OK, so Being a wife, a mother, and a full-time speech pathology assistant is wearing me thin. I am also about to become a full-time student too. I come home after a long day at work and I don't want to cook, clean, or do anything for that matter. All I do want to do is play with my son who is ready to go to bed one to two hours after I get him home. So, we do our evening routine then I don't get to see him again till the next morning right before he and I go back to school. I am so tired of this routine not to mention that the hot dogs that I'm pulling out of the freezer are starting to show on my waist line. I needed a plan of action, I needed to do some research, and I still need help from all of my friends. That is where you come in. I have gone to different websites and found the most helpful info and pulled it all together to make this list of quick tips for working in the kitchen. I thought I would share what I found with all of my friends and ask them to share with me what works in their kitchen under the comments section of this blog. By the way I already hate to cook and we don't eat processed food in our house (well, besides hot dogs for me and burritos for my husband). We have been eating too much of those things and want to step away from them. So, the prepackaged lasagna etc. will not work (besides I can't eat wheat). 1. Make a Menu! This will save you from looking in the fridge every night wondering what to make. It will also help you save money, trips to the store, and help with the other time saving tips I’m about to give. 2. Pre prep. After getting your groceries that will full fill your menu, get out your food processor and cut your onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, etc (however, not all veggies are meant to do this so you decide which can handle a week being cut up) most of these items can be placed in the freezer for longer storage. Dice them chop them or leave them sliced before you put them in the freezer. Slice and cube tomatoes store in a container of your choice (do not freeze these, however, they can be left in the fridge). 3. Brown beef and boil chicken. Divide it into one pound or half pound and place in storage containers and store in the freezer for later use. Do not over cook this since you will want to season it the way you want to later. You can also freeze one cup portions of the broth from the boiled chicken and save them for later (money, not time saver). 4. Start with a dish washer that is empty or has enough room for dirty dinner dishes and clean/uncluttered counters. 5. Wear an apron wipe your hands on this and put a towel in its ties so you always have that towel close by to wipe up those spills. 6. Get out all ingredients before you start. If you have a helper who likes to go behind you and clean up like I do, make sure you both know where the finished and unused piles are. 7. Clean as you go. Wipe counters, rinse dishes; food is easier to get off when it is fresh and before it has time to harden and set. Take the time to load the dish washer when you are waiting for things to boil or simmer. Clean knives and put them away after you are finished using them. You will always know where they are when you need them again. They also won’t become health hazards on the counter or in the sink. 8. Put out paper (news paper, paper towels, etc.) under the area you will be peeling potatoes, cucumbers, etc. When you have finished gather the paper and throw it all in the trash. (I wish I would have known this before I put my disposal through the wringer.) 9. Have a garbage can (a plastic coffee container, a bowl, a huge tupperware, you get the idea). Place all the garbage in here while you prep and cook. Empty it after you finish cooking and it will save you all of your back and forth trips to the trash. Place the container in the dishwasher and use it the next time you cook. 10. Know where all of your recipes are. Photo copy all of your favorite recipes and put them in one binder you can even add tabs, put them in categories, go nuts if you like. My husband and I have found that if we put them in plastic they last longer and can wipe off easier. Please add your favorite time saving tip to the comment section. Thank you!
Mom Hurt's wake
16 years ago
2 comments:
I love the "Make a Mix" cookbook. It has ideas, recipes, etc. This is a real timesaver.
Make up cassaroles one evening after Timmie is in bed and freeze them. Take one out in the morning or the evening before to thaw in the frig. Pop in the oven when you get home. You can even divide the cassaroles in half or thirds for just the two of you. Makes it stretch even further.
Crock Pots are great. Come home to a hot meal all ready cooked and ready to go.
Don't put your peels and other scraps in the trash, put them in the compost pile. Don't have a pile yet? Now is a good time to start one. You don't have to do too much, just throw all your veggie scraps, coffee grounds and tea bags, egg shells into a pile in the back yard in the shade along with leaves and grass clippings. You don't have to do anything to it at all and it will compost naturally. If you want it to go faster, keep it moist and turn it to keep air flowing. Just remember, don't include any meat, dairy, or oil in your pile they don't decompose the same way and they attract rats and other vermin.
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