How do you have time to cook it all?

[JMJ]

So I'm new to TF. DD got a cavity at 10 months old on her tooth that she chipped while trying to learn how to crawl, and I realized that I need to make some changes to our diet that I thought was so healthy. Out goes my granola, my soy milk, my quick soaked beans, my unsoaked grains, and my overindulgence in sugar that I was using to make up my calories since my now 11 month old still isn't so sure about eating much other than my milk, and I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight and trying to stop loosing weight.

I roasted a whole organic chicken a couple days ago for the first time in my life. I've got bone broth on the stove right now. I'm basically cooking myself 4 meals a day, not to mention what I'm making to keep around as staples for my husband like my 100% whole wheat sourdough bread and dinners for us both. DH wants to get a hand wheat grinder. I'm spending like 4 hours a day cooking, not counting distractions and taking care of DD.

Tell me that it gets easier! Tell me that it's just that I'm getting started, and I'll get faster when I know better what I'm doing. Tell me that once I have a good supply of everything that I'm trying to eat, maintaining it will be easier.

If that all is the case, then this is probably a good time for it. DD is old enough that she likes to play by herself for large chunks of time, and when she needs me, she's still small enough to put in a carrier on my front or back while I work. I can't always spend this much time cooking, though. I'll hopefully have more children at some point in time, and I'd like to have time to home school and have a garden and all those other wonderfully crunchy things.

How do you do it? Tell me it's possible to do all of that. Please.

[Magelet]

It definitely gets much easier. I don't actually know if it takes less time spent doing it, though I suspect it does (I didn't pay much attention). However, I KNOW it takes a lot less time thinking about it, worrying about it, and trying to figure it out, and it will feel like less time.

A lot of things in TF cooking genuinely need a lot of time. And a lot of these things are not "active time". That is, you make the sourdough, and let it rise, then come back and shape it, and let it rise and then bake it and come back and take it out of the oven.
You put the stock on and come back a day or two later to take it out of the pot and strain it.
You get the sourkraut going and then ignore it for a month.
The same with kombucha.

It takes a lot of time in the begining, because you are learning. Eventually, things become easier, and you figure out your time shortcuts, or ways to make things seem like they take less time.

It also changed the way we eat.
We both grew up eating a LOT of bread. However, we can eat a loaf of bread in a day or two between the two of us. right now, we aren't proficient enough nor have the time to have bread every single breakfast, lunch and dinner, like I grew up with. However, we have lots of other yummy stuff, and we do still enjoy bread maybe 2 times a week, plus the occasional flat bread.
We HAVE to make a menu plan, as 70% of our meals take a day of advance planning at the least. (soaking beans, soaking grains). about our only meals that we can make that aren't menu-planned are potato based (meat or cheese meals also require the advance planning of having bought them when we do our weekly shopping)

I'd say it's a combination of just getting started, and the fact that it really does take longer. I won't tell you that it will ever be as fast as granola for breakfast, and pressure cooked (or canned) beans, because it won't. What it will be is as thoughtless. You won't always have to try so hard remember to soak oatmeal before bed. Soaking your beans will get easy.

In the meantime can you cook bigger batches and sometimes have the same thing for dinner and then leftovers for lunch the next day, or two different days (not in a row, if in a row is a problem).

. It definitely gets easier.

[bobandjess99]

It is REALY hard for me too, and we still are very frequently left with "nothing to eat" in ahouse full of food, because it all needs to be cooked and prepared and soaked, etc. It's very diffficult. Luckily, a local farmer whois into WAP has started selling fermented stuff, so I can buy real raw fermented saurkraut, veggies, kimchi, kombucha, kvass, etc. Thaty is helping. Plus ,i pay out the wazoo for healthy fresh baked bread. It's st8ll very hard though.

[Rasa]

What made it feel easier for me was to make 2-3 x what i need and freeze the rest or save for leftovers. It doesn't usually take THAT much longer to prep extra but saves so much time--cleaning time included. Freezing works really well with beans, soup, chili, stew, and even sprouted grains or freshly ground flour; fridge leftovers for everything else. This way I don't have to plan anything for lunch when I eat the leftovers (or even a dinner) and I have a few dinners on hand at all times in the freezer for when I failed to plan anything else or just can't bring myself to cook again

[forestrymom]

One of the things that helped me was staying simple at first. If you eat whole foods, there is less prep--for our carbs we eat a lot of yams, potatoes, carrots, squash, etc. Prepping rice/beans doesn't actually take that much of MY time, its just having the foresight to get it done in time, kwim? Bread is definitely more time consuming, because you can't leave it, but the kids help me and LOVE kneading dough, so I count it as time with them. I refuse to buy bread, so, like this week, we haven't had any (I just haven't had time--we've been gone every day). I often make 3 batches and freeze loaves if I know I'm going to be busy. I have not started fermenting, but that is my next TF project.

Are you a sahm? I did TF while working last summer and it was way harder, but still doable, with simplicity.

[mom61508]

check out cheeseslave.com I love her blog she has great ideas and great recipes

also www.thenourishinggourmet.com and nourishedkitchen.com

They all have great time saving ideas!

[krankedyann]

Writing out a menu for the week with a preparation plan really helps. You can see an example of how I do that here- http://www.tfrecipes.com/forum/attac...6&d=1267025935 I do a full week's plan at one time, then I go back and write in a list what I need to soak/sprout/whatever each day. After breakfast and lunch, I have a few minutes each day where I look at my list and do whatever is there, so I don't have to think, I just have to act. It saves me a lot of frustration and aggravation and I always have things ready. You'll notice I have it done here two ways- one where I can prep before the week begins, and one where I prep as I go, in case I don't get to the prep work on the weekend. My menus always begin on Monday.

Keeping it simple and doing batch cooking when you do cook is a major help. When I make something like BBQ sauce, I make a ton of it and freeze it in 2-cup portions. I normally triple every meal and put at least one serving in the freezer- If I'm going to crock-pot a roast, I don't do a roast smaller than for 3-4 meals, because its only just 10 or 15 minutes extra work for those three extra meals to get them put in the fridge or freezer for later. I also make it easy on myself by always having leftovers for lunch instead of trying to come up with something new. After a week of alternating between a simple meal and a batch cooked meal, I then have time freed up for myself.

[CookiePie]

You will get into a rhythm of cooking that works for you. planning to make extra for leftovers freezing some things all helps. There are certain things that I do each week to cut back on the overall work.

Roasting a chicken is a great way! The first night have some roasted chicken veggies & mashed potatoes. Then I take all the meat off the bone & package it up in the fridge/freezer. I can usually get 3 meals from the chicken. I start my stock immediately & it cooks over night & into the next day. I will usually plan to make soup the day after roasting the chicken. I will freeze left over stock in ice cube trays. So by roasting a chicken one night you have about 3 or 4 nights of meals coming to you with small prep to make it a meal. Maybe it will be burritos, risotto, and pot pie this week.

Consider your soaking times when you do food prep. So you soak your oatmeal for breakfast, then, when you go to cook it in the morning you start another batch to soak for the next day. You start your next batch of yogurt before you run out to ensure you have enough starter. Lunches tend to be reheated leftovers or cold lunches. I don't cook special for lunch. Breakfast consists of eggs and or oatmeal most of the time. Focus the cooking to dinnertime & making bigger batches to stretch. Even if you don't want to eat chicken all week, you can freeze it & have it once a week for the month & do the same with a beef roast.

It will get easier, I promise!

[organicmidwestmama]

my baby often is fussy right as i need to prepare dinner, it's just one of those ironies in life i guess! the ergo carrier is a huge help with this.
the truth is yes, cooking real food, from scratch takes a lot of time. but really, what could be more important that nurturing yourself and your precious family with healthy food so that you can all have the best health possible?

my son chipped a tooth on a rock at 8months old and ended up needing major dental surgery to repair the ensuing cavities. my belief about thisnow is that while the trauma to the tooth caused the initial opening for a cavity, the cavitys "caught" on to other teeth because his diet included lots of refined carbs like crackers, rice, beans (not soaked neccessarily), breads, etc. also the dreaded carb laden rice milk i gave to him may have worsened things. basically i thought i was feeding him a natural foods, organic diet, which i was, i bought everything we ate at the co-op, but i didnt know then what i now know- real food for kids means meat, eggs, broth, whole dairy foods (if tollerated), butter, no crackers from a box, no goldfish type things, some veg and fruit but mostly animal foods from pastured animals.

[BedHead]

I work full time so it's been quite challenging for me. I've ramped up slowly over time - I didn't try to do everything at once. I still don't - I have to sometimes pick and choose what I'm going to do and what I'm not. If I don't get sourdough made, then I just don't eat bread for example.

The rest of my family isn't as 'in to' tf as I am - it's mainly just my daughter and I. So we always have things like store bought bread, Heinz ketchup, boxed cereal etc in our house that the men all eat. But I've managed over time to get rid of all the store bought meat in the house, so our freezer is full of grass fed stuff, I only buy farm eggs now and they all like those, they can't tell the difference between organic and non organic produce etc. so I have managed to increase the healthy foods in their diets as well. I don't really worry about what any of them eat - just me. So if they don't like what I make they have to make their own, and they do. My point being, I don't really stress out about every single thing that everyone in the house puts into their mouth (not that you said you do - I'm just sayin' )

So I do a LOT of cooking on the weekends. We often eat leftovers Mon Tues Wed from the weekend. And I *try* to meal plan, although usually I just don't. I'm a spur of the moment cooker, which seems to not fit with eating tf, but I manage to make it work. I do things like soak and cook beans, a whole bunch, and then freeze them so I can use them just like canned. A lot of our meals consist of meat plus veggies only. Last night it had to be really quick because I didn't get home till 7, so we had bacon and tomato sandwiches - pastured bacon, sourdough bread with raw butter, home made ketchup (for me anyway) and organic tomatoes I don't eat much in the way of grains, and the rest of the family couldn't care less if their rice was soaked, so if they want rice they cook it. No one eats oatmeal so I don't need to worry about that. I make my sauerkraut, ketchup, mayo etc. and they last a long time because I'm the only one eating them. Usually to do kombucha I boil the water in the evening after supper, add the sugar and tea and let it cool overnight, then in the morning before work I pop the scoby in and it's good to go.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that you find your groove and do what works for you, and don't get all stressed about doing everything at once

[pjs]

I use the crockpot, plan meals, boil up a dozen eggs (to have as a snack or small meal), keep some plain yogurt and nitrate free deli meat in the fridge and have fruit/veggies around. A pot of soup can be lunch for 2-3 days, salads are easy (I've been cooking a burger in the cast iron and throwing that on top of a salad), and I try and have leftovers for the next day's lunch.

I've been doing this since January- it does get easier once you find what works for your family.

[JMJ]

Magelet, thanks for the encouragement. I'm sure that it will get easier when I can just trust that everything is working while I'm not. I could probably feel like my bone broth only takes 30 minutes of work instead of 12 hours if I wasn't checking on it every 10 minutes. It is all about the perception. I'm glad to hear that it won't always feel like I'm always in the kitchen.

bobandjess, maybe once I'm in it for longer, I'll make some of those contacts. Right now, I'm cutting corners, buying low-fat, pasturized, vitamin enriched (but organic!) kefir from the store. It's not like I can eat much of it anyway since I'm lactose intollerant. I'm just using it to soak grains and to provide a probiotic. It's hard when you're hungry and trying to read a recipe book to figure out what you can make to eat. I have a tendency to just not eat and loose weight. I'm already under my pre-pregnancy weight, and I was underweight when I conceived, so not eating is really not an option.

Rasa, freezing leftovers is how I've always managed to survive. I was wondering about the fresh ground flour. I heard that it looses its nutrients pretty fast. Is that slowed down in the freezer?

Forestrymom, yeah, I'm a SAHM. I can't imagine trying to do this as a WOHM. I have no idea how our ancestors got it all done with like 12 kids and raising or hunting the animals and growing or foraging the plants. I can't wait till DD is old enough to help me knead bread.

mom, thanks for the links. Those websites should provide some great ideas.

krankedyann, can I just come eat at your house? It certainly would make things easier if I would get a little more organized. How long does it take you to put together a list like that for the week? I'd better get going. Tomorrow is shopping day.

CookiePie, I think you're right. I just need to find my groove. It's hard adding something new into life, but once I've made it part of my normal pattern of business, things will get easier.

Organicmidwestmamma, thanks for the reminder of why I'm doing this. I'm sure I will think of your son over and over again every time I want to complain about the workload. I'm sorry to hear that he had to go through all of that. I was trying so hard not to cry as the dentist was explaining how she'll probably have to be put under if the cavity gets too bad, and learning about TF has given me hope. Maybe I'm just fooling myself, but her tooth already looks better.

BedHead, thanks for the encouragement. DH is supportive but also on his own diet. We try to make dinners that we'll both eat, but we're pretty much on our own for other stuff. Maybe once I've got the first batch of stuff done that will last a long time, it'll get easier... if only I had a huge freezer... or 2.

pjs, thanks for the ideas. My birthday wish list: crock pot, cast iron skillet, more bread pans. I'm glad to hear you've found your groove so quickly. It gives me hope!

Thanks for all the support, mammas! You are wonderful!

[Harmony08]

I was wondering this same thing. I keep hoping to fall into more of a rhythm. I love to cook but I hate feeling tied down to the kitchen. I'm not as TF as I would like to be. As to your question...my best way is to use my slow cooker. I make broth with it A LOT. I can just throw some lentils and rice in over night or some bean soup, etc. It helps me make dinners. Soups and stews and chilis. I always make a lot so I don't have to cook for a couple of nights.

[barefootmommy]

We've gone Primal/Paleo and I find it easier then TF. All the work in preparing grain products is now no longer part of my day. MUCH easier and less time consuming. My digestion is also much better, and my health in general is better being off grains. Also my sons temper tantrums have drastically improved, lol. He just can't handle all the carbs!

[CookiePie]

I would not freeze the fresh ground flour because I've read that it still does loose vital nutrients. I would only grind what I need for a recipe (this will take a little practice but once you figure it out note it on your recipe how many cups of grain it took to get the correct amount of flour for the recipe) then next time you make it you can just look at the recipe & know how much to grind : )

[Magelet]

JMJ, I menu plan as well, though mine isn't as intensive as kerryann's.

Generally DP and I (or one of us) sits down, and picks 7 dinners that sound yummy and rely on seasonal produce. (no zuchini's or green beans in march, etc.) Then we make a shopping list of what we need for those dinners, plus staples and breakfast/lunch stuff. When I first started menu planning and TF I did write down what prep I need to do. Now, it's pretty much ingrained. we're having beans tomarrow? better get them soaking before bed. oh, we're having barley, better soak it.

also, I highly recomend starting out with what storebought products you can find when you start. if you can find good yogurt, buy it. if you can find good bread, buy it. as you get more comfortable, you can start making those if you like. but you have to take it a step at a time or you'll get overwhelmed.

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by Magelet

JMJ, I menu plan as well, though mine isn't as intensive as kerryann's.

Generally DP and I (or one of us) sits down, and picks 7 dinners that sound yummy and rely on seasonal produce. (no zuchini's or green beans in march, etc.) Then we make a shopping list of what we need for those dinners, plus staples and breakfast/lunch stuff. When I first started menu planning and TF I did write down what prep I need to do. Now, it's pretty much ingrained. we're having beans tomarrow? better get them soaking before bed. oh, we're having barley, better soak it.

also, I highly recomend starting out with what storebought products you can find when you start. if you can find good yogurt, buy it. if you can find good bread, buy it. as you get more comfortable, you can start making those if you like. but you have to take it a step at a time or you'll get overwhelmed.

I couldn't have put it better myself! this is exactly what we do. (though we're on a very strict diet b/c of allergens/healing so it's a little more work...)

I second the idea of store buying what you can and working your way towards home making it. focus on making the meals first, work towards making the individual ingredients and condiments and dressings and so forth later.

[Elizabeth2008]

boy, i hear you. I am a single mom and i work full time. Outside of work I am taking care of DS without any other help, so I have NO time for cooking except a bit on the weekends and some at night, but even then I don't have much time unless I want to be up late after DS goes to bed cooking (which I don't!) I am new to TF and I am not ready to give up yet, but I am getting very frustrated with how long everything takes. I compromise a lot which is the only way i can make it work.

[FairyRae]

Originally Posted by Magelet

but you have to take it a step at a time or you'll get overwhelmed.

This was the BEST advice I've ever gotten. Way in the beginning (thank goodness!) I came to TF b/c of leaky gut/allergy problems in my ds (and myself) and was overwhelmed anyway making all his allergy free foods from scratch. Adding one new thing a week (or a month, etc--until I got it down and it was part of my routine) is what made me able to do this and stick with it. It does become easier over time.

We've gone Primal/Paleo and I find it easier then TF. All the work in preparing grain products is now no longer part of my day. MUCH easier and less time consuming. My digestion is also much better, and my health in general is better being off grains.

I've done this for the most part too (ds and dh still eat some grains/legumes, but not as much) and have also found it to be a lot simpler/easier. I usually use starchy veggies in place of where grains/legumes used to be in our meals and find it way easier. We have also recently gone totally nut/seed free due to ds's reactions, which simplifies it all even more (we are dealing w/ various food sensitivity issues here.)


Just be gentle and patient w/ all this. Add in a new thing when you can manage it (making kefir or soaking rice, etc.) and once it becomes part of your routine and manageable, see if you can try something else. The most important first step is trying to eat whole, real foods. That alone will make a huge impact on your health. I can't believe how far we've come, eating liver, bone broth, ferments, sprouting etc. The transition really only took a few months, and they are changes that I plan to continue sticking w/ for life, they have made such a huge difference in our health.

Oh, and if you want a quicker (but controversial and totally not ok by Sally Fallon) way of making bone broth, check this out: http://everythingfreeeating.blogspot...hy-bother.html

[momofmine]

Originally Posted by krankedyann

If I'm going to crock-pot a roast, I don't do a roast smaller than for 3-4 meals, because its only just 10 or 15 minutes extra work for those three extra meals to get them put in the fridge or freezer for later.

We do a lot of crock pot roasts, but my family seems to eat it all in one sitting. But when we do have leftovers, it always seems hard and chewy later, and just not as good as fresh from the crock pot. How do you use the leftover roast that you freeze?

Thanks!