3 Types of People

When I first started writing this blog, I was wanting to use it to minister to families.  However, I didn't know exactly who it was I was hoping to help.  As I thought more about it, I realized there are 3 different groups that might be interested in what I have to offer.

Group A 

For one reason or another, families in this group are like me.  Relying on assistance to provide for their families.  The families in this group are already using food pantries to help stretch their food budget.  They shop sales and may even use coupons, but aren't exactly sure what types of recipes they can create from the items they get.  They might be used to buying convenience foods but really want to know how to make a healthier, cheaper version.

Group B

Families who are in this group don't require any assistance but want to be able to use their current resources in the best way possible.  They may be using coupons and shopping sales, but they are not forced to do that.  These families might be searching for ways to save money, time and energy while creating lasting memories with their families.  

Group C
It is my prayer that Group C will eventually stop existing.  The families in this group are struggling to get the basics on the table.  For what ever reason these families don't know what resources are available to them or have been made to feel shame for asking for help. I pray these families are reading and using this blog to help them move into another group either A or B.

Please know I have been apart of all 3 of these groups at one point in my life. What I have learned is that everyone can learn something and no one knows everything.  I don't think I am a master at monthly cooking.  In fact I know that I am NOT! There are plenty of months I have no idea how it is going to come together and yet it always does.  And along the way, I learn something that makes the next month easier.  In fact just this week I found out how some of my favorite meals can become "dump" recipes taking a lot of the work away from our cooking day. I will explain "dump" recipes in the next post when I share our next months planning session.

What group do you see yourself in?  How does your impression of that group your in dictate how you approach batch cooking?  Is there something you can learn about yourself and others by recognizing where you are?

In the beginning there were 2 families....

Since I don't know exactly where I should start this blog, I guess the best place would be to start at the beginning.  When I first started batch cooking I was a stay at home mom to a 7 month old little girl.  My husband and I were living on a monthly budget a little over $1000.00 (still are to this day).  We did and still receive assistance in many different areas including WIC (Woman Infant and Child), food stamps, and energy assistance programs.  Even with all this assistance, I was still struggling to provide healthy meals for my family on our budget.  At the same time my mom was trying to find an easier way to prepare dinner for her and my dad.  After reading about batch cooking, we discussed if we could make it work for our two families.

Turns out we could.  We sat down and figured out what were some of our families favorite meals.  When we first started we decided for our time limits and due to energy that would be required we would only be able to do 1 week at a time.  We had a six week meal rotation that also included doing weekly salads and veggie bags for lunches.  We were very successful.  That first week we make meals for both families at less than $50.00 for each family.  We continued to do our weekly cooking sessions, making 5-6 different meals a week for almost a year.

Now that I have been successful at making meals my family will eat and even requests, I finally felt comfortable to share with others what I have found works and what doesn't. Over the next month I will take you through the entire process.  From the planning stages to the actually cooking day and even to preparing to eat each meal.  But before we get to the fun stuff, I have a question for you:

What made you desire to learn more about monthly cooking? What areas are you struggling with that has stopped you from batch cooking?


At the time of writing this blog, I just finished working on October's menu with my cooking partner.  We are trying our hands are dump recipes this month.  What is your favorite crock pot meal that you would like to be made easier?