Have you ever caught a glimpse of the cover of Food Magazine? Everything looks amazing. Ever looked at a recipe, wondered what half of the ingredients are or been curious about what it means when they use cooking terms like … me too.

Many of you know my Mother is an amazing cook and my Dad is a grill master. And, I enjoy both. But, with two little kids and a husband that works until almost seven every evening, I balance budget and convenience daily. It’s why we grow some of our own food on the Tower Garden, make a weekly trip to the Farmers Market, and mix in the appropriate canned food and store-bought produce/protein, etc.

Today after church, going out to eat seemed like a great idea. Two things: 1. It’s not in our budget. 2. The previously mentioned budget was spent at the grocery. Slightly disappointed we arrived home, opened the fridge and realized I had everything I needed. What’s funny: it was nothing special. Even better: it was quick. EVEN BETTER: I prepped two other meals while cooking this one.

Warning: Advice ahead. Skip to recipe if you don’t want advice.

Pack your pantry and fridge with food that makes sense for your family and not with specific ingredients for one magazine-worthy meal. Cook extra of a staple one night (like farm fresh corn) so you have it for another meal. Grow what you get tired of paying for, eat a lot of, or get tired of running to the store for.

This was our 10-minute lunch today:

Slice and sautéed leftover white onion from last night’s grilled veggies. (How many times have you tossed out half or a third of a leftover onion?) Season with fresh minced garlic (which we get from Sam’s Club because we use so much.) for garlic seasoning. If you have fresh herbs like cilantro or garlic chives, toss them in the skillet.
Toss in canned black beans (drained) just to warm them.
Quickly cut previously grilled corn off the cob or toss in some, drained, canned corn. (We buy corn at the Farmers Market weekly. I grill extra every time I cook it. Stick it in the fridge and then cut the corn off the cob for a quick salad addition or, like today, Mexican meal.)
Then, toss in a little chicken. (Who has time to marinate and cook chicken at lunch? Keep a rotisserie chicken in your fridge for moments like to today, or to top that salad!)
We rarely eat tortillas since we started shredding. (If you want to know more on that visit www.healthylivingrevolution.com). Today, we happened to have them. So, over medium heat I warmed a tortilla, sprinkled lightly with cheese and covered with my chicken/black bean/corn/onion mixture as well as halved cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado.
Have salsa from the last time you entertained? Throw a dollop on top.
Enjoy.

Guess what? Tonight or tomorrow for lunch, we are going to throw the leftover chicken/black bean/corn/onion mixture over greens. Had we not had tortillas today, we would have eaten it as a “bowl." I cut my onions large enough to pick them out for the kids and they loved it too. They snacked on tomatoes, mushrooms and strawberries while I cooked. I have more money in my pocket than if we had gone out, my kids ate healthier than if we had gone out, (so did I), and we used the groceries on which we have already spent hard-earned money.

So balance your in-house cooking and grilling, your store bought and fresh grown, your budget and convenience. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself by trying to cook magazine-worthy meals (unless you want to) and instead, pack your pantry and fridge for day-to-day convenience.