Episode 39: Planning to Fail-When Making the Meals Takes a Turn for the Worst
What You’ll Learn
A Word on Failure (00:40)
When ingredients go bad before you can use them (01:45)
When you forget to defrost the meat (05:45)
When ingredients aren’t available at the store (08:00)
When you lack the expertise or know-how to make a recipe (08:45)
When you’ve made the meal too. . . (salty, acidic, spicy, sweet. . .) (10:00)
When you (or one of your kids) burns dinner (13:29)
When you (or your meal mastery apprentice) makes a recipe that doesn’t taste good (14:45)
When you just didn’t make tonight’s meal (17:08)
Recap (18:10)
Invitation (19:10)
You’re going to fail! Momma, it’s a necessary part of learning. In today’s episode, the third of a five part series, we talk about how you can fail while making the meals AND we give ideas for how to overcome those “failures”! When you’re done listening, come follow Brittany on Instagram @thedeliberateday and DM her the word “bonus” to get the Mini Meal Planning Kit!
A Word on Failure (00:40)
Welcome to Part 3 of the 5 part series on failing! Failing is necessary! Get comfortable with it, make friends with it even!
Don’t forget, there are two halves to failure. . .anticipating failure and getting ahead of it, and then failing and learning from it without being defeated.
We’re applying this to meal planning, but you can take these concepts and use them in your life in every single way!
So here are the areas where even the best laid meal plans can fall apart. . .
Planning
Shopping
Making the Meals
Being Derailed
Mindset
This week we’ll be talking about the making of the meals!
When Ingredients Go Bad Before You Can Use Them (01:45)
This is a HUGE point of frustration while meal planning! The long-term fix is front-loading meals with high-maintenance ingredients. If you have meals with ingredients that are going to go bad, make those meals at the beginning of the meal planning period.
When you have angel hair coleslaw and broccoli, cook the meal with the coleslaw first! When using fresh herbs versus dried spices, cook the meals with the fresh herbs first! Bananas vs. apples & oranges? We ALL know bananas are going bad the very second you bring them home (probably because kids LOVE to touch them), and apples and oranges last a bit longer.
Avocados? There is NO middle ground with these. They’re either over-ripe or under-ripe.
The mid-week, mid-sink fix is to get swap savvy! Your own creativity will serve you well, and when in doubt. . .Google it! You’ll learn different swaps over time! You can always swap zucchini for squash, or use frozen veggies!
Another idea would be to make the meal without the ingredient! Can you leave mushrooms, tomatoes, or spices out (trick question, you can ALWAYS leave mushrooms out)? Even bigger ticket items can be left out (like meat). A meal that was supposed to go over pasta can easily go over rice. . .this is what Brittany’s sister does regularly!
We want to encourage you to get savvy instead of running to the store right away. This will save you sanity and money. . .extra trips to the store will ALWAYS cost you more (especially when you send a husband-we love husbands-but they can be easily tricked into buying extras that aren’t in the budget). It’s also not easy to make a quick trip to the store when you’re a momma with littles!
When You Forget to Defrost the Meat (05:45)
This is a HUGE one! The long-term fix here is to make a note on your meal plan when you need to take meat out. Make a habit of looking over your meal plan throughout the week to see what you need to defrost. It MAY require a homing pigeon, or you can put it on the door, the kitchen cabinet, leave a note on the back of the door, your forehead, your kid, your arm, or your bedroom ceiling, WHEREVER you might see it!
The mid-week, mid-sink fix will largely depend on which kind of meat you forgot to defrost. If you have ground meat or meat-chunks in your dinner, you can sometimes cook it from frozen (it requires a little more time and attention). You can thaw it in the microwave or even outside for 15-30 minutes if the weather is warm. You can also thaw meat that’s in a water-tight package in a cold-water bath with the slightest water trickle.
If you have a whole-roast or chicken. . .what should you do? Can you swap the meat or the meal? Do you have something on hand that would be faster, or might be in the fridge waiting for another meal? Or could you swap with another meal that’s on the menu already? You can try an alternate cooking method, a cold water bath (with the slightest water trickle), or you can try the instant pot!
Finally, try a back-up meal! THIS is where the back-up meal really shines!
A back-up meal. . .
Can be made in 30 minutes or less.
Is made with ingredients you regularly have on hand.
Can be bulked-up if necessary!
When Ingredients Aren’t Available at the Store (08:00)
The long-term fix. . .
What do I do if I need the ingredient TODAY and I don’t have it? You may need to change or alter your recipe. Look to see if you have a suitable ingredient swap on hand, or choose a different meal either from your back-up meals or from the meals you have planned later in the week.
Sidenote: In the FREE mini-meal planning kit Brittany designed, the planner includes an overlap day! If you don’t have yours yet, DM us the word “bonus” on Instagram and we’ll send you the link!
When You Lack the Expertise or Know-How to Make a Recipe (08:45)
The long-term fix is a willingness to keep learning! We want to ask everyone to make a commitment to keep learning and challenging yourself on a small scale! Little-by-little. Take on ONE new or complex meal a week.
What do I do if I’m in my kitchen, holding a recipe, looking at it and thinking, “I don’t know this word,” or “I don’t know how to cook things this way.” When you come up against a word or method you don’t know-YouTube and Google can be your best friends! Find a tutorial, search it online, there are countless people waiting to teach you how to do that!
When You’ve Made the Meal Too. . . (Salty, Acidic, Spicy, Sweet. . .) (10:00)
Brittany’s oldest was working on Meal Mastery with the beloved vegan Mac-n-cheese recipe and brought it to her to taste (they had previously made it together and he was trying it on his own this time). When she tasted it, her tongue just about shriveled up.
“How much salt did you put in?” she asked.
“I ONLY put what I was supposed to,” he said.
A few good questions later, she discovered the problem. He had used 4 TBSP of salt instead of 4 tsp of salt!
The long-term fix for this type of problem is to slow down and read the ENTIRE recipe before you begin (this is great for kids AND busy moms).
In the short-term, if possible, double or triple the dish and freeze the extra. As for Britt’s family on the night in question, she tripled the dish and used ALL the cheese sauce the entire week.
When you over-salt meat or a vegetable, can you reinvent the recipe? Can you make a soup, casserole, quiche, or stir-fry? Adding rice or potatoes can balance out the salt a bit too!
If you over-salt a soup, you want to dilute and diffuse. Add more broth, veggies, or starches if you can.
If you make something too acidic, add sugar.
If something is too spicy, there are a TON of options! Sour cream, milk, mayo, and cream cheese will all tone down the heat. Turn it into a sauce or a dip, or you can add bread or another starch as well!
If something is too sweet, balance it with a pinch of salt, lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, or another acid to balance it.
When You (or One of Your Kids) Burns Dinner (13:29)
The long-term fix is (again) to slow down! Read the ENTIRE recipe before beginning, and use a timer for everything! (Even for items on the stove).
What if I go home tonight and burn something in the oven, what do I do? Can it be salvaged or scraped? Growing up, Britt’s family never had garlic toast without a bit of scraping (this happened in my family too-but we didn’t scrape, we just ate it).
If not. . .do you have a back-up meal? Can you fit a frozen pizza or maybe a meal out into the budget? Maybe it’s a cereal or ramen noodle kind of night!
When You (or a Meal Mastery Apprentice) Makes a Recipe That Doesn’t Taste Good (14:45)
The long-term fix is to be a student of yourself and your family. Know your limits with “new”. . .new ingredients and new recipes. . .just know that sometimes you may make something that’s a bit too far outside your comfort zone. Also be aware that as you explore your food limits, you may just bomb a recipe here and there, and that’s ok! It’s part of the process!
The mid-week, mid-sink fix is to first answer a question: is it safe to eat what you made? Then, can you re-invent it? Could it go in a burrito, on bread, or on garlic toast? Can you turn it into a quiche, a soup, or a sauce?
AND, do you have a BACK-UP MEAL? You should!
Can you fit some prepared food into your budget? We talk about grabbing “food from out,” instead of saying “fast food,” because there are more options than just McDonald’s and Wendy’s.
You have a grocery deli, pre-made fridge meals, frozen lasagna & meals, Sams Club has amazing pizzas, rotisserie chickens can be turned into delicious meals, AND you can piece the meal together. You can get burgers or chicken from a fast food place and eat it with some veggies from the freezer! You can get subs and pair it with chips at home. Eating out doesn’t have to mean full-on going to a restaurant and getting dinner or getting everything that everyone wants from Wendy’s, you can still work within a budget.
When You Just Didn’t Make Tonight’s Meal (17:08)
Your long-term fix here is to build the habit of feeding your family and choose recipes that don’t push you to the max or past your capacity to give, consider the season you’re in.
What if it’s Wednesday night, I’m sitting in my kitchen, it’s 5:00pm, and I’m DONE? Back-up meal anyone?!
The fixes here are really the same! Can you fit some “food from out” into the budget? Can you do a simple cereal, pancakes or ramen night?
Recap (18:10)
Making meals is one of the biggest areas where meal planning can fall apart, so here’s how you can overcome. . .
Cook the meals with short-lived ingredients first.
Make sure to put a note EVERYWHERE to remind yourself to pull out meats or ingredients that need time to defrost.
Keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer with a back-up meal and be swap savvy.
Be willing to learn and make a commitment to encourage change little-by-little.
Slow down and read the entire recipe before you begin, and teach your kids to do the same.
Use a timer for ALL your cooking and baking!
Be a student of yourself and your family and know your limits of “new” without always hiding behind them!
Build a habit of feeding your family and choosing meals that don’t push you past your capacity to give!
Invitation (19:10)
If you’re still feeling intimidated or just need a little boost to start, DM Brittany @thedeliberateday on Instagram with the word “bonus” and she will make sure you get a link for your beautiful Mini Meal Planning Kit!
Finally, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and give us a rating if you haven’t yet!
