How Meal Planning Has Helped Us Bond
A few months ago, Mr. Actually and I were in a cooking rut. We’d get home from work, tired after a long day, and the inevitable question would come. “What’s for dinner?” Now, I don’t know about you, but I am really bad at making meals on the fly. I can’t do it! In those scenarios, my go to was either, a take away, pasta or mac’n’cheese. Then, in an effort to mix things up, we decided to start meal planning. It took us a few weeks to find a rhythm, but now we’re totally hooked on it! Meal planning has not only helped us cook more regularly, and it’s also helped us bond in a way that’s really special!
On Sunday afternoons, you’ll find us flipping through cookbooks and jotting down ideas for what to make for dinner during the week. Sometimes I’ve already worked out what I want to make for dinner, or by Saturday, Mr. Actually has already made a list of five meals he’s keen to whip up. We’re fully converted to meal planning!
Not only am I cooking more, but the stress of trying to figure out what I’m making 30 minutes before we’re ready to eat has been completely eliminated! We’ve got a lot of cookbooks, and it’s always fun to look through them and find new recipes to try. Or we make old favorites.
We’re also wasting a lot less food as we plan things based on what’s already in the cupboard, or what needs using up. Being able to take that into account means nothing is getting forgotten. It also means that we’re both boning up our repertoire! Sure we’ve got the old favorites, and they’re not going anywhere, but with a little advance planning, we’re trying new recipes.
A LOT of new recipes!
The best thing about meal planning, though? Dinner has become a bit more of an event! As in, we actually set the table for dinner! Groundbreaking, right?
Sometimes we turn off the television, and light some candles. I’ve replaced our old plates to some nice ones that just elevate the experience.
If you’re going to put effort into cooking a nice meal for your loved one, eating it should be just as enjoyable!
Spending time planning our meals has also meant that we’re spending a bit more time focused on each other. I’m not wasting any more time trying to work out what to make. I’ve been to the shop on my way home, and am all ready to go! Mr. Actually is the same.
We get home, chill out for a bit, and then head into the kitchen. Once dinner is ready, we sit at the table, enjoy our good eats, and relish each other’s company.
It sounds like such a silly thing, but it’s so easy to take things like that for granted. Time where you are just focused on each other. Focused on appreciating the nice meal someone has made for you.
Some weeks, we don’t get around to getting our meals planned, and I can definitely see the difference in how our week goes. So I’m always right back to planning meals! We’ve decided we’re only allowed one take away a month, and the lazy nights of fish fingers and oven chips are now few and far in between.
It’s funny how one change can actually have a big knock on effect. We made a simple decision to start planning our meals, and our relationship has grown and strengthened from it. I’ve even become a more confident cook (Mr. Actually is brilliant in the kitchen and I sometimes compare my results to his, which I know I shouldn’t do! It’s hard though!) and I’ve tried several recipes that scared me.
The next daring recipe I want to try? Shrimp Pad Thai!
