How to save time in the kitchen???

The best way, of course is to go out to eat (my fave!)...that seems to save a lot of time in the kitchen, because you're not even in it :) Seriously, I think the secret is good planning and shopping. I recently went to a moms conference called hearts at home and it was amazing. They had speakers talking about how to be a better mom and who doesn't need a little coaching? One speaker raved about making meals in advance..spending an entire day cooking and dirtying up dishes to eat for a month (approx). So i tried it...twice now..and it was great. I still prefer cooking with fresh veggies and being spontaneous, but it's nice to know I have yummy meals in the freezer when we're busy, I have a sitter or a friend needs a meal. I bought a book at the conference with some recipes and I also made of some of my favorites, but 4x as much and packaged and froze it in family friendly portions. We like to take our lunches to work so too much is a good thing for our fam. I would recommend trying interesting new recipes 1st, we still have 4 meals of sweet and sour ciobasa (not the best) and my kids just do not like homemade mac and cheese (kraft rules). So I went shopping and bought huge packages of ground beef and chicken and went to work. It was fun to do it during a lazy Saturday in the winter..when the kids would take turns with mommy (1 at a time) and the other two would play or watch movies. But during the summer months I have not had any time to cook all day..we're just having too much fun outside. So I've been doing smaller things, like when I make dinner, I make 2x as much and put the 2nd pan in the freezer or leave it in the fridge for 4 days and cook it again. Or when I make bfast...make 2x as many pancakes or cook 2 packages of bacon and just reheat for quick mornings. Left over biscuits from dinner can be made into bfast sandwiches if you cook up some scambled eggs while you're cleaning up dinner, put the bacon on top..slap a slice of cheese, pop them in a freezer bag and toss in the freezer...then just defrost in micro and minute and heat up a minute and nice hot bacon egg and cheese biscuit (yum yum). Also..i love to make pies! They're pretty easy if you have the crust ready. (beef pot pie, turkey pot pie, egg quiche, cheeseburger pie, tomato pie, fruit pies etc.) The key is the crust. I use refrigerated dough a lot..buy a bunch on sale and you can freeze them. Then always keep a couple in the fridge..then you're always ready..flaky crust is yummy...so crack an egg and whip with some milk and brush it on top of your crust before you pop it in the oven...yummy flaky crust :) You can also let the kids help roll it out or cut out shapes with butter knife or help flute it. If it's just your fam eating..what does it matter what it looks like? Also..put tin foil over fluted edges if it needs to bake more than 45 minutes..you don't want burnt edges..and keep and eye on it..reducing heat if it starts to get too brown.

Another fun way to make a bunch of meals is to get some girls together on a Sat..have daddies bbsit and go to someone's big kitchen and cook a bunch of meals and trade so everyone goes home with a new dish, recipe, and more for the month. Just google recipes or freezing tips. I love the Internet! Here's some great tips I learned:

1. When freezing foods you cook, have them cool to room temp before you seal the bag or container and it reduces ice crystals on food.
2. If using freezer bags always write on them before you put the food in and lay flat on table to get all air out and freeze flat..you can fit more in your freezer that way.
3. Freeze in different portions...(ie soup..single for lunches and bigger for family)
4. Pie Dough...use an hour on a Sat and make 20 crusts (the kids will love it) make a big batch and divide in to 20 round balls...freeze in freezer bags and pull out one or 2 the night before you will use them and they will keep for up to 1 year...i just made a tomato pie last week with crusts from last Sept out of my freezer and even my picky sis couldn't tell (remember the egg wash). I did look fabulous! :)

I also just got introduced to "America's Test Kitchen" Cook books..these people cook a recipe 100 times and find out exactly how to make it super yummy and give very specific directions. These recipes are pretty fail-safe and very good. Also a good friend from church, Stephanie, let me borrow a 30-minute American test kitchen cookbook, so not only are the recipes fail-safe, but they only take 30 minutes to prepare...sweet!

Another way I save time is planning out the meals for the week and posting them on the fridge, so I only think 1x a week, then I make sure I have all the ingredients before the week starts and get my meat out of the freezer the night before so I'm not stuck picking up an ingredient before dinner at the store or wasting time defrosting meat.

As my children have gotten older they've gotten pickier palettes, we have more activities to drive them to around the dinner hour, and nutrition is even more important. I am ultimately responsible for having them try new foods, teach them how to eat healthy and to have a healthy mindset about something I love so much (FOOD!)

Bon Appetite!