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in Episodes on October 17, 2016 by The Mom Hour

A Week of Real-Life Dinners (Vol. 1): Episode 72



Meal plans are great, but how often do we get to the end of a well-intentioned week and realize that things didn’t go exactly (or at ALL) as planned? Pretty often.

So this week we’re giving you a look at a week of totally honest, no-filter dinners in our homes. We each kept track for a week of what we fed our families for dinner, and in Episode 72 we share it with you – from the slow-cooked pork shoulder and roasted vegetables (nailed it!) to the everyone-ate-standing-up-and-mom-had-cereal-for-dinner (twice!).

LINKS MENTIONED:

  • Episode 23, about meal planning and grocery shopping
  • Episode 70, about kids in the kitchen
  • Episode 55, about saving money on groceries and household supplies
  • Meagan’s interview with with Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner, A Love Story on an episode of The Home Hour

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

  • Visit our website
  • Check out deals from our partners
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
  • Sign up for our newsletter

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Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: feeding a family, food

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« All About Family Pets: Episode 71
Listener Questions (Vol.4): Episode 73 »

Comments

  1. Sheena says

    October 19, 2016 at 11:02 pm

    Loved this episode! Fun to hear how others do dinner and lots of great ideas!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      November 1, 2016 at 8:04 am

      Thanks, Sheena!

      Reply
  2. Meg says

    October 20, 2016 at 5:20 pm

    Really enjoyed this episode! Would love the recipe for the Asian salad with quinoa, cabbage, garbanzos, etc.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      November 1, 2016 at 8:11 am

      Thanks, Meg! OK, here’s what I do. Cook quinoa (I use tri-color) and let it cool to room temp. Rough-chop a head of green cabbage (or you can use a bag of already-shreaded). Strain and rinse a can of garbanzo beans. These three ingredients are sort of the main trio for the “bulk” of the salad, and I like them in roughly equal volume. Then I fine-chop carrots (I use a bag of shredded carrots and then chop them up a bit more), red bell pepper, and cilantro (I use a LOT :)). Add crushed peanuts or slivered almonds and an asian-style dressing. (I love this one: http://cindyskitchen.com/products/47/Deeply-Roasted-Sesame-(Japanese-Style).) The final product feels more like a grain bowl than a salad, and I like a pretty generous amount of dressing just because there isn’t a ton of flavor in those ingredients besides the cilantro and nuts. It’s sooooo good – let me know if you try it! -Sarah

      Reply
  3. Kristy says

    October 21, 2016 at 12:25 am

    Just subscribed to your podcast and I love it! Thank you for being real and thank you for your excellent tips! Really enjoying listening and will continue to do so! By the way, if my husband tags along while I grocery shop I always end up with more sweets than we can handle and I spend more money than normal!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      November 1, 2016 at 8:12 am

      Thanks, Kristy! So glad you found us and that you’re enjoying the show. We appreciate it so much!

      Reply
  4. Meg says

    October 28, 2016 at 4:43 pm

    Loved this episode! Loved feeling “normal!” Hearing that meal times aren’t perfect for everyone all the time!! I would love Megan’s black bean recipe she described in the beginning!

    Reply
  5. Tessa says

    November 15, 2016 at 12:31 pm

    I agree, this was a great episode and I love to hear what people really eat vs. what they meal plan (I always have good intentions with a meal plan and then at least a couple nights a week it goes to heck). Also, I just have to say that yours was one of the first podcasts I started listening to and I finally got caught up on listening to all of the old episodes and went in search of some new podcasts to listen to. While there are a couple that are ok, yours is my favorite by far and I look forward to new episodes!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      November 22, 2016 at 8:58 am

      Tessa, THANK YOU! We’re so honored you went back and listened to the archives. 😉 Happy to have you in our listener “family”! Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  6. Ellie says

    January 11, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    I’m a fellow Southern California gal and this rain is making me crave soup! I’m also 39 weeks pregnant so I am wanted easy recipes and I just remembered this episode where you mentioned a trader joe’s hack with their red pepper soup. Can you pass that along if it’s not too much trouble? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      January 31, 2017 at 8:51 am

      Ellie, I’m so sorry it’s taken us a while to reply to this comment! I’m guessing you are no longer 39 weeks pregnant, so…congratulations?! I don’t remember talking about a TJ’s hack with their red pepper soup, unfortunately. I talk about TJ’s a lot, and love them, but I haven’t bought that particular soup. My husband will often by canned healthy soups (like Amy’s brand) and then add some additional veggies, beans, and fresh herbs. Maybe that was it? Sorry I can’t be more help.

      And do you miss the rain? I kind of do, but it’s been a nice sunny few days here. Can’t complain. 🙂

      Reply

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Happy kickoff to a long holiday weekend for many! Happy kickoff to a long holiday weekend for many! It's time for our monthly roundup of sponsors and affiliate partners, where we thank the brands who help support our show and remind YOU of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight. We also collect ALL our active promo codes on our Deals & Offers page on our website. Just tap on this image at the link in our bio to check it out!

Thank you for checking out our partners and using our links + codes!

Shoutout to our new & featured partners:
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And welcome back . . .
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This week's episode has elicited more comments and This week's episode has elicited more comments and emails than we've gotten in a LONG TIME. We're so glad the topic touched a nerve and appreciate every one of the notes we've received.

Speaking of "doneness" and all the feels about moving out of the baby-having years, this result from our listener survey surprised us. 72% of listeners who responded to the question about plans to grow their families said they are totally done. This is a big jump from previous surveys where we asked the same question (in 2021 59% said they were done; in 2019 47%).

If you haven't taken our survey yet, please do! Click this image at the link in our bio, or type themomhour.com/survey into any browser. Thanks, friends!
Did you know we have travel guides on our website Did you know we have travel guides on our website for NINE different U.S. cities (and counting!)? Our contributors hail from all over the country and know the best playgrounds, coffee shops, and family-friendly activities to make your summer travels more joyful and less stressful.

Our Chicagoland guide comes from @thepaperdart, who lives in SoCal now but hails from the Windy City originally. She has a guide FULL of mom-tested ideas for bringing kids to Chicago and surrounding areas. Click this image at the link in our bio to read Katherine's post, and get all the guides at themomhour.com/travel!

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Summer’s almost here, but Florida’s a place wh Summer’s almost here, but Florida’s a place where you can enjoy the season’s fun and relaxation year-round.  #ad

Escape your busy routine and spread out along 825 miles of beaches, 700 freshwater springs and over 1300 trails with breathing room to run and play. Discover new experiences in the most comfortable place to get out of your comfort zone, only on a family vacation in Florida. (It’s just the best.)

Start planning your Florida vacation and learn more about all the places to go by clicking on this image at the link in our bio. 🏝️ And thanks for supporting the brands that support our show! @visitflorida #VisitFlorida #LoveFL
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Happy Mother's Day! Meagan thought it would be fun to surprise Sarah with an episode full of lightning-round-style "this or that" questions and "would you rather" head-scratchers. Join us for lots of laughs, silly questions and tons of fun! If you've been listening for a while you know that we're chronically lightning-round-challenged. Find out if we answer all the questions before the buzzer goes off! 

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
A few thoughts on family vacations . . . –writte A few thoughts on family vacations . . . –written by @catieparrish on our team, in partnership with our sponsor @visitflorida . . . #AD

There's a lot that isn't shown in a vacation highlight reel. The impatient kids, the out-of-order elevator, the lost ball cap that caused so many tears, the tighter-than-usual vehicle seating arrangements that prevent siblings from keeping their hands to themselves, the weary parents trying to juggle it all.

But - thankfully! - throughout the trip, there are moments that make you think, "Totally worth it." One of those moments, for me, was our first beach walk after arriving in @vspc. The kids were ecstatic to see the ocean, the view was stunning, and I could feel the stress of managing a million details melt away. 

It's not that different, really, from anything else we do. We spend time, effort, and money to create and maintain a home that serves our family. It leads to the "worth it" moments of big weekend breakfasts and cozy family movie nights. We keep up the text thread, move stuff around on the calendar, and figure out childcare, so we can laugh with neighbors at a taproom. We put in the hours at work; for the paycheck, yes; but also to be able to say, "I helped do that."

I'm so happy our family got to have so many totally-worth-it moments in Florida. If you're interested in planning your own Florida vacation, click on this photo in our bio.

#visitflorida #loveFL
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Happy kickoff to a long holiday weekend for many! Happy kickoff to a long holiday weekend for many! It's time for our monthly roundup of sponsors and affiliate partners, where we thank the brands who help support our show and remind YOU of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight. We also collect ALL our active promo codes on our Deals & Offers page on our website. Just tap on this image at the link in our bio to check it out!

Thank you for checking out our partners and using our links + codes!

Shoutout to our new & featured partners:
🎙️ @amazonmusic (listen to all your favorite podcasts!)
🎧 @pinnaaudio (50% off safe podcasts, stories, and music for kids!) 
👗 @stitchfix ($20 off your first purchase of styles you'll love!)
🤖 @kiwico_inc (50% your first month + free shipping!)

And welcome back . . .
⭐ @hellofresh (50% off America's #1 meal kit!)
⭐ @rakuten (save $ when you shop!)
⭐ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐ @minted (art, cards, decor & more!)
⭐ @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
⭐ @fabletics (2 workout bottoms for $24!)
⭐ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on comfy shoes!)
⭐ @ritual (10% off your 1st 3 mo.!)
This week's episode has elicited more comments and This week's episode has elicited more comments and emails than we've gotten in a LONG TIME. We're so glad the topic touched a nerve and appreciate every one of the notes we've received.

Speaking of "doneness" and all the feels about moving out of the baby-having years, this result from our listener survey surprised us. 72% of listeners who responded to the question about plans to grow their families said they are totally done. This is a big jump from previous surveys where we asked the same question (in 2021 59% said they were done; in 2019 47%).

If you haven't taken our survey yet, please do! Click this image at the link in our bio, or type themomhour.com/survey into any browser. Thanks, friends!
Did you know we have travel guides on our website Did you know we have travel guides on our website for NINE different U.S. cities (and counting!)? Our contributors hail from all over the country and know the best playgrounds, coffee shops, and family-friendly activities to make your summer travels more joyful and less stressful.

Our Chicagoland guide comes from @thepaperdart, who lives in SoCal now but hails from the Windy City originally. She has a guide FULL of mom-tested ideas for bringing kids to Chicago and surrounding areas. Click this image at the link in our bio to read Katherine's post, and get all the guides at themomhour.com/travel!

#chicagowithkids #travelwithkids #summer2023 #summertravel #windycitykids #windycitymoms #chicagolandwithkids #chicagomoms #chicago
New episode, based on this letter we received from New episode, based on this letter we received from listener Sarah (swipe to read). We're guessing more than a few of you can relate...

"Done having babies" and "Sad about the end of the little years" are two completely different mom-emotions, as Meagan and Sarah get into today, with the help of a thoughtful listener question. We look at how it's possible to be at peace with your family size and still experience grief at the identity shift that happens as your last babe gets big (and your bigs get huge). We reflect on what pangs us most about small kids growing bigger, how to accept the unfamiliar role of being (slightly) less needed, and what it means to embrace the season you find yourself in - whatever it is.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Summer’s almost here, but Florida’s a place wh Summer’s almost here, but Florida’s a place where you can enjoy the season’s fun and relaxation year-round.  #ad

Escape your busy routine and spread out along 825 miles of beaches, 700 freshwater springs and over 1300 trails with breathing room to run and play. Discover new experiences in the most comfortable place to get out of your comfort zone, only on a family vacation in Florida. (It’s just the best.)

Start planning your Florida vacation and learn more about all the places to go by clicking on this image at the link in our bio. 🏝️ And thanks for supporting the brands that support our show! @visitflorida #VisitFlorida #LoveFL
New episode! A parent of three is exhausted by di New episode!

A parent of three is exhausted by dinnertime sillies and wants help steering conversation at the family table. A stay-at-home mom asks what to do when her child says, "don't tell dad I got in trouble at school!". And a parent of a tween who wants acrylic nails asks a bigger question about letting kids alter their appearance in general. Meagan and Sarah tackle tricky parenting challenges with our best attempts at nuance, compassion, and humor in today's episode.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Looking to enrich your home library with nature-in Looking to enrich your home library with nature-inspired children's books? Sandy Hsu (@hopefulsmiles) has a roundup on the blog this week with beautiful book series that bring science and nature to life with compelling visuals. Check it out by clicking this image at the link in our bio!
New episode! Happy Mother's Day! Meagan thought i New episode!

Happy Mother's Day! Meagan thought it would be fun to surprise Sarah with an episode full of lightning-round-style "this or that" questions and "would you rather" head-scratchers. Join us for lots of laughs, silly questions and tons of fun! If you've been listening for a while you know that we're chronically lightning-round-challenged. Find out if we answer all the questions before the buzzer goes off! 

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
A few thoughts on family vacations . . . –writte A few thoughts on family vacations . . . –written by @catieparrish on our team, in partnership with our sponsor @visitflorida . . . #AD

There's a lot that isn't shown in a vacation highlight reel. The impatient kids, the out-of-order elevator, the lost ball cap that caused so many tears, the tighter-than-usual vehicle seating arrangements that prevent siblings from keeping their hands to themselves, the weary parents trying to juggle it all.

But - thankfully! - throughout the trip, there are moments that make you think, "Totally worth it." One of those moments, for me, was our first beach walk after arriving in @vspc. The kids were ecstatic to see the ocean, the view was stunning, and I could feel the stress of managing a million details melt away. 

It's not that different, really, from anything else we do. We spend time, effort, and money to create and maintain a home that serves our family. It leads to the "worth it" moments of big weekend breakfasts and cozy family movie nights. We keep up the text thread, move stuff around on the calendar, and figure out childcare, so we can laugh with neighbors at a taproom. We put in the hours at work; for the paycheck, yes; but also to be able to say, "I helped do that."

I'm so happy our family got to have so many totally-worth-it moments in Florida. If you're interested in planning your own Florida vacation, click on this photo in our bio.

#visitflorida #loveFL
New episode! Meagan spent a soggy day helping eig New episode!

Meagan spent a soggy day helping eight grade science students release salmon into a creek, and it inspired this conversation all about kids and field trips. From tiny toddlers at the fire station to teens on a red-eye flight to Washington, D.C., time outside the classroom requires a ton of flexibility from everyone; we're here to discuss the both/and nature of field trips bringing added hassle AND growth opportunities. We also hear from two teachers and a special needs parent about their thoughts on field trips and swap stories about California vs. Michigan excursions for school-aged kids.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts

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