My Biggest Food Blogging Secret

I’ve had a few people ask me how I do it. “How do you take care of your boys, blog, and find time for you?!” I might look like I have it all together [thank you Facebook] but the truth is I don’t. Some weeks I want to throw in the towel and just watch reality TV, order carry out for every meal, oh and read a book— assuming the boys nap. Other weeks I feel so productive I could post on this blog and work on my side projects everyday! Actually that’s never happened but maybe I’ll get there. So with keeping it real and letting you know I really DO NOT have it all together or figured out, I want to share a little secret with you….

My biggest food blogging secret is this: I only make one new recipe each week. Sometimes TWO. Sometimes. Why do I feel the need to tell you this? Because the fact of the matter is when I share a new recipe or post on my blog, that’s the new meal for the week [or from the week before]. And I want you to know you are not alone in the meatball Monday, soup Tuesday, or Pizza Friday routine. I love trying new recipes but frankly I would be exhausted if I made a new one every day. And there would be a lot of food waste because I’m almost positive my boys would protest. Just because I love to cook, try new foods, and share family-friendly recipes with you all, it’s NOT always like that in my kitchen or dining room.

So you’re telling me this registered dietitian foodie blogger only makes ONE new recipe every week?! YEP! And if you have kids you know why: mealtime is stressful. It used to be much more FUN when I had the time to peruse Pinterest, pick out four to five new recipes for the week and test them out on Ted, or in my earlier years my college roomies. But that joy has switched to stress most days and now I find myself feeding the family meals that a. we will all eat and b. I can easily change/adapt based on what’s in season.

Call me boring. But the truth is we have a strategy that works…. I have a list of favorite foods I know my guys will eat. With that list I mix and match different meal ideas and sometimes, SOMETIMES, change it up by throwing a new food or recipe into the weekly rotation. Like cucumbers! I thought Joey disliked cucumbers until I cut them into strips. I didn’t give up— instead I changed the way I prepped them. Or roast beef and cheese sandwiches. We eat a LOT of those. But I’ll adapt the sammy based on some extra veggies we have on hand. Some days I make it with spinach and herbed creamed cheese. Other days it’s with cheddar and tomatoes. I work with a base meal and change it up when I can!

Here’s how dinner during the week usually plays out [sides stay consistent- roasted or sauteed veggies]:

Sunday: Dinner at my parents OR if we are at our house I’ll always make some kind of pasta with red sauce. Which makes for great lunch leftovers!

Monday: Soup. I love making soup on Monday because Tuesday’s always feel like long days and I like being able to reheat something.

Tuesday: Leftovers from Monday.

Wednesday: NEW RECIPE! That’s why I usually post a new recipe on Thursday’s or Friday’s on the blog…

Thursday: MAYBE another new recipe. If not, I’ll usually make one pan sausage, potatoes and onions or shredded chicken nachos. Or panini’s! We love panini’s and gourmet grilled cheese around here.

Friday: PIZZA night!

Saturday: Order carry out [sushi!]. Oh and if I post two recipes during the week it’s because I’ve made a new recipe on Saturday afternoon while the family naps. Today I decided to write this post so you might only get one recipe next week!

Now I have some friends with kids who make quite a few new recipes each week. Instead of envying them I PRAISE them because feeding kids is tough. And I know that making a new meal or two takes patience. A whole lot harder than we are lead to believe… I thought labor and delivery was rough. It ain’t nothing compared to feeding small children!! So here’s to consistency, making life a little easier on YOU, and being realistic with food and family goals. Which is why you might only see 1-2 new recipes a week on this blog!