A Peek Into the Life of a Working Mom: Making Healthy Meals (#EverydayInspiration)(#Dinner)

Roasted chicken, a great home cooked meal for working moms

I get asked to do a decent number of guest posts, sponsored posts and product reviews. I accept the ones that are consistent with the objectives of my blog and that I have time to complete.  However, every once in a while I get a truly awesome opportunity.  When I was asked to participate in the “Everyday Inspiration Challenge” by SheKnows.com I was truly excited.

In a nutshell, the project was a series of mini challenges designed to help the participants reconnect with what’s important.

Cooking a Meal from Scratch is a Healthy Meal Option

It accomplished its goal.  The challenges made me pause and complete tasks that I might not have otherwise done.  Completing them gave my maternity leave added meaning. It was a pleasure to complete the tasks.

My favorite challenge was to " Cook a meal from scratch". Because what could be more important than providing your family with healthy meals?

Perfecting the art of the roasted chicken in my messy kitchen!

While I enjoy cooking, I didn't do a lot of it during my first few weeks post-partum. I relied on the kindness of family and friends. Indeed, during the challenge, my sister made the meal for me.  Still, I was inspired by the exercise. So, I was committed to rise to the occasion.  And, that is what led me to my quest for perfecting the art of the roasted chicken.

Making Roasted Chicken is One Way to Provide a Family With Healthy Meals

I like making roasted chickens because they last for days and you can make them while otherwise keeping your hands free.  While it takes two hours to cook, the preparation time is minimal and the rewards are huge.  I have managed to learn how to clean, season, and put a raw chicken in the oven with sliced potatoes or rice in about 15 minutes. Preparing healthy food with minimal preparation time is key because at any given moment I have a tenacious toddler or an incredible infant vying for my attention. That means that I don't always have time for sauteéing. 

Still, there is an art to it. You want the skin to be crunchy and the meat to be juicy. You also want the chicken to have a good flavor. I am pleased to report that I have perfected it.  The secret is to use a good seasoning salt to salt the bottom of the pan, the inside of the chicken and the outside. Use olive oil and butter to baste the skin. Then stuff the center with onions, a sliced lemon and bay leaves. (I also sprinkle a little liquid smoke in mine to give it an added bit of surprise!) Cook for two hours on 350 and you will have a chicken fit to serve to your mama! Seriously, I promise you it will be perfect every time. 

Wine, a great compliment for any healthy meal

I have tricks for providing my family with healthy meals, but it can still be challenging

Even though I have some tricks for providing my family with healthy meals, I understand that we working moms struggle to find the time to provide our families with healthy meals. Many of us wind up feeding their kids fast food much more often than we would like to admit. And it looks like people are becoming more sensitive that struggle. Recently, the New York Times published an article entitled, Is America Ready for Health Convenience Food ? I was excited to be quoted in the article and to weigh in on a topic that is important to me. 

As the above photo illustrates, making a healthy meal requires time, planning and effort.  So, it is nice to see that people are thinking about how to make preparing healthy meals easier for us. I hope that they find the answer soon. Because all of us working moms could use a little help!