Meal Planning - A Means To An End

Recently moving to Sayville after living in Brooklyn for a few years has caused certain adjustments in my life due to the inherent differences between the two places. A favorable example is no longer needing to choose which Starbucks to patron. In the city, there might be 2 or 3 Starbucks within a 5 block radius so it is common to go to a different store each visit based on critical factors such as line length or which crosswalk signal turns first. Here in Sayville, I love knowing that there is only choice. In a matter of weeks, my husband and I are beginning to recognize and become familiar with the employees at the Starbucks on Main Street, something that took us almost 3 years to do in Brooklyn. We watch the interactions of locals coming in and out of the store and enjoy seeing the relationships that exist across both sides of the counter. 

A less favorable adjustment is the need to better plan out my “comings and goings” due to the addition of a car coupled with the harsh reality of fuel prices. I love shopping for good, healthy food and it is often the activity in and of itself that brings inspiration to the items I purchase and thus the meals I make. On foot in the city, I could frequent the grocery store and bodegas multiple times a week with the only true cost being time. (Reusable bags and recycling took care of the environmental cost). So in a newfound effort to streamline my trips in the car, this past Sunday I attempted to write a list to organize our groceries and meals for the week ahead. In my head it was all so clear, one column outlining the meals and a second column detailing out the necessary groceries. While this may seem like a straightforward task, I beg to differ. You see, somehow along the way I learned how to make a meal but did not learn how to make a list. In case you think I may be exaggerating for purposes of gaining a chuckle or two, check out the snapshot of the actual list that I crafted. 

My favorite item is under Lunch where I wrote “more sandwiches, salad, eggs, etc.” What kind of sandwiches? What does “etc” mean when it comes to lunch? The sporadic entry of “granola” in the top margin that did not make it under the Breakfast section and at some later point was crossed off is a rivaling point of hilarity. 

The dinner section is likely the only one with integrity. A simple reminder of what we have on hand as well as what is in season is typically the formula that I use to develop recipe ideas. Though per the list Wednesday was the last night we had dinner, I do cook most nights of the week and love to highlight the season’s produce. Food tastes better when it is in season, and it is more affordable! Spring brings such wonderful produce to our tables and my list is just a fraction of what actually is in season - add to that peas, asparagus, strawberries, green onions and spinach. 

You may notice that I keep several kinds of dried items on hand.  Dried whole grains like brown rice and wheat berries and legumes like beans and lentils provide protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals to any meal, and are particularly helpful in filling out my mainly vegetarian diet. If you are interested in adding more dried goods to your pantry or would like recipe ideas of how to use up that last cup of millet that is hiding on the corner shelf, please let me know and I would be happy to provide suggestions! 

I made a variation of the wheat berry salad that you’ll find next to “S ①,” apparently denoting Sunday, and I hope to share the recipe with you just as soon as I perfect a few of the measurements. In all honesty, we had the salad on Tuesday and leftovers on Wednesday and never did have fish this week, but I hope you’ll join me in skipping over the few (ahem) oversights and look at the broader picture. I realized that writing this “list” is similar to how I described food shopping. Simply the exercise in and of itself sparked creative energies towards new ideas and new ways of incorporating healthy, whole foods into my every bite, and hopefully yours. So here in Sayville, instead of making multiple trips, I’ll be making multiple lists! Stay tuned for that tasty Spring Wheat Berry Salad recipe...coming soon!