On Being Prepared

When I was a little girl, I had polio.  For over a year, I lived on a polio ward and was only allowed visitors once a month on Sundays.  My mother didn't want to take "the polio" home to my siblings, so she didn't come but my grandmother came and sat beside the iron lung that was my breathing machine and she said to me, if this is what it is, we will figure it out.  Now, I was only four when all this happened and I didn't quite know what she meant about if this is what it is...., but I knew that it must have had something to do with that machine.  From that early age of wondering about when someone would come take me home and hearing the doctors and nurses plan for my immediate future and set goals for a long term future, I began my own way of planning.   I learned how to be prepared. 

So, it is rightly so that today, I plan to share with all of you new WLS folks and remind some of you old WLS folks my take on being prepared.

Over the last year or so, I have made efforts to spend less at the store because the economy has been rough on us middle class folks and because of my husband's cancer and diabetes and my own nutritional needs, I buy fresh fruits and vegetables first then whole grains, and so forth.  In order to buy those more costly items, I also want to make sure that I get my money's worth from all of the fresh produce.   The first thing that I do when I shop is I prepare all the vegetables.   All the celery gets cut and wrapped in paper towels and placed in the crisper.  The leaves of the celery, I chop and freeze for soups and the root part of the celery, I wash and put in a pot.   I also wash my carrots, and cut the ends off and peel them and throw the peelings and ends in the pot with the root of the celery.  I cut up the bell peppers and throw the ends into the pot as well and often chunk up an onion and with all those ends and such, I make a pot of vegetable stock that I season with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.   When it is good and cooked, I cool it and then fill up my ice trays and make a gallon or so baggy of vegetable broth cubes.   

All the vegetables that are cut up are ready at a moments notice to grab for a snack.   

I also cook up chicken for chicken broth and I season it with sage, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary and a bay leaf.   When the chicken is cooked, I take it off the bone, freeze in baggies for soups or various other recipes that call for chicken and the broth, I put in the refrigerator so the grease separates from the broth and after I skim the cold grease off, I also make ice cube broth for the freezer.   I do the same with beef, lamb, fish, and pork.  I try and keep a good supply of various stocks and cooked and frozen meats.  I've found that it is easier for me to stick to a healthy eating plan if I am prepared.  I am less tempted to cheat and I never have to say, wow, we have to order out tonight cause I have nothing ready.   I keep quart baggies filled with cooked beans of all kinds, potato broth, and other quick starters for a meal.   

I even flash freeze seasonal vegetables like squash, okra, corn, etc. as well as my famous homemade buttermilk biscuits.   Why cook up 12 biscuits and be tempted to eat more than one when i can take one out of a baggy and cook one for the DH.  

I know we have these posts often but I think it is always good to pass on those tips that we all have that keeps up on track and keeps us prepared.

What do you do towards being nutritionally prepared? 

Your plan is amazing Jeannie. It may take a bit of work at first, but what a time saver when preparing meals. The routine becomes part of your daily life eventually. Good ideas to pass along to others.

Right now I depend on my hubby to follow my grocery list. Grocery shopping is too much for me. He has learned to read labels and cater to my needs. After 7 years of this type of eating, he knows what I can, can't or won't eat.

Annette

Tom is a wonderful husband, Annette!  I am so glad he is there for you.  God bless you both!

Thanks Jeannie.  I really appreciate your ideas.  I never knew how to make vegetable stock, and now I know.  i now have a plan for the next time I go grocery shopping.

Trish