Whats for dinner?!
So every night, we play a game called “What’s for dinner?” Interested?
It used to be that every morning, we would wake up and over coffee urgently discuss what we were making for dinner. Suddenly the day was overshadowed by an emergency trip to the grocery store because we don’t have that “one” ingredient that would make or break the dish, text messages were laced with excitement over that nighttime ritual. Over time, we realized that instead of excitement, we were getting frustrated, and the once happy routine became tainted with losing the moment and time.
That was it, we decided we needed to make that change, how could we make our meals together more of an adventure? Introduce:
What’s For Dinner?
Rules of the game:
Grocery shopping covering all basics and weekly unique additions
The game can only be initiated after 6 PM
Everyone contributes
There’s a reason why the game can’t be started until after 6 PM. Firstly, by not stressing about our only meal of the day, we freed up time for conversation that was a lot more satisfying. The urgency and frustrations melted away, and we started instead enjoying how many inviting memories just brainstorming ideas for dinner would bring. Experimenting with creating meals we enjoyed from travel to early childhood, we changed one habit and nourished one that supported us!
Any meal should be exciting, our focus should be on enjoying the love and effort that went into the food we need for energy. Oftentimes, we take away from being able to enjoy the moment when we overshadow it with something that will take place in the future. When you want to put the effort into it, being prepared with basics helps lend a hand in simplifying a complex task. That’s why we put in the game the addition of weekly unique products. Any time we see something new that we haven’t tried or even an old favorite, we think about how we can use it and bring it in. Knowing your arsenal, and expiration dates, help keep your pantry and choices rotating, fun, and flavorful.
The purpose of the game, whether you’re solo or with family/friends is to be actively present in that moment when you’re getting ready to satisfy those hunger pangs. Honestly, don’t stress it, we didn’t set the rules for why some things are considered “breakfast” and others “dinner”, so we just don’t even apply them! It’s almost like embracing your childhood again, except that you have a lot more information and freedom. You can learn more about making the right choices through Madam LaChance and get inspired by our recipes here. This is the opportunity for you to show yourself that you have control over that balance, what your body needs versus what you think you need. We both contribute, leaning on our strengths and allowing the process to flow smoothly, engaging in communication and conversation we get to bond that much more.
What if there are too many dietary restrictions? Or even picky eaters? Even we’ve had to make these accommodations, as we were looking to improve performance or support healing, the trick was to keep it inclusive. There were times that we didn’t buy garlic or onion, such a staple in so many dishes and across so many cuisines, but we compromised and found fun different alternatives. Sometimes they pan out deliciously, and sometimes we really miss the mark. One of those involved an accidental can of sweetened coconut milk that we added to a rice dish thinking it was unsweetened……being overseas…with a 9 pm curfew…during the pandemic….what would have been a moment of despair actually turned quickly, but that’s a whole other story on quick tips and tricks to save the day!
From daily dinners to celebrating birthdays, holidays, and special events, we’ve found our path and are excited to share our secrets with you! Altogether, our recipes have only improved and become that much more satisfying, we’ll share with you our creations and look forward to seeing yours!