It all began with spilled milk. One morning while I was getting ready for work, I could hear the children downstairs fighting. Well one thing lead to another and over went the gallon of milk, spilling half of its contents on the floor. Right then I decided something needed to be done, for one, I needed to be ready and in the kitchen when they come down for breakfast. For another we needed to start our day off with a big healthy meal together as a family.
I TURNED THINGS UPSIDE DOWN- Dinner for Breakfast
That’s when it came to me to flip my daily menu over. Eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Benefits…
1. Eating our large meal earlier in the day to “break our fast” is healthy.
2. We do not have our blood sugars crashing by 10 am.
3. We start off our day together as a family.
4. Everyone is home to help out.
5. We no longer go to bed with full bellies. Good-bye acid reflux.
6. I can go to my gym class at 5 or 6 PM without rushing home to cook.
7. We eat breakfast for dinner like healthy smoothies, cereal, toast, or oatmeal.
8. I don’t have to cook a meal at the end of the day when I am tired.
9. My children eat better.
10. I am DONE cooking for the day by 8 am!
I GROCERY SHOP IN MY JAMMIES
Another change that I made was evaluating what task I spend too much time doing. It is grocery shopping. I now shop online on Wednesday evenings (in my jammies) and pick it up the next morning after work from my grocery store. Harris Teeter offers a shopping program called Express Lane in which a personal shopper shops for me! It does not come from a central warehouse but from my local grocery store where I know the store, managers, baggers, and personal shopper and it only costs $4.95!
MENU PLAN FOR A YEAR
I plan my menu for a year. Yes I do. It is seasonal, flexible, and a life saver. I got away from doing it for a while and the BRK fell apart. If you want to learn how to plan your menu for a year go here.
SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
Sadly many sign up for the newsletter and never verify which means they will not get the newsletter. So please, if you sign up check your spam folder for the verification letter if you do not receive one. My next newsletter will feature Super Bowl recipes.
BRK FAN CLUB
You can see on my side bar a place to click and sign up for my fan site via facebook. Here you will get behind the scenes of BRK.
BLOGS OF THE MONTH
This is a very popular feature on Big Red Kitchen. Recently updated for January 2010 highlights more of my favorite blogs I love to read.
BRK’S RECIPE BOX
Newly updated with scores of Big Red Kitchen’s recipes, a better navigation system, and a spanking new catagorized Dessert Section.
I AM A CRAFTY SUPERSTAR
Cut Out + Keep, a very cool craft site, contacted me to ask if I would like to be one of their Crafty Superstars. Much better than a rock star is being a Crafty Super Star among greats like Mark Montano, Kate Shirazi, Betz White and of course Lorraine Elliot of Not Quite Nigella. Pop on over and see some of my projects.
8 is great! Well, that is eight new things going on in BRK. I’ll give you a few days to absorb it all.
Robin Sue
24 Comments
WOW! You just plain ol ROCK! I am super impressed… I need to check out all the links at nap time today! (not mine, of course!) I am so excited for it all!
Great ideas you have here. I signed up for the newsletter. I miss my Harris Teeter while in Florida.
Wow, Robin Sue. What a great start to 2010. I envy how organized you are! Especially to get up in the morning and make dinner. I'd be in the kitchen at 5 am to do that, and I just don't have the gumption. Though, it is a brilliant idea!
I popped over to see what you had at cut out + keep. You're in DC? All this time I thought you were in TX!
Sounds like a great list of 8!
Greg really like the sliders idea…we just have to see if we can find the little buns or rolls down there. Thanks for the great idea!
Let us know how dinner for breakfast works out for your family! It actually sounds like a lot of fun. I'm so use to having a "breakfast" type meal for breakfast.. although some nights for dinner I'll make breakfast!
I didn't know you had your own newsletter, so I just signed up and activated my account! Looking forward to those superbowl recipes. Can't believe it is almost here!
Also just wanted to thank you for making me a blog of the month back in November 2009! I didn't even know!!
Look who started the new year with a bang! Wow, I'm impressed… so much going on. I have a feeling that you'll succeed in everything you do, Robin Sue! Dinner for breakfast sounds interesting – will look forward to seeing how that works out. Off to check out your links!
You are a superstar indeed! Congrats to you!
Holy smokes! I'm still reeling from it all. Lemme take it all in and get back with my comments and questions!
~ingrid
look at you, robin sue, takin' care of business! you're a force to be reckoned with, and i, for one, love your plan of attack.
yes very good ideas. we eat dinner at around 4pm, I hate eating after 6pm because of not being able to sleep. I have a huge breakfast because I have too with my low blood sugar.
Really? You'll be having spaghetti and meatballs at 7:30 AM? I've eaten a few early morning bowl of cold pasta but it's not my family's thing. We will cook up the bacon ANY time.
Everyone can stop looking. We found the secret identity of Wonder Woman. It's Robin Sue at BRK!
I love the dinner-at-breakfast idea. I definitely want to hear more about that. I'd have to completely rework my schedule to make that happen, but it's an awfully appealing idea.
Cant wait to check out all of the links and subscribe to the newsletter! DH and I host SB each year, so I'm very interested in some new recipes.
You are the Queen of Organization and Ingenuity.
What time do you get up to do this? I don't know if my family would have breakfast for dinner, I'm thinking my hubby would not go outside and grill rib-eyes at 7 AM. I love it though, but don't you then cook breakfast at dinner?
Renae- There are a few meals that would be hard to stomach so early in the am so I have to adjust.
Noble Pig- there will be some days that it will not make sense to do this. I am up by 6:45. Once grilling season rolls around we will swtich things up for those days we want to grill. Right now it is fend for yourself at night. Leftovers, eggs and toast, cereal, healthy smoothies, oatmeal and my kids make all of that themselves. My 7 year old can work the micro but loves smoothies.
I love the personal shopper thing. That is neat. And congrats on being Crafty Super Star. But then again, you have always been a star.
My boys and I love breakfast for dinner… hubby not so much. It's just so fun!
You've got some great stuff going on… congratulations!
I like the concept, but we work nights and sleep all day. I do most of my cooking around 3 AM and put in the fridge for us to take to work.
Great post! (and thanks for the shout out) This is the first time I've heard of someone doing dinner for breakfast, very unique idea. I am more intrigued by that one year menu plan though! Not for me since it's now just us two empty nesters at home, but I know lots of moms who might find that useful! I wish that I lived in an area that would welcome online home shopping at a local grocery store because I think I would use it. Home delivery would be even grander!!
Great links, great post – thanks!!!
I've heard about reversing your meals and I love that idea!
I wish I could do that, but I'm not sure my family would go for it. My problem is my kids aren't hungry when they wake up. I'm lucky if they eat a few bites before going to school. However, if they got used to eating less at night, then they would be hungry in the morning!
And I love that you are "done" with your meal so early in the day!
Wow! Great organization and creative changes. I have trouble planing a weekly menu, I'm not sure how a yearly one would work, but I'm going to look into it.
mimi
Congrats on the Cut Out + Keep feature. You're right, being a Crafty Super Star is better than being just a plain ole' rock star. I was so excited when I recognized you on Cut Out + Keep's site!
A year in advance!!! You are my hero! We love breakfast for dinner, have not considered dinner for breakfast. Hmmmm….
Oh so busy at the BRK. Can you stop by Dinners for a Year and organize my recipes?