I LOVE a good meal planning session! Before we were pregnant and had our first little one, I loved to sit down and plan my menu for an entire month. Oh, and I made something different almost every time I cooked. That’s right, no repeats! But I had to put the brakes on this idea very quickly into my first pregnancy. I simply did not have the energy to cook every night. Then we had her and I had a tough time adjusting to homemaking tasks with a newborn. Just when I got used to it and started to cook again, we found out we were pregnant again and I had to go on bedrest for most of the first trimester. Once I was off of bedrest, I still had a little while before I had enough energy to cook at the end of the day (I was extremely anemic).
All this led to food/meal planning frustration. I would make a plan, but not have the energy to carry it out, so we would spend way too much on groceries and dining out. Or, we would eat heat and eat meals, which I really don’t find all that appetizing. I felt like such a failure in the cooking department. It was crazy because I LOVE to cook! But along the way, I have discovered that it is wonderful to get a little bit of help when you need it. I tried an online meal planning service for a while before I got pregnant again and I liked the ease of the process, but I was not too crazy about the outcome: the meals. So, after I got off of bedrest, I went back to planning my menus for a week at a time and was really getting back into the swing of things…new meal every night, no takeout, very little heat and eat!
But I know we are about to enter into a crazy adjustment time again. With the addition of the 2nd baby to the household, I know I will need some help along the way. We are blessed to have an amazing group of ladies at our church who will bring meals, but I know I can’t count on that forever. So, I decided to try another meal planning service: 5 Dinners in 1 Hour.
I have to say, I was skeptical every step of the way of the first week we tried this. I was sure that I would not be able to put together that many meals in one hour (I am what I like to refer to as a slow-cook – I take my time in the kitchen). I was not sure they would taste good. I was not sure my family would like the meals. I just was not sure!
BUT, I was wrong, wrong, wrong!
Putting together the meals according to the instructions was SO easy! I set a timer and made all the meals and had everything put away, the counters wiped down, and most of the dishes in the dishwasher by the end of the hour!!
And each day, when I was skeptical, I put the dinners together and was surprised by the results and the flavor! We enjoyed each of the meals and I loved that it took so little time out of my everyday routine to finish dinner.
I am also excited that some of the meals are large enough for us to split into two meals, one for the week and one for the freezer. This will really help as I am preparing for the baby.
So, if you are interested in trying out the very same FREE sample menu we tried, go to 5 Dinners in 1 Hour’s website and try it out! I am really pleased with the results and highly recommend it for when you are burned out of menu planning and prepping, or when you are going through a change in life that necessitates a little help.
I would love to hear some of your tips on what to do when you are going through a season of change/adjustment in your household. Or, if you have tried the 5 Dinners in 1 Hour plan, let me know how it worked for you.
Disclosure: I am a customer of 5 Dinners in 1 Hour, as well as an affiliate. I do get compensation when you click and sign-up, but not for the sample menu.
