| It's been at least six years since I balanced | | | | for taco/fajita night. You can simply freeze |
| working outside the home almost full-time and | | | | chicken and then take it out for taco night in two |
| having two kids. Friends were always amazed | | | | weeks if you'd like. |
| that I managed homemade meals on the table | | | | Prepping ahead of Time |
| each night. Becoming a stay home mom with | | | | This falls in with some of what I've already |
| three kids made meal planning a bit easier | | | | mentioned. If you cook double the amount of |
| because I was home, BUT several of the lessons | | | | chicken breasts, you can freeze half and take out |
| I learned as a work outside the home mom still | | | | in two weeks or so for another night of easy |
| apply. I'll give you a sample menu for one week | | | | cooking. All those little minutes you spend prepping |
| to show how I would pull all these easy lessons | | | | to cook really add up! Spending 5 more minutes |
| together. | | | | cutting extra onions and peppers for another |
| Several lessons that make meal preparation | | | | evening's meal is almost like saving 20 minutes |
| easier for anyone are: | | | | because on another night you don't have to just |
| -Cook once, eat twice (or even 3 times!) | | | | cut the peppers and onions, you have to take out |
| -Your slow cooker is your friend | | | | the tools necessary to do the job and then clean |
| -Menu plan each week around similar ingredients | | | | up afterwards. |
| -Prepping Ahead | | | | Sample Menu |
| Cook once, Eat Twice | | | | Here is an example of what I would plan during |
| If you're throwing chicken breasts into a skillet, | | | | the week. I always figure one night of leftovers |
| why not throw in twice as many? You're spending | | | | and one night of something REALLY easy like |
| the same amount of time to cook the chicken | | | | hamburgers. |
| and then you'll have cooked chicken for an | | | | Chicken Parmesan |
| entirely different meal another night with little or | | | | Pizza |
| no prep time. It also doesn't have to be the same | | | | Shredded chicken tacos or fajitas |
| meal. Cooked chicken can easily go into | | | | On Sunday, I would bake or skillet cook enough |
| casseroles, tacos and burritos or Cobb salads. | | | | chicken breasts for 2 meals. When the chicken is |
| Cooked meats also freeze very well, so you can | | | | cooked, place half of the meat into a baking dish |
| easily grab the cooked meat from the freezer | | | | with a little sauce (save remaining sauce for pizza |
| and save yourself the cooking after the | | | | night) and mozzarella cheese (reserving some for |
| defrosting. | | | | pizza night, as well) on each then cover with foil |
| The same applies to baked goods. If you're | | | | and put into fridge (chicken parmesan night). |
| making a batch of cookies, bake a double batch | | | | I would also cut up onions and peppers for my |
| and freeze half of them. Baked goods freeze | | | | tacos, then caramelize them in a pan (place in |
| beautifully if you make sure to take the time to | | | | container in the fridge for taco/fajita night). |
| wrap them carefully or use quality freezer | | | | Another tip is that peppers and onions freeze |
| containers. You'll be able to grab homemade | | | | beautifully. You can cut them up and throw them |
| goodies quickly from the freezer when you don't | | | | in the freezer for cooking down the road. |
| have time for baking or don't want to. It's | | | | Shred the remaining chicken meat and then |
| especially nice in the summer to NOT have to | | | | season with prepared taco seasoning or fajita |
| bake too often. In addition, if you're a small | | | | seasoning. Place in container and refrigerate until |
| household, you can save money by baking your | | | | taco night. |
| own goodies and knowing they won't go to waste | | | | On Monday night you can make egg noodles while |
| because you can pull small amounts out of the | | | | your chicken parmesan is in the oven reheating |
| freezer as needed. Casseroles also freeze well. | | | | (you can microwave as well). Throw bagged salad |
| Your Slow Cooking Friend | | | | greens into a bowl for a quick dinner. |
| I LOVE my slow cooker. I LOVE being able to | | | | On Tuesday or Wednesday night you can use a |
| throw a bunch of stuff into the slow cooker in | | | | Boboli style pizza crust and your remaining saved |
| the morning and come home to dinner. There are | | | | sauce and cheese to throw together a pizza. If |
| ample crock pot cookbooks out there if you're | | | | you like onions and peppers on your pizza, you |
| not sure what to make for recipes. It's still a | | | | could have prepped those ahead of time on |
| great chance to cook once and eat twice as | | | | Sunday. |
| many crock pot recipes make large quantities of | | | | The other prepped ahead meal is the chicken |
| food and freeze beautifully. The slow cooking | | | | tacos or fajitas. Reheat your chicken and |
| method is also a great way to let tougher, less | | | | caramelized onion and peppers, pull together |
| expensive cuts of meat cook to wonderful tasty | | | | shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, or |
| tenderness! You can also prep everything you | | | | anything else you like in your tacos or fajitas and |
| need to put into the crock pot the night before | | | | you have another meal. |
| and save valuable time in the morning. | | | | Another way to prep your meals for the week |
| Slow cookers can also save time and money | | | | would be to place an entire chicken into a crock |
| cooking larger items for you like whole chickens, | | | | pot on Saturday before your Sunday "prep" day. |
| turkey breasts and corned beef which can be | | | | This will give you ample chicken for the entire |
| divided to several meals. During the summer, slow | | | | week (cut away entire breast, whole, for the |
| cookers can be placed outside (on a good day as | | | | chicken parmesan, and then you can remove all |
| I'm not sure they'll survive rain storms) and let | | | | remaining bits of meat for the chicken tacos and |
| you prepare meals without heating up the kitchen | | | | probably still have plenty leftover for the freezer |
| (you'll save on cooling costs and who doesn't love | | | | and another meal at another time, not to mention |
| NOT cooking during the summer!?) | | | | the chicken broth which you can freeze and use |
| Menu Plan along Similar ingredients | | | | to season rice and couscous side dishes). |
| Trying to plan a week of meals along 5 different | | | | So whether you're cooking for small or large |
| and very diverse ingredient lists is time consuming | | | | households, work inside or outside the home you |
| and stressful. Try to keep you menu for the | | | | can use these tips to make meal preparation |
| week focused along the same key ingredients. | | | | easy and simple. The key is to make a menu with |
| You don't have to eat the same thing every night | | | | meals that have similar ingredients, and then prep |
| to do this either. My sample menu will show how | | | | as much as you can ahead of time. In addition, by |
| the same ingredients create several different | | | | using these lessons you can build up a freezer full |
| dinners. | | | | of meals and goodies with very little extra effort |
| Even if you like a lot of diversity, you can achieve | | | | that will save you time, energy, and money down |
| this by still prepping ahead and then freezing. You'll | | | | the road. |
| notice on my sample menu that I shred chicken | | | | |