Food & Faith Challenge: Time

Do you notice that people tend to like those who are most like them?  OK, not always, I mean sometimes opposites really do attract, but in general when we first meet someone, we look for what we have in common. 

That is how I often feel when I visit a new blog. One blog I recently visited that I instantly connected with is The Local Cook.  And lucky for me, The Local Cook is running an interactive series called the Food and Faith Challenge.  I've been reading the posts for the last few weeks and decided it is past time for me to join. 

Let me first confess for the record that I am not currently reading the book that goes along with this: Simply in Season.  However I do want to use this opportunity to dialogue with others about eating seasonal and local foods.  I hope you'll join by reading the original blog posts for each week (which I will link to for you) and by leaving you own comments...or even writing your own blog post and joining the challenge!

TIME

{image source} Not the news magazine but the sort that is counted in seconds, minutes, and hours.  Also the subject of this week's Food and Faith Challenge (read the original post here; it is worth the few extra minutes!  Mine is not a repeat of this one but some additional thoughts.  Go, what are you waiting for?! But do come back.)

I feel like a grandmother when I use this phrase but here goes... "If I had a nickle for every time I ..."

For every time I said "I just don't have time for that."

How often do you say it?  Me, every day.  Multiple times each day even.  I don't have time to clean the bathroom, wash the dishes, cook a meal, put away my clothes, or even wash my clothes for goodness sake!  Just kidding.  I do wash them.  But really, when I want to do something, I will find time for it.  

So how do I find (or make) time to prepare real, healthy foods?

1. Plan.  My planning is taking a different shape now than it did when I shopped exclusively at the grocery store, but I try to make a list of what I plan to make during the week so that I am not trying to figure it out at the last minute.  I will write an entire post on this later with some resources to help.

2. Prep ahead.  Because I have at least a vague idea of what I am going to make throughout the week, I can do some of my prep ahead of time.  Whether it is soaking beans, chopping veggies, or cooking meat, I try to do as much of this as I can over the weekend so that when I get home from work during the week I have less to do.  

3. Consolidate steps.  Like prepping ahead, this is a big time saver for me and also relies on planning.  For example, if i plan to make spaghetti and tacos in the same week I will cook all of my ground beef or bison at the same time.  Because I am just cooking for two, I can cook one pound and split it in half to season accordingly.  If I am only going to need 1/2 pound during the week, I still cook a full pound and freeze what is left over to be used another week.

4. Have some easy recipes on hand.  I love to make stir fry, tacos, or grilled veggies because I can use a lot of the veggies from the market in a quick, easy, and delicious meal. 

5. Have a back up plan. aka Don't beat yourself up.  You know, like frozen pizza. I should totally get a slap on the wrist for this. I think that in moderation these things are OK.  There are days when I just do not have time to cook a real dinner, and despite my best efforts, all those plans I made failed to include a baked spaghetti or something else made by me that could be pulled from my freezer  to save on cooking time. 

These are all small steps that help me feel like I don't have to say "I don't have time" to cook a meal.  However, I really think that a lot of making time for real food has to do with my mindset.  When I remember that cooking and eating are about nutrition, creativity, and community, then taking the extra time to make my own food seems a lot less burdensome than it does when I forget these values.  {image source}

For me, cooking is also a spiritual discipline of sorts.  (I hope Richard Foster would agree.)  It is a time of ritual, meditation, reflection, and gratitude.  Since this post is already really long, maybe I will save this for another post as well. 

What about you?  Did you read the original post about Time?  Do you have any tips to share on how to keep preparing real foods from becoming burdensome in regards to your use of time?  Or are you overwhelmed with the thought of cooking your own foods?  I would love to hear from you about this!