M. Suzanne Terry

Today is the final day of my 31 days without fast food.  A little recap for you of things I’ve learned:

– Fast food was more a part of my routine than I thought it was.  This was harder than I thought it was going to be.

– Food is my boyfriend.  I am emotionally attached, in both good and bad ways.  Food is how I express affection and connection, but it is also the thing I associate with shame, guilt, and avoidance.  So, maybe food is a bad boyfriend.  Maybe food should just be food.

– Soft poached egg on potato chips is a nice occasional treat, but should not be one’s go-to breakfast.

– Good time management means never having to go without coffee.

– Meal planning only works if you actually do it.

– You don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat well, but you will probably have to spend more than you’re used to spending.

– Guests are just as happy with a one-pot meal that took me less than an hour to make as they are with an elaborate, themed party.

– Supper Club!  I’M SO EXCITED!!!

– My food choices are connected to larger issues and problems, and they can also be part of the solution to those problems.

But the most important thing I learned this month – the thing that I need to remember the most – is to extend grace.

I need to extend grace to others.  Grace to others who don’t make the choices that I think are important.  Grace to listen to them when they feel the need to justify those choices.  Grace to really listen – not to just wait until they stop talking so that I can tell them why they’re wrong.  Grace to accept that my disagreement doesn’t automatically make them wrong.

I also need to extend grace to myself, which is sometimes harder than extending grace to others.  Grace to enjoy the occasional bowl of eggs with potato chips without feeling the need to justify it.  Grace to accept where I am now, even if I don’t plan on staying there.  Grace to appreciate my body and what it does for me.

And yes – grace to occasionally indulge in Whataburger.  Just giving myself permission to do so reminds me that I have a choice, and going a month without it taught me that it’s not a choice I want to make very often.  Inherent in the grace to indulge is the freedom not to.

I went 31 days without fast food!

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I have people over a lot.  I feed someone at least once a week (I’m an introvert – that’s a lot for me).  It’s not always the same people, but it’s fun, and it’s one of my favorite things to do.

But I don’t always want to make it a big deal.  When it’s people who haven’t been over in a month or so, the excitement and the planning seem to spin out of control.  What was originally a hot dog and beer night becomes a hot dog and beer and I’ve-been-into-Tom-Collins-lately and vegan beanie weenie and sauerkraut and four kinds of bread night.  Then I don’t do it again for a month, because while fun, that’s exhausting.

I have wanted to have a regular time for a small, regular group of people to come over for a while.  I have also wanted a writing/reading group for a while.  Earlier this month, I got the idea to combine the two desires into one – and the seed for Supper Club was planted.

I had a certain couple in mind.  He writes – and pretty seriously (last time I checked, he was looking for an agent).  I’m not sure if she writes, but she has thoughtful insights (and also, I just really like her).  They also suggested another mutual friend who has diverse reading interests and seems very enthusiastic about the group.

So on November 10, the four of us are going to have the first Supper Club at my house.  I want it to be a weekly thing eventually, but we’re starting out with every other week.  It will be potluck.

I’m going to make lasagna, and they can bring whatever they want to go with it.

I will try to limit myself to two lasagnas – one meat, one veggie.

I’m not sure what we’ll discuss.  I don’t want it to be a book club, where we all read the same thing, because that’s more work than I want it to be.  I mostly just want to hang out with them and support one another in our creative endeavors, whatever those endeavors might be.  Perhaps that’s what we’ll discuss.

Depending on how it goes, we might be inviting more people to join, but I don’t want it to get too big.  I’m excited to see where this goes.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– My house is never cleaner than when I’m expecting company.  Here’s hoping that this is motivation to keep my house more organized.  Here’s hoping that this will not be a drudgery.

– I’m so excited!!!

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

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I do this every month.  I do one big grocery trip, so that I can just make little trips throughout the rest of the month.  And then I freak out about how much the big grocery trip costs.

It cost a little more than it usually does.  I spend a little under $250.  That’s about average for the months when I actually cook at home and have people over once or twice a week.  It’s $150 under my grocery budget (which includes money for coffee and wine, which the majority of that remaining $150 will go to).

I know that it’s okay.  I know that it fits into my budget.  I know that the locally sourced, organic meat, dairy, and vegetables are good choices.  I know that buying this food means that I am more likely not to eat fast food, and that definitely saves me money in the long run.  I know that this is better for me.  I know all of this in my head.

But *hyperventilates a little*

I am thankful.  There was a time when I couldn’t spend $250 (much less $400) on groceries every month, because I couldn’t afford it.  Good food doesn’t help you if you have to give up electricity or rent to buy it.

I want everyone to be able to afford to eat like this.  I mean, I like ramen noodles as much as the next person (okay, maybe a little more), but it’s nice to be able to have options.

As I type this, the house smells like caponata.  It’s almost ready.  Just a little while longer.

And it’s starting to rain.  ❤

Despite the mild freak out and going to the grocery store on a Saturday (ugh…the worst!), this has been an excellent day.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– I’m gonna need payday to fall earlier in the week.  This shopping on the weekend nonsense is, well, nonsense.

– Caponata is definitely making an appearance at a Supper Club night.

– So happy and thankful tonight.

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

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I don’t like letting things go to waste.  I am that person who cuts up old t-shirts to make a rug or a grocery bag or a quilt or something.  I have an entire blanket made just from yarn scraps.  If I buy canned goods, I buy them in jars that I can wash and reuse for storing leftover soup or sending someone a care package of leftovers or coffee (or, last December, hot chocolate) to take home.  I am big on recycling.

The thing I hate wasting the most?  Food.

This is the main reason I was dreading cleaning out the fridge.  I knew that there were things in there that were past their edible date.  In fact, there was a whole grocery bag full of things.  I dumped the buckets of rotten food into the bag and took it to the dumpster.

Then I cried.  I’m even getting a little teary writing about it.

A few years ago, I chaperoned a group of student leaders on their spring break trip to Memphis where we worked at a food bank.  Most of the week was spent sorting cans and stocking shelves.  It was hard work (omg, so much work), but it was rewarding.  The hardest part of the week – for all of us, I think – was the afternoon when they showed us how much food was donated that they had to throw away. There were two truckloads, and I’m not using hyperbole there.  Two truckloads on one afternoon.

So much food goes to waste in this country.  We produce more than we can ever consume, and we consume a lot.  We also have people going hungry, because we haven’t figured out how to get it to them before it rots.  Or we’re so concerned that they can pay for it – that they have a job and are contributing financially to society – that they’ve earned the right for their families not to go hungry.  I don’t want to assume that the general consensus in this country is that we would rather have food go to waste and end up in a landfill than to give it to someone who didn’t or couldn’t pay for it, but our behavior sure makes it look like that’s true.

I haven’t worked fast food in about twenty years, and even then, I only did so for a couple of months.  That was all it took, however, to know how much food gets thrown away there, and that was under the guidance of a careful manager. I can only imagine how much worse it would be under the management of someone who didn’t care.

I want to stop being a part of this problem.  I NEED to stop being a part of this problem.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– My dollar is my vote.  Every time I spend money at a place that, as a result of its business structure, policies, codes, etc., inevitably wastes large amounts of food, I am rewarding that behavior, and I am a part of the problem.

– This ^ is an exhausting truth.  Where the hell can I eat?

– One thing I can do is make sure that none of the food at home goes to waste.  So my cooking schedule for November just got spread out:

10/26 – Caponata, several batches of beans that I can freeze, Kale/chicken egg rolls

11/2 – Enchiladas, chicken and dumplings, pizza puffs (snack for the following Tuesday’s book club)

11/9 – chickpea curry, roast

11/10 – lasagna(s) for Supper Club

11/16 – green bean casserole, something delicious with pasta, baked potatoes

11/23 – black bean chili

11/24 – Lazy Sunday casserole for Supper club

And Thanksgiving will be at Mom and Dad’s, so that should cover meals and leftovers for the month with (hopefully) no waste.

I’m going 31 days (and hopefully much longer) without fast food.

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This took me two hours.  Just these two lists.  I’m exhausted and hungry and want all these things right now.  Some of these things are repeats from a previous list, but they’re so good, I know you’ll want to read about them twice anyway.

Step 1 – The meal list

1. Pizza Puffs – pizza in a muffin – easy to make in bulk and freeze.  I will be adjusting this recipe, probably to include more vegetables and maybe no meat.  

2.  Kale/chicken egg rolls – because I NEED them.  Ditto on the making in bulk and freezing.  Baked, not fried.

3.  Lasagna – the basics with variations.  This has the benefit of combining something that can be made for company or for leftovers, and it can be made with things that I usually keep on hand.

4.  Veggie enchiladas – the basics with variations – for the same reasons listed in #3.

5.  Lazy Sunday Casserole – it’s easy, and sometimes, I just need my house to smell like this.  I am not above putting apples in it.

6.  Chicken and dumplings – basic and awesome.  It freezes beautifully, and it tastes even better the second time around.  I could eat this every day for the rest of my life.  I won’t, because I’d like to be able to fit through the door.  But yeah.  Love me some dumplings.

7.  Caponata – this is probably my favorite thing to make in the slow cooker.  It’s so versatile.  It can be put over rice, eaten as a stew, top a baked potato, served on toast – the possibilities abound.

8.  Chickpea curry – I adapt this one to whatever veggies I have around.  Careful with that pepper.  Your more faint-of-heart guests will not like it.  If I’m coming over, add another.  I like the spice.

9.  Black bean chili – another thing that I can eat alone or serve over ten thousand things.

10. Green bean casserole – I make my own mushroom soup, and I make it vegan-ish, but otherwise, it’s pretty traditional.

11. Roast with carrots and potatoes – another thing I love to come home to after it’s been simmering in the slow cooker.

The last four are meals with a base and a variety of fixins.

12.  Pasta, etc. – particularly drunken noodles.  Otherwise, this is something I typically keep in the house.  It’s a quick meal that I like better and can fix faster than I can drive through Sonic.  My favorite pasta creation is usually something with black olives and either goat cheese or my mom’s pesto.

13.  Simple tacos, etc. – I will add just about anything to it, but I’m also happy with beans, cheese, and tortillas.

14.  Burgers, etc. – as with tacos, I like to experiment, but I’m happy with just meat, bread, mustard, and cheese.  Maybe pickles and a tomato.

15.  Baked potatoes, etc. – I can make a whole mess of potatoes in the slow cooker and just reheat them as needed.

I also want to make sure that I have everything that I need for morning oatmeal, beer bread, muffins, waffles, and those delicious mini-egg cups that I can freeze and reheat for a quick breakfast.

Also wine.  Because.

Step 2 – The grocery list

I have three different lists – one for the things that go in the pantry or on fruit/veggie storage bins, one for the things that go in the fridge, and one for the things that go in the freezer.

I think I’m going to go ahead and get the generally non-perishable items  and the frozen things all this weekend.  And I’ll get the refrigerated items that I’m going to cook up or prepare for freezing this weekend as well.  For instance, I can wait on the roast and the sausages, as I’m making those meals later in the month.  But I think most of this list I will either use this weekend, or it will keep until I do use it.  

This looks like a huge list.  I must remember that this is a list of the things I need for this month, not for things I necessarily have to buy.  I bet that I have at least half this list at home already.  I will check things off as I clean tomorrow.  No need to hyperventilate, self.

Pantry/fruit and veggie bins:

Baking aisle:  baking powder, baking soda, flours (self-rising, whole wheat, and AP), almond milk, coconut milk, brown sugar, muffin tin liners, spices (just going to refill what I’m missing from the bulk bins)

Canned (i.e., jarred): tomato paste, salsa, broth (2 chicken, 1 beef, 3 veggie), french fried onions, olives, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, applesauce

Oils/condiments:  oils (grapeseed, olive, coconut), vinegars (red wine, balsamic), honey, molasses, soy sauce, chili paste, maple syrup

Dry goods/bulk: quinoa, rice (long-grain), dried fruit, beans (black, pinto, garbanzo, northern), oatmeal

Fresh fruits/veggies: onions, butternut squash, lemon, lime, ginger root, scallions, potatoes, tomatoes, serrano chile, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, apples, eggplant, zucchini, fresh herbs/spices (garlic, cilantro, parsley, basil),

Random: bread, potato chips (I put eggs on them…don’t judge me…it’s delicious), wine, beer

Fridge:

eggs, cheese (Parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, goat), meat (ground sausage, sausage links, ground beef, roast, chicken), veggies (kale, bell peppers, celery, carrots), egg roll wrappers, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, butter

Freezer:

Mixed veggies, spinach, green beans, hash browns

That doesn’t look as bad as it does on my handwritten list.  That’s do-able.  And like I said, a lot of it is in my house already.  

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– I imagine that meal-planning is faster when you regularly keep staples in the house.  There might be musings about that next week.

– Meal-planning helps me minimize food waste.  I like that.  

– Thinking about all this food I need to make room to store reminds me that tomorrow is fridge-cleaning day.  I’m dreading it.  

I’m going 31 days without fast food.

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Most Novembers, I participate in National Novel Writing Month.  This means that, most Octobers, I participate in NaNoPrep – adjusting my habits to make room for NaNoWriMo.

Today, we do Phase One – making the to-do list.

Most of my to-do list centers around meal planning, because that’s what tends to go out the window when the OMG-I-am-soooo-far-behind panic hits.  I don’t really outline when I write.  I’m a big ol’ Pantser.  There’s not a lot of need, therefore, for me to plan ahead with an outline.  I will usually write out my character’s names and a brief description, and I’ll update my account on the main site (I’m coffeesnob, if you want to be writing buddies). But most of my prep work is food-related. Since the general theme of this 31-day challenge so far seems to be “I need to plan better,” NaNoPrep fits right into this quest.

Confession:  the reason that I don’t meal-plan?  It’s more work in reality than I ever think it’s going to be.  The meal planning system that works for me is a four-step process.

The weekend before November (so…this upcoming weekend) is when I ready my kitchen for the neglect it might be feeling during the following month.  A little special time with the kitchen.  It makes the kitchen feel loved.

As I am familiar with me, I know that this much-needed preparation won’t occur unless I make a detailed plan.  I can’t just say, “I’m going to cook all the things!” and expect that to be what actually takes place.  That’s how frustration and a spontaneous Gilmore Girls marathon, complete with junk food and the mild guilt of avoidance/gluttony, happen.  That’s also how a November full of fast food happens, which is exactly what I want to avoid.

The to-do list:

Step 1:  Choose fifteen meals that can be made in bulk and be frozen (or prepped for the slow cooker) for a quick reheat.  Fifteen meals give me fifteen days of suppers and about 45 meals of leftovers (plus it always leaves me with extra, so that I can have people over and avoid hermit status), so that no food goes to waste.  I’ve starting this part already.  Some of the meals from Day Seventeen will make an appearance on this list. I will also include chili and various soups, as well as fast breakfast options (which are a good idea any time of the year).

Step 2: Make a grocery list that is based on the Final Fifteen.  The list also includes quick foods – sandwich fixin’s, cereal, etc. – because not every meal has to be a production.  The overall list will then be divided into weeks, because my freezer is small, so it’s unreasonable to think that everything for the month will fit there.  Every week’s list will, of course, include repeats of the perishable items that won’t last the whole month.

Step 3:  Make a schedule for the weekend.  My general plan:

Friday afternoon/evening – cleaning out the fridge and cleaning the kitchen

Saturday morning – going to the store(s)

Saturday afternoon/evening – bulk cooking a few meals

Sunday morning – making breakfasts

Sunday afternoon – brief outing to the Fort Worth Library book sale

Sunday evening – cleaning up catastrophic mess from a weekend of cooking

A more detailed schedule coming soon.

Then Step 5, of course, is the weekend.

Themes, Observations, and Lessons:

– Hey, this meal planning thing really works out every November.  Maybe I should do something like this every month.

– I’m super excited about this weekend.  I might call in help.  Friends make it festive.

I’m going 31 days without eating fast food.

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