From: Molly Shortall [mailto:Molly.Shortall@arlingtontx.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 11:08 AM
To: Tamara Epple
Subject: RE: what's for supper tonight?
Sensitivity: Confidential

I hear you, I have two young kids and the first comment/question I hear
every night when I get home is "I'm hungry, what's for dinner?"  My
solution is meal planning, but it takes some organization and planning.
I meal plan two weeks at a time and shop for all the required groceries
at one time (occasionally I have to pick up additional fresh produce).
I sit down with my work calendar and the family calendar and come up
with meals that will work with the schedules for every evening.  For
example, nights when I'm running from work to meet the kids at soccer
practice and then race home to finish homework before bedtime are
usually a grilled cheese or pizza in the oven kind of night.  Whereas
days that I don't have late meetings and we don't have after school
activities I plan something that may actually require some cooking
skills.  I've also become a HUGE fan of the crock pot!!  I've found that
if I plan the meals out based upon the schedule(s) then I'm less likely
to say "I don't have time to cook, let's pick something up."

I'm interested to hear other ideas!

Molly Shortall

Assistant City Attorney

City of Arlington

817-459-6878

Molly.Shortall@arlingtontx.gov

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From: younglawyers-bounces@lists.imla.org
[mailto:younglawyers-bounces@lists.imla.org] On Behalf Of Tamara Epple
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:00 PM
To: younglawyers@lists.imla.org
Subject: [Younglawyers] what's for supper tonight?
Sensitivity: Confidential

I have a crazy hectic day today, thankfully my stepkids are at their
mom's or it might be popcorn for supper!  We don't eat out due to the
expense (for 5 of us it usually costs ~ $100)  How do you deal with
supper?  Do you have a nanny?  Do you make your meals for the week on
the weekend?  How do you deal with food for the week?  Anyone have
something that works well?

Sincerely,

Tamara D. Epple, B.A., J.D.
Senior Municipal Solicitor

Director, Legal Services Department

T  780.788.1582
C  780.713.5948
F  780.792.5952

tamara.epple@woodbuffalo.ab.ca mailto:tamara.epple@woodbuffalo.ab.ca
www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca http://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca

9909 Franklin Avenue, Fort McMurray, AB, T9H 2K4

I do the same as Molly, but only plan 1 week at a time, and I, too, do more cooking on nights when we're all home.  Frozen veggies in steam bags are awesome, and so are chicken cutlets instead of breasts (they cook faster, and can be cooked from frozen).  I also like to do ham steaks because you can buy them already cut in the deli or meat section, and all it requires is heating up.  That's actually what we're having tonight, along with some potatoes cooked in the microwave and the aforementioned steamed veggies, also in the microwave.  (Sense a pattern?)

Last night we had fish tacos, which ended up being a really quick meal to make, since the tilapia fillets were small ones and cooked really quickly in the pan.  We heated tortillas, put out some salsa, sliced avocados, and some shredded cheese, and dinner was on the table!

And yes, the crockpot is my friend!

Leann D. Guzman
Assistant City Attorney II
City of Fort Worth
1000 Throckmorton
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Ph: (817) 392-8973
Fax:  (817) 392-8359

From: younglawyers-bounces@lists.imla.org [mailto:younglawyers-bounces@lists.imla.org] On Behalf Of Tamara Epple
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:13 PM
To: younglawyers@lists.imla.org
Subject: [Younglawyers] FW: what's for supper tonight? (on behalf of Molly Shortall)
Sensitivity: Confidential

From: Molly Shortall [mailto:Molly.Shortall@arlingtontx.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 11:08 AM
To: Tamara Epple
Subject: RE: what's for supper tonight?
Sensitivity: Confidential

I hear you, I have two young kids and the first comment/question I hear every night when I get home is "I'm hungry, what's for dinner?"  My solution is meal planning, but it takes some organization and planning.  I meal plan two weeks at a time and shop for all the required groceries at one time (occasionally I have to pick up additional fresh produce).  I sit down with my work calendar and the family calendar and come up with meals that will work with the schedules for every evening.  For example, nights when I'm running from work to meet the kids at soccer practice and then race home to finish homework before bedtime are usually a grilled cheese or pizza in the oven kind of night.  Whereas days that I don't have late meetings and we don't have after school activities I plan something that may actually require some cooking skills.  I've also become a HUGE fan of the crock pot!!  I've found that if I plan the meals out based upon the schedule(s) then I'm less likely to say "I don't have time to cook, let's pick something up."

I'm interested to hear other ideas!

Molly Shortall
Assistant City Attorney
City of Arlington
817-459-6878
Molly.Shortall@arlingtontx.govmailto:Molly.Shortall@arlingtontx.gov

The information in this email may be confidential and/or privileged. This email is intended to be reviewed by only the individual or organization named above. If you are not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, dissemination or copying of this email and its attachments, if any, or the information contained herein is prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify the sender by return email and delete this email from your system.

P Please consider the environment before printing this email.

From: younglawyers-bounces@lists.imla.org [mailto:younglawyers-bounces@lists.imla.org] On Behalf Of Tamara Epple
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 12:00 PM
To: younglawyers@lists.imla.org
Subject: [Younglawyers] what's for supper tonight?
Sensitivity: Confidential

I have a crazy hectic day today, thankfully my stepkids are at their mom's or it might be popcorn for supper!  We don't eat out due to the expense (for 5 of us it usually costs ~ $100)  How do you deal with supper?  Do you have a nanny?  Do you make your meals for the week on the weekend?  How do you deal with food for the week?  Anyone have something that works well?

Sincerely,

Tamara D. Epple, B.A., J.D.
Senior Municipal Solicitor
Director, Legal Services Department

[cid:image001.jpg@01CCA462.4A94AE70]

T  780.788.1582
C  780.713.5948
F  780.792.5952

tamara.epple@woodbuffalo.ab.camailto:tamara.epple@woodbuffalo.ab.ca
www.woodbuffalo.ab.cahttp://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca

9909 Franklin Avenue, Fort McMurray, AB, T9H 2K4