Smooth(ie) Operator

I’ve entered the meal prep funk phase of my life. There are periods of time when I feel unmotivated to plan, shop or prepare for meals. These, like the seasons, eventually pass and I find myself inspired by others’ fresh ideas and motivated by the excitement my family generates when they realize good food is in the cards again. Lately, though, I’m completely uninterested in domestic duties. I have no urge to shop. The next season is dangerously far away for continuing to procrastinate the meal thing. As a result, food storage is dwindling. The pantry has gone neglected. Every meal is a foraging expedition; a quest to balance the food groups. Take breakfast, for example; sleepy faces emerge from their beds each morning, with one common goal: something to eat that tastes good. It seems a reasonable expectation. When I point my finger at the cereal shelf, somehow I feel caught off guard as I see we’re fresh out. Toast? No bread.

Yesterday morning I thought of something good. There was frozen fruit in the freezer. We still had enough yogurt in the fridge. Fruit smoothies! I had visions of children falling at my feet. The nutrition pyramid police would applaud the calcium and protein that would soon be nourishing three young and developing bodies. I dumped a baggie of frozen strawberries into the blender. Spoonfuls of yogurt followed, and then I grabbed a frozen banana from the freezer. I even thought about putting some spinach in with the other ingredients. My thoughts turned to my friend Heidi, who hosted girl night at her house last week. She made several different kinds of smoothies all with her newly purchased juicer/blender/smoothie maker thing. They were all delicious, some with spinach, others with avocado in them. Besides having a knack for all things culinary, she is a natural born comedian, I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. It’s an amazing rush of pleasure to have a friend like that as my own. I realize that I could enjoy the many joys of motherhood in this same way. Tears from laughter feel so good.