My Gratitude Blog

Life is Good: dinner is done!

Month of Gratitude, Day Six

This morning's gratitude is simple...it's 7 AM and dinner is ready! Being the head chef at Casa de How to be Pleasant, I am always looking for ways to make dinnertime delicious but simple. I have two secrets to efficiency at the end of the day: doing prep work in the morning or making your dinner at breakfast.

Lean in for a minute while I divulge another secret. Let me make sure that no one is watching. Okay, don't tell anyone, but...I don't eat breakfast.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh! Quiet down! I know, I know. It's the most important meal of the day. Blah, yada, whatevs.

I have never been a breakfast eater. Even when I was pregnant. I just don't wake up hungry and it takes me a few hours to develop an appetite. So I take this time while the kiddos are eating their breakfast to pull meat out of the freezer, slice veggies, etc. We talk while I cook and they eat. Not everyday, but some days. Of course, nothing keeps me from sitting down, looking them in the eye, and listening when they need me to.

I also like to make the entire meal in the morning and stick it on low in the oven (for example, a pork loin or pot roast) or turn to my best friend, the crockpot (for everything from soups to cooking juicy chicken for enchiladas and more). I've discovered a great website that has tons of crock pot/slow cooker recipes. This one for broccoli beef is a fave.

Oh, sure. Gratitude for dinner being ready seems silly. But when you really think about it, whenever we can make the busy times of the day less stressful or open up time to be spent with our loved ones, it's a win. When I am stressed, everyone feels it. When my kiddos ask me to play and I don't have to tell them I can't because I have to make dinner, everyone is happy. So I am also grateful that there will be more time for snuggles or Ninja Turtles or giggles or Legos or all of the above tonight. And dinner's done, too!