This week was our first week of the 2009-10 school year, and so-far, so-good. We managed to make real, sit-down meals all but one day and I made a total of three cold lunches. Of course it was only a four-day school-week, but I think that’s pretty good. We even managed to film one of the meals that will be a future episode of 2 Kids Cooking (Alex’s Secret Recipe Chicken). The first week or so of a new schedule is always pretty easy, though. The excitement of the new gets us motivated to prepare the night before, get out of bed early and on the road with time to spare. I guess for me, as time goes forward, say by mid-October, the newness has more than worn-off and I need deeper motivation to get my butt out of bed at 6:00 am on a cold Minnesota morning.

My weekly meal plans and the prospect of cooking and eating a family meal with the kids, things like these keep me on-track. The more I focus my mind on the end goal (fun times with the kiddies), the better I am at preparing. If I don’t do my Sunday shopping list and outline our food plan for the week, by Tuesday I feel like I’m in chaos land. We end-up eating quality foods like macaroni & cheese and hot dogs or frozen pizza.

I know for sure that I loved this summer and I’m working hard to find a way to support my family in a way that allows us more quality time together. For now, though, the kids are back in SAC after school and my staying in the groove–well it’s an essential part of remaining sane.