A reader asked me a question the other day, that had me wondering if maybe I’m so different from most people in my cooking habits that I haven’t even a clue how other people live anymore.
Reader: “How do you find time to cook dinner during the week AND take care of a farm and raise animals? I have none of these things, except for a dog, and I still have no time for anything but take-out, or pre-made food, or a bag of chips in lieu of dinner”
Well, my weeknight routine is nearly always the same, with a few differences here and there depending on the seasons. My “time” currently goes something like this…
- Arrive home around 6:30 pm
- Change into farm clothes
- Pour a glass of wine
- Let my six dogs out to go relive themselves and burn off pent-up energy
- Get the small dogs back into the house (I don’t want them to follow me into the barn where they could get stepped on by a horse)
- Feed and water the animals in the barn: 3 horses, 4 goats, 2 ducks, 3 rabbits, and the chickens (I have no idea how many chickens I have…)
- Hunt down and collect eggs – every day is an Easter Egg hunt!
- Water the garden (if necessary) and pick any vegetables or do any weeding required
- Get the rest of the dogs back in the house
- Pour another glass of wine
- Hang out on the porch for about fifteen minutes with the Farm Boy, where we admire the sunset, bitch about our coworkers, dream of retirement, and sip wine
- Head back into the house around 8:00 pm, feed the dogs and cats, then get started on dinner
Or, sometimes we just skip dinner all together and go to bed. Because we’re dead freakin’ tired. But usually I will cook. And maybe even shower before bed.
Chops-n-Fries
Last night I made pork chops w/ french herb seasonings, a side of hand cut fries, and then I quickly sauteed Romaine lettuce in the pan I cooked the pork chops in, finishing it with a dash of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Very good.
Cutting the potatoes into fries was the most time-consuming part. But everything was made with simple ingredients and it was quick to prepare. So easy – anyone could do it.
While I rummage the fridge to come up something to eat, the Farm Boy rummages Hulu or Netflix for some “dining entertainment” for us to watch on the laptop.
I then create dinner with whatever I have on-hand. I’m not a meal planner. We normally eat sometime between 8:15-9:30 pm, while watching mindless TV crap on the laptop.
Grilled Cheese for Grown-ups
A few nights ago, I made the most fancy-ass grilled cheese sandwich. Because a plain one sounded boring, because we were running behind from watering the garden, and because grilled cheese was all I could think would be quick to make.
This was the best “adult” grilled cheese I’ve ever had. I melted butter and olive oil in the cast iron pan, stacked two cheeses between slices of Italian bread, browned it on both sides, melting the gooey cheese inside, the I rubbed a cut slice of fresh garlic on the hot crusty sandwich, finished it by topping it with salt, pepper, slices of tomato and torn basil from the garden, and finally, a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. Oh. My. God…
Don’t forget about Fish!
One evening last week it was 90° F and we just couldn’t bear the thought of being in the house before sunset (no air conditioning here), so I decided to grill tuna steaks and garden vegetables, and made a pot of brown rice with some herbs to go along with it. Tuna steaks thaw in a heartbeat, and work great on the grill. Again, super fast and easy. Was wishing I had some feta cheese to sprinkle on top…
Also – frozen pork chops can be thawed quick as well (while you’re out doing barn chores) and they are a favorite of mine seared in a cast iron pan. Finish the dish by sauteing garden vegetables in the same pan you cooked the chops, add a little balsamic or red wine vinegar to the pan juices, and you are way ahead of most people in the kitchen – I promise.
Pizza Night! But You Don’t Have To Order It!
And if all else fails, (like my mind after an exhausting work day) I can always make a quick pizza. I have homemade dough in the fridge ready to go, nearly all the time. Again, fast and easy!
Personally, I think it takes the same amount of time or more to get take-out or heat some pre-made junk up as it does to make it from scratch. So, I guess to answer the my reader’s question, by keeping meals uncomplicated, and a few things in the pantry and freezer, that’s how I find time to cook dinner during the week AND take care of a farm and animals. Plus, there’s still even a little time to watch mindless crap on Hulu and Netflix! ~A
Disclosure: Thankfully, I have zero kids. My apologies if you have small, evil children that create a ton of laundry and messes. This post assumes you have none of that sort of thing to deal with and can actually find some time to cook.
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