Clean as You Go

[ The Granny Plan was originally inspired by a weekly series I wrote back in 2013. I thought I’d share some of the original for new readers … just click thru the links to get a little taste of the book from the linked post excerpts. ]

Our next step is all about cooking and feeling happy about it.

What, you say? Isn’t cooking fun? Lots of people cook as a hobby and really enjoy it! Cooking real food everyday is bound be be a real joy!

Well, I hate to be a downer but cooking isn’t always fun. And it’s best to talk about that right upfront. Sure, cooking a special meal on a lazy day for people that are eager to eat it is fun. But imagine instead that you are cooking daily for a picky toddler, a harried spouse who is used to restaurant meals or fast food. Imagine further that your day is booked, totally booked. So you arrive home toddler in tow right at the witching hour when toddlers are happy about exactly nothing … they just want to eat! Then imagine that the sink is stacked with dishes from last night and the kitchen in general is a mess. Your spouse arrives home starving and suggests you just order something quick. What will you do?

Most of us don’t have to work very hard to picture this situation because we are living this situation! In the beginning it will be tough to choose to cook and the cleanliness of the kitchen will be a big psychological factor in the choice you make. It’s very hard to walk into a dirty kitchen, clean up the mess and then cook. If inspiration hit you by the time the dishes are done it’ll be long past.

Suppose that instead of leaving the cleanup for later you decide to do it right after dinner? That sounds a lot better, and it is. But if you must return to a kitchen that looks like a bomb went off after you eat your dinner just how good will you feel while cooking that dinner? Or while eating that dinner? You’ll become very susceptible to believing it’s just not worth it.

The Granny Plan is unavailable as an eBook at the present time but feel free to read the summarized version on this site.

[ The Granny Plan was originally inspired by a weekly series I wrote back in 2013. I thought I’d share some of the original for new readers … just click thru the links to get a little taste of the book from the linked post excerpts. ]

• Getting Started
• Step 1: It All Starts With Buttered Carrots …
• Step 2: Our First Main Dish
• Step 3: Clean As You Go
• Step 4: Feed Yourself First
• Step 5: Eliminate One Fake Food
• Step 6: What Can I Improve in 15 Minutes?
• Step 7: Begin Work on a Real Food Project
• Step 8: Start Building a Real Food Pantry
• Step 9: Do You Have Kitchen Gaps?
• Step 10: List Your Routines
• Step 11: Expand Your Real Food Knowledge
• Step 12: Find Your Real Food Tribe