It’s the food for me!

We got food at home!

The price is way too high, you need to cut it!! Do you remember that song? LOL. It should be the anthem for our economy right now. With the price of everything being absurdly expensive, remembering my mother saying, “We got food at home,” hits different these days. Now that dinner is just for me and my husband, my plan was to spend a lot of time dining out and living life. Well, we are still living our life, but we are definitely eating more at home. I’m actually enjoying pushing the limits of my creativity while not doing a full-on Thanksgiving feast for two. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with making “bowls” for dinner. So much so, that I decided to buy new BLATES (which is what I am calling these bowls that are wide and shallow – a bowl crossed with a plate) to display my meal creations. Bowls are about exploring how creative you can be at meal time. There’s no formula and, in my opinion, no set skill level. Just some of your favorite food groups and a sauce of your choice, and voila…you have some magic. So, let me share some of my favorite bowl types and hopefully inspire you to get creative and save a little money.

The Pasta Bowl

One of my favorite whip-up meals is the combination of pasta, meat, and sauce. I know your mind went to spaghetti. Yes, spaghetti is definitely one of my favorite meals. My kids would tell you it was a punishment meal or a struggle meal when they were growing up. Say what you want but, raising a family of six, I could buy a pack of ground meat, 2 jars of sauce, a large box of noodles, and veggies for less than $10 and feed my family for the next 2 to 3 days. Sure, back then it was a struggle, but you were full and well-fed. So, one of the ways I like to switch it up is by changing the pasta. Some of my go-tos are Gnocchi (yes, I know it's not really pasta but it's pastaesque), Tagliatelle, and pasta nests. These are so fun to add to any sauce. Changing it up with the pasta, maybe tossing it in the oven with a little cheese, will turn a boring pot of spaghetti into a thoughtful masterpiece and make you seem like a real STAR in the kitchen. Here is my tip: make your sauce in whatever way you choose. Try adding the cooked pasta right into the sauce and add a little of the pasta water to the sauce. The pasta water helps to make the sauce stick to the pasta. Toss in the sauce and top with cheese. If you're baking in the oven, I don’t cook the pasta ahead of time. I cook the sauce and top the pasta with the sauce, cheese, a little water, and cover it in foil. It’s easy and delicious.

Kale and Bean Bowl

I really, really love Kale. Cooked or raw, I love it for a few reasons. As a hot veggie, it holds flavor really well. As a cold veggie, it holds up to dressing and sauces much better than other leafy greens. I like mixing Kale with roasted sweet potato and white beans. Then I add protein, feta, more veggies, pickled onions, or more veggies like roasted corn, or julienne carrots and cucumbers. Kale and beans are always the base, and then I just go wild from there. Here is my tip: having a consistent base makes it easy to swap in or out new ingredients.

Fruit Bowl

This is my pretty bowl. Perfect for breakfast or dessert. I like to pair similar fruit colors, like watermelon, cherries, and strawberries. But since my husband likes blueberries, that adds an extra pop of color. I even make a dressing of lime juice and honey or agave. I have topped with feta and mint for a more refreshing spin. Or use the same dressing and pair it with a homemade (or store-bought) whipped cream. Here is my tip: Add to a pretty glass to make it fancy and feel like you did more than you actually did.

The Salad Bowl

Ok, last one. I know I mentioned Kale already, but this is the traditional Cobb salad. For this one, I marinate my kale in lemon juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for at least an hour. Remember I said that Kale holds flavor really well while keeping the crunch? It’s magical for salads. It doesn’t wilt. For this, I cook some bacon in the oven and chop it myself. I also boil eggs, add tomatoes, croutons, dried berries, nuts, and cheese. Lime ranch dressing, or whatever you like. Food is about what fuels your soul and fills your tummy. So create a base and go wild with the rest. I like avocado, so it works for me, but not for my husband. Here is my tip: If you want salad-topping variety but are not sure which flavors work together, test your luck with the ready-made salad topping mixes. Once you find what you like, improve on it by making your own.

The Flow

I remember how crazy it could get planning lunch for the kids and meals for the family. Even if I planned something, if I ran out of time and couldn’t cook what I prepared, I would have to make a last-minute change. What I wish I knew about back then was bowls. I could easily borrow from leftovers and make something creative and please my crowd. And while I planned meals for the week, sometimes the plan doubled as my grocery list (which I toss after I go shopping), lol. It’s one of the reasons I have the Weekly Eats Deskpads as one of our planning tools. It's so helpful to plan my meals and know my grocery list in advance. It keeps me from over-buying, and gives me a few options to choose from. If you read this post, you can shop our notepads with the code BOGO when you checkout. Grab one for yourself and one for a friend.

Affirmations to get you through

• I will not measure my best against someone else’s best. My best is my growth.

• I give myself permission to try something new. Even if it feels uncomfortable, I am worth the challenge.

• I can go to bed with dishes in the sink. It doesn’t make me lazy. It proves that I worked hard, and I’m tired.