measly meal planning

Today was a day off from training, so I have nothing to report on that - other than my legs are in protest and hurt so bad.  But it's a good kind of hurt, and it means I am making progress, so I will gladly tolerate it. 

Sunday's in our household are always grocery store days.  Until I moved to Chicago I think everyday was grocery store day - if I was out of food or needed something, I would just run out and get it.  When you don't have a car and the closest grocery store is a 10 minute walk away (and you are getting off work at 7pm every night), you really lose that luxury of just being able to run out and get something.  Hence, Sunday is grocery day.

I hate grocery day.  Not because I hate going to the grocery store - actually quite the contrary.  I love going to the grocery store. But because meal planning is the most difficult, least fun thing I have to do all week (in my free time that is - not counting work :) I really have not enjoyed it lately.  Somehow every Sunday morning I sit down to think about what I want to make all week for us to eat (for lunch and dinner) and can never think of - 1) anything that sounds good and 2) anything I have ever made in my 26 years on the planet before that I have eaten and liked.

This Sunday was the first grocery day since we have moved to Chicago that I actually woke up, made my list, and had no problems.  This week, I went grocery shopping stress free.  No, I did not have a meal planning angel come and miraculously give me the ability to flawlessly meal plan.  But I did sign up for the Fresh 20 meal planning service - which planned not only my dinners for the week, but my lunches too; and it even made my shopping list for me.  

I haven't even cooked a meal from my subscription to the Fresh 20 yet - but I can already tell I love it.  First, it was only $54 for the entire year.  For a little more than a dollar a week I can stop hating my Sunday mornings.  The meals are complete, and as I said come with a shopping list of exactly what you need.  With the annual subscription, you even get access to the archives (which goes back through 2011 by the way).  So I now have access to three years of meal plans at my fingertips.  

I also fully expect this subscription to pay for itself.  Similar to many of you I am sure, Mark and I waste a good amount of food.  Not intentionally, but because we buy something we plan to make, but forget about it for one reason or another, or didn't get the right things in the first place. Now I know that what I buy I will use (and I know I'm only buying the exact right amount of ingredients).  Especially because the recipes sound delicious.  I'm even excited about trying out the fish dishes, and I don't even like fish (not guaranteeing I will like the fish dishes, but I am definitely going to be trying them).  

Tomorrow is the first day of having my food figured out before I wake up, and I am so excited.  Now when Mark asks me 'What's for Dinner?' on gchat at work - I will actually be able to say for a change.