Welcome, Gentle Reader!

Until fairly recently, I did what lots of people are doing: meal planning. I sat down in advance and wrote down what I wanted to cook each day, complete with any hot breakfast and homemade lunches. Then, I made a shopping list and went shopping for the required ingredients. Each night, or perhaps four nights a week, I scrubbed up after work and prepared our foodie feast. Any leftovers might be mixed with some fresh greens for a refreshing salad to be enjoyed during lunch the next day.

All of this routine was fun and exciting… I felt powerful and empowered! By my efforts, two people (and later, a baby) were staying alive and healthy! I was reading Michael Pollan and Bon Appetit, slicing daikon radish to the tunes of Charlie Parker, and drinking Australian wine. My pantry was stocked with a wide variety of spices and ingredients leftover from my culinary adventures. Life was good… The food was fantastic and interesting… Meal planning was working well for me.

However, as my firstborn (Giggle) reached 12 months old and my second pregnancy stretched endlessly on, I was physically less able to get to the grocery store or membership club on a regular basis. Cooking was a chore instead of an enjoyable routine. I was also beginning to worry about a process breakdown post-baby. How was I going to care for a newborn and a 14-month old around the clock and still coherently plan a nutritious, hot dinner from scratch, let alone shop for and cook said meal? In addition, Giggle was eating solids like a champ, and while I might be willing and able to subsist on ramen and orange juice for an extended period, the emerging diet of a young toddler should be more substantial. So who exactly was going to handle all of this varied and lovely cooking and all that it entails?

Cue anti-meal planning. Or if you prefer, Meal Planning 2.0. This is a practical, realistic method of cooking and planning that fits into even the busiest of schedules.

Over time, I have built a pantry of frozen, refrigerated, and shelf stable foods that allow me to prepare healthy, delicious meals in minutes. These are meals that require either NO grocery store trip, MINIMAL effort, or NO meal-time prep other than warming.

These meals don’t rely on canned soup, store-bought frozen ingredients (other than frozen vegetables), or membership club bulk buys. Many of my pantry meals can be made for just a few dollars per meal. Keep in mind that my family prefers to eat whole, unprocessed foods. We drink whole, low-heat pasteurized milk, eat grass fed meat, pastured eggs, real salt. So my pantry reflects those preferences. But if those things aren’t a priority for you- not a problem! We all make choices on how to spend our money and time. I applaud you for being authentic and making choices that suit you and your family best. And no matter your ingredient style choices, you can still effectively use this method.

In this blog, I will be detailing a variety of my family’s favorite “pantry meals”, along with suggestions on how to select your own meals and build a pantry that empowers and enables you to feed your family nutritious meals without meal planning or frequent grocery shopping. You may even save some money! I hope that you will join me on this journey of practical and healthful eating. Along the way, we will talk about renovating a 1914 farmhouse, adventures in homesteading and home keeping, tot school and learning through play, and more. So come into my kitchen, have a cup of tea, and let’s get started together!