Thursday, July 7, 2011

Confessions of a Fast Food Mom

Confession Time:
I feed my kids fast food.  Often.  At my worst point, it was several times a week.

As mom to 2 teenagers and wife to a husband who is rarely home for dinner, we succumbed to the lure of  drive-thru meals.  The kids asked for it.  I obliged.  I assuaged my guilt by focusing on the illusion of "more time for family".  Everyone was happy.  The only one complaining was the budget.

I have never been one to cook “from scratch”.  Maybe it’s the requirement of planning ahead.  Maybe it was feeling like I’m stuck in a kitchen all night...an hour or two of labor inhaled in 10 minutes (or worse, grudgingly consumed amid a chorus of complaints).  Maybe it's plain lack of ability.  Most likely it's a combination of all these things.

I love, love, love a quick meal, but we were all getting tired of spaghetti and Hamburger Helper.  So I started looking for shortcuts to a home-cooked meal.  

Quick. Swift. Speedy Gonzales.
The recipes I use are focused on ease and speed:  how quick can I get in and out of the kitchen and to the table.  Sometimes I get a flash of inspiration and find ways to add flavor and make it taste gourmet.  I use a lot of convenience items, so it's not always the cheapest way to cook. Some recipes may not be the healthiest either, but I'm sure whatever I'm serving up during the course of the week is a better alternative to McD's.

The Journey
We're still weaning ourselves from fast food... two nights a week... one night a week.  I wonder, does Subway count?  What about Pizza?  I'm okay with where I am on the road to recovery, as long as I keep moving forward.  This blog is about our journey to freedom from fast food dependency and welcoming other dinner-challenged families we meet along the way. Accountability, food, fun.... What more could you ask for?  Join us in our journey!


PS Who Doesn't Love A Good Hack?
Another Confession:  I'm not an obsessive housekeeper.  I know what you're thinking.
"She doesn't cook.
She doesn't clean.
What does she do?"  
Trying to keep the house orderly while living life is like trying to fix a car while it's rolling down the street.  So you gotta love tips, shortcuts, and hacks to cleaning and organization.  Stayed tuned for some great ideas.

7 comments:

Stephers said...

So excited to hear more!!! :)

Erin said...

I think almost every mom can relate to this. The lure of an easy dinner with fast food is so powerful! I never thought about it as spending all that time only for it to be devoured in just a few short minutes. That is frustrating! Haha! But we all strive to be better...I go on cooking binges and then I'll hit a wall of boredom with what food the boys in my home consider acceptable. So it quickly becomes ramen and grilled cheese every other night. Perhaps you should add a recipes section to this blog so we can all help each other out!

Quick Fix Criss said...

Recipe section is coming Erin!

CJ DeWitt said...

This Blog is a GREAT idea Criss! Enjoyed reading what you have here so far and I'm sure I'll be checking in from time to time to read more! Regarding your budget and comment about making several trips per week to the "pick up" window; not only do those fast food purchases add up in funds that quickly drain away, but the calories and fat grams add up at a more alarming rate! It would be great if you would consider maybe adding a bit of nutrition info to your site as well! Maybe compare what your family USED to eat on a regular basis to what you've found to be a fast and healthy replacement! Good luck and thank you for sharing your family's experiences with us! Can't wait to read more!

Brenda F said...

What a pleasure to read! And that is one high compliment since I don’t normally like to read. Also, I’m looking forward to the tidbits of information along with the good reading. Love it :)

Kara said...

LOVE this!! I'm so excited about your blog! Can't wait for my ideas...I am so guilty of fast food for my kids and the other meals I do make at home are getting really old and boring!!!

Quick Fix Criss said...

There is now a recipe tab at the top of the page. All recipes in one easy place!

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