The Things You Do for Love.

If someone would have told me when I was newly married that I would one day have six monkeys, I would have said, "Hmm...maybe".

Or if they would have said you will leave your career as a Speech and Language Pathologist and become a stay at home mom, I would have replied, "Umm...really?".

And if they would have said you will homeschool those monkeys from kindergarten through high school graduation, I would have answered, "Wait...what?".

But, if someone would have told me that I would spend an entire day cooking a month's worth of meals for those six monkeys and their dad, I would have laughed until I cried.

An entire month's worth of meals in one day?  Insanity!

And since insanity is my middle name (actually it's Ann, but insANity has the "Ann" sound in it so it works) I went ahead did the unthinkable - on New Year's Day, I cooked enough meals for our family for a month.

Here is how it went down:

My friend and neighbor, Rikki, gathered recipes for meals that are freezable.

Hi Rikki!

Then, she made a list of everything that we (another neighbor and I) would need to purchase to make those meals.  Then, she made another list of other items that we could share.  Then she made a list of all the meals on a white board.

Then, she opened her home so that we could come and cook those meals.  So basically, Rikki did all the work and I just showed up to cook.  Nice!

Upon arrival at Rikki's house, the cooking and prepping was already in full swing.  So I made sure that everyone was happy by providing them with mimosas.  Then, Rikki snapped my happy-self into reality by giving me an italian chicken dish to prepare for three families.  After that, there was a vat of chili to mix up,  a garden of carrots to chop, a trough of sausage to prepare, an army of tortillas to roll, beans, beans and more beans.  Dishes to scrub, bowls to fill, more chopping, more mixing, more mimosas.

Finally, after seven hours of prepping, laughing, cooking, talking, eating, packing, talking, cleaning, and  laughing, we had finished our quest to make a month's worth of meals.  Of course, none of us could move the next day, but our freezers were full and our families will be well fed.  Ah, the things you do for love.

Hi Sawn!  Glad you liked the enchiladas!

I highly recommend once a month cooking, but don't ask me for any directions or helpful hints.  Ask Rikki, she knows.  Me? I just bring the mimosas.

Hugs,

Melissa