Do I Really Have to Do This?

Talk about preconceived ideas and mindless routines. Do we do the things we do because it's the best use of our time, or because we enjoy it? Or... because it's expected?

Take a good look at your household tasks. Do you really have to fold the washcloths? What about underwear? What if you just tossed them in a small drawer, or in a box in a big drawer? Would anyone die? Start thinking about time-savers. What else has become a habit that we could eliminate?

And where do you draw the line? :)

Once a Month Cooking

Once a Month Cooking! Is it the best invention since the cheese grater? Prepping meals in one or two days saves you cooking a main dish for the rest of the month. Who wouldn't get stars in their eyes thinking about a month's break from cooking main dishes?

Except there is a price to pay. It has to be fairly stressful to chop, slice, cook, stir, and package for one or two days straight. It doesn't seem like a SIMPLE solution for me. The idea is wonderful... I get stars in my eyes, too, when I think about it. But for now, I prefer a more gentle approach. One that has happened naturally for us, since there are only two of us and I am... well... lazy!

When I make a meal, I rarely make a two-person portion. I automatically make bigger amounts and freeze meal-sized portions for later. If it is not a freeze-able meal, we eat leftovers or my husband takes it in his lunch. My husband is one of those gems who doesn't mind leftovers one bit.

There are tons of freezer meal ideas on the web, so use them! However works best for you. Maybe the once-every-two-weeks version works better for you. Maybe you only need to do freezer meals when you are having guests for the weekend, or before a baby, or during canning season.

What is your version? Do you use OAMC? How do you keep it simple?