Good old home cookin'
Growing up, my family did not eat out for meals except on special occasions like a 16th birthday, Christmas Eve, or Sundays when my mother was too tired after church to cook. Otherwise, we ate three home cooked meals a day at an antique round kitchen table that my father bought on a long extended sales trip to Ohio.
My mother (and Dad too on the weekends) cooked every meal, and taught all four of her children how to do so as well.
My mother is now 90 years old. She recently had all of her bloodwork done because she has to have a left hip replacement surgery next month. The doctors and nurses were astonished by the results. She has the blood work of a 60 year old, takes no medication, and has all her wits about her...and then some.
The nurses gathered around asking her to spill all her secrets, but she just smiled without saying a word! I’ll tell you her secret however: she has cooked and eaten at home the majority of her life. She had complete control over the spices, herbs, and foods that she consumed every day. This led to a very healthy lifestyle that has served her well throughout her aging process.
Is it any wonder that I too ascribe to cooking and eating at home regularly?
One of my rituals is to make dinner on Sundays that will last a few days. Last week I had my staff over and made a pot roast that took me 10 minutes to prepare and 8 hours later, voila, it was ready to go! I included veggies and an easy-to-make salad in order to round out my food groups. The result was a healthy and easy to make meal. Jordan was especially happy since he got a lot of the leftovers! It was also incredibly inexpensive in comparison to restaurant food.
It’s wild that I can buy a pound of lettuce at the Farmers Market for $8 and have it last me more than a week. If I dine out, it costs $8 for a dinner salad! What a waste!
I even got my husband on the bandwagon. He used to drink iced tea every day all day long. When I met him he was frequenting establishments on every corner to fill up and get a new cup. I suggested another solution: a cooler filled with ice from his own ice machine, self brewed tea put into tall thin cylinders that transported well in the cooler, and a reusable 24 oz. plastic cup with a permanent straw that fit perfectly in his car cup holder.
He brought it home every night, cleaned it out and started all over again in the morning. He was set, saving thousands of dollars a year and saving precious minutes in his day by not having to go into corner stores.
So, let me challenge you all to take a good look at how, when, and what you eat. Healthy, home cooked meals not only give you the health benefits that my mother enjoys, but can also give you a slice of extra financial stability that my husband Brian accrued. And, who knows, maybe you can put those pennies saved toward attending a Judy Stakee retreat!
Here’s how to go about it:
Start a diary. Write about what you’re eating so you can assess if what you’re consuming is healthy
After that assessment you can get rid of bad habits and put new good habits in place that will serve you on your journey of developing you and your career.
Keep up your new good habits
