How meal planning and prepping has changed my life, and can change yours too!

I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes here at Call Me Betty blog, and putting in lots of early mornings and naptimes to make this day happen. I am absolutely thrilled to announce my new podcastNew podcast:  Planned, Prepped, and productive: homemade meals for busy peopleIt's all about helping you guys to put from-scratch meals on the table for your family every night WITHOUT stress and without overwhelm.The topic of conversation here in my little corner of the internet has always been about the importance of from-scratch cooking, but, truth moment.  My consistency has been lacking.  I have struggled to put out consistent content for you all, and after putting my heart and soul into this project I think I finally know why. Why I started a productive cooking podcastFor the past several years I've shared tried and tested from scratch recipes with you and why from scratch cooking is so important to me...but what was missing was connection. In all honesty I feel that maybe I have been a little preachy, a little too focused on the recipes and the "why" of cooking from scratch and a little less focused on you the readers, your goals, your dreams, your problems.  I haven't taken the time to convince you that from-scratch cooking is not only possible with a busy lifestyle, but that creating this routine and habit can actually open doors, save you time, and clear up valuable head-space by answering the constant nagging question of "what's for dinner.It's challenging to figure out how to be vulnerable on the internet, to say I have been where you've been and I know that it's hard.  To say that yes, I absolutely 100% believe in from-scratch cooking, homemade meals, and family dinner time, but that I also am very familiar with the Wendy's drive-thru.  That I am absolutely not perfect, but I am working toward a goal and I want to bring you with me on this journey and share everything I learn along the way.  How meal planning and prepping has changed my lifeThis first week's episode of the podcast is all about how introducing meal planning (something that I have done consistently for my entire 8-year marriage)... and prepping has completely transformed my life.  It can totally transform yours too! Meal time does not have to be stressful and overwhelming, especially not every day!In the podcast sharing all the benefits and changes that I have seen in my life (that I think you would like to see too!)Benefits of meal planning and meal prepping: More family time in the eveningsThe ability to use time more effectively and cook in hours that my kids aren't all overtired and crankyThe kitchen gets used less often so the house stays cleanerMeal time and your schedule is simplifiedThe quality of meals (both taste and health) improvedLife feels organized and controlled instead of chaoticAlways knowing the answer of "what's for dinner" Rarely feeling hangry because there's always something easily prepared available to eatGrocery purchases are more controlled and you save moneyMeal planning and prepping can totally change your life.  If you find yourself feeling constantly overwhelmed with all things food (the planning, the shopping, the cooking, the clean-up, the constant and never-ending cycle of work), I hope you take a chance and follow along on this journey. This week's episode focused mostly on the "why" behind meal planning and prepping, but that's really only one piece of the puzzle. In coming week's we'll really dig into all the ins and outs and tips and tricks that i've learned and how I've made family meal time and homemade meals a reality for my family (and if you don't know me, a quick intro: I'm a dentist's wife who stays home with 3 tiny o