Monday, April 27, 2009

Economy Means Management of a Household

Economy comes from the Greek word(my daughter at UVA is taking a Greek exam today) oikonomia meaning management of a household: task, work, responsibility.  The health of an economy starts with each household so perhaps the problem of our current economy is we have not been managing our household spending well.  In this economy, why not try a new way of managing to get dinner on the table and start pocketing tremendous savings in more needed areas? Pay yourself instead of paying cooks in restaurants and fast food lines.  This week,  I served taco salad and fresh fruit for my co-op group.  I did not buy the cheapest meat- I bought better quality lean ground beef, named brands for my cheese, chips, cans of corn, kidney beans, taco sauce.  The cost-$3.60 per person- half the cost of fast food yet I had fresh fruits and lettuce in my meal and I had left overs!  I saved $$$ on driving- one trip to the grocery store.  I had to go anyway to get milk etc.  How about the convenience and time savings of dinner sitting in MY refrigerator.  Be sure to check out the helpful resources tab - click to see and hear tuna cakes sizzle.  Let a bad economy get you into a good habit-cook for a night, eat for a week!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Columbine- 10 Years Later

Since I began cooking co-op in 1986,  I have kept my eyes and ears open to any media coverage on the importance of family meals.  After the Columbine shooting,  I heard a radio interview of one of the survivors.  Asked if she or her family were doing anything differently in the wake of the tragedy, she said "... we had gotten away from having family dinners together and we are now going back to it."  How we appreciate the ordinary everyday pleasures when we almost lose them.  A 5th grade teacher shared that only 5 out of his 18 students sat down at the table on a regular basis for dinner.  The magic # is FOUR- FOUR or more family meals lead to better students with less risky behavior.  See helpful resources on my web page and read the benefits of eating together.  Click on contact me at the bottom of the page and let me know about your "home improvements."  President Obama and his wife Michelle, make a concerted effort to have family meals with their beautiful girls.  What if we could raise the % of students having FOUR or more family meals a week form 30% to 50%?  Would grades improve?  Would it lower the drop-out rate and obesity rate?  Let the table talk begin this week.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Victory Week!

What an incredible 7 days this has been!  #1) Yesterday we celebrated Easter.  Here are some of the words from the hymns:...the victory of life is won...the song of triumph has begun.  #2) The North Carolina Tarheels Monday night won a 5th NCAA Basketball Championship.  I watched the title game in Chapel Hill and saw the team return to the Dean Dome- one shining moment.  #3) The idea of winning rubbed off and I won 2 important tennis matches this week in tie-breakers i.e. nail-biters.  The difference between winning and losing is focus on one or two aspects of a game.  In tennis,  I have to remind myself to keep my eye on the ball.  Sounds simple but it's easy to be distracted by movement, noise, clouds, sun etc going on all around you.  So here's my coaching tip:  I have found in the last 21 years that cooking co-op has helped me focus and keep my eye on the ball by getting a home-cooked meal on the table for my family.  When I'm focusing on that one activity,  I'm more on the top of my game in all aspects of my life.  Try it one month and you will see many shining moments!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Pressure is a Privilege

This is the title of Billie Jean King's new book.  I'm reading this after watching the North Carolina Tarheels defeat Villanova in the semi-finals of the Final Four.  How about the pressure Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson- players and coaches- had to handle in front of 72,000 screaming fans.  Yes, on Tuesday nights, the pressure is on with cooking co-op- I have to deliver my meal Wednesday morning.  As in sports,  I have to focus and get the job done.  It takes preparation(menu planning,grocery list, grocery shopping), it takes committment( my desire to celebrate the day with my family at mealtime), it takes instincts(finding the right recipe-tastes good, not too time consuming), it's about team work(getting help from family, friends, aquaintances), and it's about finances(saving money by planning-taking advantage of specials, less eating out, fewer trips to the grocery store, less waste).  Billy Jean says,"...we are fortunate to have this opportunity and the pressure that goes along with it.  Nothing great ever comes easy.  Great accomplishments often require struggle..."  The joy of victory the Carolina Tarheels are experiencing right now is huge.  When I deliver my prepared special dinner on Wednesday morning,  that's my victory lap.