Day 30 of my 30 day blog series journaling my experiment with a Capsule Kitchen. The plan? Use 33 ingredients to create all our meals for three months. If you just joined me you can either start at Day 1 or view all Capsule Kitchen posts.
On Day 1 of the Capsule Kitchen experiment, I identified three areas I wanted to focus on:
Meal Planning. Grocery Shopping. Meal Preparation.
My goal for the next three months was Simplification.
Today is Day 30. I’m reviewing the past month to see how the Capsule Kitchen experiment is helping me to reach my goal.
So how did it work?
Meal Planning
- I am still spending too much time searching for new recipes through Pinterest. Yet, it hasn’t been as stressful as randomly looking at recipes. I’m focused on the meals I can make with my Capsule Kitchen and I skim past the others.
- We’ve discovered several new meals that the whole famiy enjoys.
- As new seasonal produce becomes available at the Farmer’s Market, I’ll be able to pull in more of our favorite recipes. This will help mix things up a bit.
- I have given up writing in meals on a calendar. The Capsule Kitchen ingredients are on hand so I can decide in the morning what I’ll prepare for dinner.
I’m making progress toward my goal of Simplification. I’d like to cut back on the amount of time I’m spending looking at new recipes. I think the list that I posted in the pantry on Day 29 will help with that.
Grade: B
Grocery Shopping
- Creating a grocery list is easier. I can look at my Capsule Kitchen-Summer “recipe”, select the ingredients that I need to replenish, and head to the store.
- Grocery shopping is faster. I can go directly to the ingredients I need and not get distracted by other items.
- It’s easier to find ingredients while cooking. Everything has a specific spot in the pantry.
- I am shopping more often. We run out of foods, especially produce. I’m making a couple of trips to the store each week.
- Now that the Farmer’s Market is open, I may spend more time shopping. I love going and buying fresh produce so I don’t think this will be a problem.
After the first visit to the grocery store using my Capsule Kitchen list, I knew this experiment was a success in this area. Grocery Shopping Simplified!
Grade: A
Meal Preparation
- I like that all ingredients needed to make a meal are on-hand.
- This month I’ve learned that if I don’t start food prep by mid-morning, I will flounder at dinner time.
- Some days I still feel stressed about preparing meals for my family.
This is an area I plan to focus on during month 2. How can I simplify this process for myself? I don’t know if I’ll ever truely Love cooking dinner every night. But, I’d like to at least like it a little bit. If I can simplify the process that will help.
Grade: C
What’s Next
I still have two more months with this Capsule Kitchen list. I’m anticipating an improvement in Meal Planning and Meal Preparation.
I’ll be back at the end of month 2 with my progress.
How Was Your First Month?
If you’ve been working with a Capsule Kitchen, how was your first month? Are you moving toward your goal?
Thank you so much for blogging about your experience with capsule kitchen meal planning. I think I’m ready to give it a try! Now that I’m finished with this, I’m excited to explore the rest of your blog.
Lonna,
Lonna,
I’m glad my blogging has encouraged you to try the Capsule Kitchen at your home. Remember, make it work for you—the “rules” are only there to help you get your arms around the experiment.
I’ll be back at the end of month 2 and month 3 to report how the whole experiment has worked for our family.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the blog.