project to build us a storage shed in the backyard.  And he is often spending his time on house projects that you can SEE and TOUCH when they're finished, and they last...  I realized I spend my time on things that are near-instantly destroyed or consumed: a tidy living room; clean, folded clothing; nutritious, 5-star-restaurant quality meals...

And then this happened. My clever, creative aunt posted this gem on FB, and my wise father (a professional artist) posted this response:

And then this happened. I was randomly looking at my Google calendar (that I never look at) and saw these tasks that I made for myself a long time ago (2012???):

At least we've gone to the museum & zoo.

Growing up with an artist father meant that my childhood and teenage years were filled with the availability of all kind of art supplies, and the encouragement to use them. We used to work on so many projects that are some of my favorite memories: making beads and miniature scenes out of Sculpey clay. Weaving scarves on a child-sized loom. Making super intricate magazine-cut-out collages to hang in my room. Decorating Pysanky eggs at Pascha.  And for some reason (oh, I don't know, working on a Chemical Engineering degree, caring for 2 small children round the clock, just some guesses) in my adulthood I've gotten out of the habit of creating things. And it felt like I was missing something. 

So I've made a few things lately.  They didn't get eaten, and they didn't get muddy tracks all over them. It feels wonderful! It feels right. There's a sense of accomplishment and pride and happiness and joy. The process is soothing and joyful and exciting, and the end product is (hopefully) useful. I even got to use math and optimization on one of the sewing projects. YES! Win, win, everywhere.

can I fit more pieces with the long side on the x or y axis?

God willing I'll continue this streak of creating, and I will actually have a hobby!

P.S. If we are FB friends, sorry/not sorry about posting pictures of all these new creations of mine.

What have YOU created lately?

Working on Wellness: Weekly Meal Planning

Here's why I meal plan:

1. I'm a weirdo and I love it;
2. I like being organized;
3. The more I get to think about food, the better;
4. I don't have to stress about what dinner will be during the afternoon of the day-of;
5. I avoid multiple trips during the week with the kiddos, which is a) hard work and b) costly, since I definitely don't just get the milk I was planning to buy but also end up getting Starbucks, treats for the kids, extra goodies, etc.;
6. Easier to track the budget for groceries (less trips = less marking on the budget sheet);

Here's what works for me:

I've shamelessly stolen Sara's original spreadsheet and have tailored it with my own recipes and grocery shopping pattern. I also added a "fasting/meat/fish" column to be able to filter according to the fasts of the Orthodox church. It helps me to adhere to the fasts! Up front, it takes a bit of time to think of your family's favorite recipes and separate the ingredients into the columns in the spreadsheet. But then, as time goes on, you will have a pretty good selection of recipes, and now usually I am just adding one or two recipes at a time as we try new things and like them.


Early on Monday morning:

Each weekday I wake up with husband (~5:30a) and spend time doing whatever I want sans kids. They typically wake up between 7:30 and 8 so I usually get a good amount of time to myself to have my coffee, listen to the daily Bible readings from Ancient Faith Radio, do dumb/enjoyable stuff like check Facebook and reading internet articles, catch up on housework, and sometimes work out using Nike Training Club app. On Mondays, I use that time to plan out the week. I print out a blank schedule for the week, populate it, then print and hang it on the fridge. I choose 5 recipes from the spreadsheet (filtering for fasting as needed), hide all the other recipes, then print that. It's the grocery list for the week! Then, once the kids get up, we pack up (making sure to bring the list!!) and head to the store to shop. I love grocery shopping on Monday morning because they are typically restocking so I know everything is fresh! And sometimes we get treats from Starbucks if I'm feeling generous.

Ongoing maintenance:

I periodically try new recipes from cookbooks I have, and I only have a few that I keep around that have awesome food photography; that's the only way I'm compelled to look through them! My favorites are Oh She Glows and a book from Williams-Sonoma called A Taste of the World. I also have my own recipe book for scrawling family recipes or frequently-used internet recipes so I don't always have to find the link. This pancake recipe is one the ones I had to write down!  I sub coconut oil for the butter. Srsly it's the bomb dot com. The touch of vanilla, the coconut oil, and little tidbit of sugar....nom nom.

I also love looking at food blogs (OSG, Smitten Kitchen, and Food Network everything are frequent stops when I'm clicking around the internet)

What are some of your favorite (fasting or not) recipes?  How do you stay organized in the kitchen? (Or do you not?)

xoxo Phae