Grocery Games

Food Prep

I loved grocery shopping with Mom. She let me tag along. We collected groceries; I collected her clues to treasure hunting.  I considered her the grocery “head honcho”; the expert I trained under. Early, I knew, what happened on this trip was important grown-up stuff, pay attention. When we got home, it was my job to put the groceries away. Mom “hated” that part (Her word, not mine). 

Shaking my head, now, I question, “where have those ‘loving’ feelings gone?”

Today, prospect of another grocery trip, exhausts me. Lightbulb flash; “We spend a ridiculous amount of time feeding ourselves!” Really! The inventory, the list, checking sales, gathering coupons (I used to), mapping out the store visitation, getting bags/coolers, scheduling time to shop, gathering groceries at multiple stores,  “see what they have” (Mom’s lingo), running into someone (conversation), loading the car, returning the cart, drive time, unloading purchases, putting them away, planning meals, making meals, eating meals, cleaning up after meals, thinking about the next meal!! Repeating ALL the above again, and again, and again…. ughhhhh… wears. me. out.!

Kitchens have become far more than survival stations. Our palates have risen to restaurant/gourmet heights: no more corn mush 3x daily. Using what’s in the pantry or frig, now comes with multiple stops at the store, however-many-times a week.

Percentages

What percentage of life do we spend feeding our stomachs? 

For those doing the gathering and cooking, I’d say the percentages are high. “WAY higher than I want!” I am not so sure, percentage wise, we have come very far from early civilization. Logic tells me with high-tech-everything, feeding ourselves should take less time.

Don’t misunderstand me…. I love high quality food…. I don’t want to spend the time to plan, shop, and prepare it. So, I relish every chef who enters my kitchen (We have a few in the family! Thank you Lord!) and every chef whose restaurant I visit.

Have you ever played the “See-how-long-we-can-eat out of the frig, freezer, and pantry game?” Hand raised! (My husband detests games, he-he.) It’s a time saver.

Have you seen that “Grocery Games” TV show? Any idea why they have Chefs as contestants?… Chefs have their food delivered to them. If normal shopping-at-grocery-store people were contestants, there’d be no challenge…. pssssss, easy-peasy, with our eyes closed. We know where everything is! Except, when stores switch up the layout and change everything! (*Roll eyes*, thanks Aldi, more time.)

I’ve done oodles of cooking to nourish our family. Perhaps, the accumulation has changed my outlook. They tell me, I’m a good cook; I host many events. But, the whole process, daily, seems absurd; so much time.  It’s sucking the life out of me, and… my feet hurt!

And YES, I will any day, ANY DAY, throw on the apron and cook for my babies; hands down, not a question. I have a rich heritage of loving with food… food being an imbedded love language on both sides of the family. But, daily, it seems like a time vacuum.

Soul Food

So, the thought occurs,

If, I spend so much time feeding my physical body…

How much time do I spend nourishing my spiritual body?

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds

out of the mouth of God.”

Matthew 4:4

God’s Words live in the Bible. That’s why the Bible is vital to a Christian’s health. We should study, mull over, and store its words in our heart. Jesus did not say… by every phrase, sentence, or story. He said, “by every word”; dissecting and digesting words, not just glancing over them. God’s words are life-giving: they sustain, empower, and ensure our spiritual fortitude, just like food  for physical health.

For optimum health, we must feed our spirits.

Maybe, my younger self loved time with Mom. A psychotherapist might tag another meaning to my former “love” of all things grocery; perchance, I liked to eat. (*wink*)

Perhaps, my older “wiser” self is trying to manage the hours given to more fruitful percentages and bring better balance. I am not perfect at balancing life, but something shows up, I try to examine and make changes.

Consider your percentages:  Physical food vs Spiritual food (energy invested, time spent, hours thinking/planning, space on the schedule)

Are you nourishing your soul and your stomach?  

Which one eats highest quality food?

Is your spirit a fast-food junkie;

Surviving on a glance at scripture or 3 minute devotional?

Or, a gourmet food connoisseur;

Languishing on discovering new delights in God’s words and

digesting deep flavor profiles?

I wish I could say, I am a consummate gourmet connoisseur, always, but, a bit too frequently, I find fast-food as my “go to”.

Time for a few adjustments … never hurts to evaluate.

 

Food Fun Together: Share in the comments, your favorite “food time-saver tip”. See my tip below.

 

Food for Thought,

Feel free to share with a friend(s).

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My Tip:

Play “Dinner Surprise”

It’s a fun one… Stand by frig, freezer, or pantry, shut your eyes and point. Open your eyes, Surprise, whatever you are pointing at, is dinner! 

Voilà… big time saver… you’re welcome! (*grin*)