Sometimes, you just have to relent

We can't do a gourmet meal each day. Today, we had burgers and fries - and it's still just as tasty. I did supplement with cuts of fresh tomatoes, and unfortunately Baby1 was so tired from all our activity today she didn't even last through the meal - but at the least, she did eat the tomatoes.

I am, however, genuinely torn when it comes to the costs of some of our meals. I'm torn - not because I don't want to save money in this dire economy, but because I want us to save money in our foodstuffs but I still want to make sure that I put quality and variety on our table. Saving grace is definitely the fact that we don't eat much processed foods, and that we shop primarily along the perimeter - but for a growing family, the food bills do add up over time. My regular purchases: milk, eggs, flour, fruits, vegetables, and a variety of meats. Secondary purchases: cereal, crackers, sugar, juice, water. You'd think this wouldn't add to too much, but boy it really does add up. Then, we also have the take-out orders we place every so often when I can't muster enough energy to cook after a long day (and when I don't want to eat what we already have) - and all of a sudden, our food bills grow exponentially.

So I'm puttin ghtis in writing: I'm going to make a truly concerted effort, during these last few weeks of my maternity leave, to really focus on cooking the foods we have, and to get really well-versed in being able to throw together a good meal, and a series of good meals with variety, from just the items we have in our fridge and freezer. No random ordering out, no cheating with take-out. At the least, while our other costs may be growing while our pocketbooks are shrinking, I can really learn how to use and enjoy what I already have.

And... try to keep up editing this blog on a regular basis.