Lately, I'm tired. I mean, TIRREEEDDD by the end of the day.
It hit me a couple weeks ago - the physical exhaustion of 15 month old + third trimester. And for a few days, we just scrounged for dinner or ate takeout. Because every day I would have a meal planned (usually something easy) and get ready to make it around 4:30 or 5, but just not be able to. Too tired. And once I talked myself out of cooking and into Potbelly's, that was that. [I have craved good sandwiches both pregnancies. Mm. I want one right now.]
Anyway, after a few days of this, I decided to start making dinner in the morning. After breakfast. When I wasn't tired.
And, it works for me.
Then, when 5:00 rolls around, and I'm tired, I sit on the couch and read books to Addie.
When Ben gets home, we warm it up, and voila. Our tummies and food budget are happy.
A couple things about this strategy...
1.) It eliminates some meal options. Some things are meant to be cooked and eaten immediately. Like paninis. Well, I wanted to try this portabello pesto panini [did I mention I love sandwiches?]... so, I did the pesto ahead of time and laid out all ingredients that could be out. Then when it came time to eat, I was forced to make dinner because it was half started and it only took 10 minutes. Easy peasy.
2.) Sometimes I just do the prep work early. Fruit or veggie chopping, recipe reading, sauce making, meat cooking, etc... Things can be thrown together at the last minute.
3.) I usually make 2 days worth of salad when we have that as a side. Which is almost every night. (With feta and croutons, obviously.)
4.) If there are too many leftovers in the fridge, we eat that. Easier and less wasteful.
5.) Sometimes we order pizza.
6.) There is a once-a-day-pep talk that sounds like this: "you will not be pregnant forever. you will not be pregnant forever. drink water, sit down and rest. then keep going. you will not be pregnant forever."
Got anything that 'works for you' to share? :)
