Summer is supposed to be about relaxing and maybe for that’s the case for many of you but in my life we’re up earlier and out longer which means one tired mom when I walk into my kitchen at about 6pm. The last thing I want to think about is cooking a meal for six people. Tips I’m learning so I can sneak in my writing or editing time.
It’s worth planning ahead – yes it can be time consuming but in the end those whiny kids will thank you and you will thank yourself. I sit down on Sunday and go through recipes and map out my week. I usually double my recipes and add a batch to my freezer for the following weeks.
Try something knew – when routine has you in a food rut hit the internet. I’ve found a few good sites that showcase quick, affordable and easy to put together kid-friendly recipes. One of my fav is http://mealmakeovermoms.com – great selection of recipes.
Get a slow cooker – not kidding. I don’t know what I’d do without one. I even asked hubby for a larger one for a Christmas gift and thanked him when he actually listened and bought me one. We’re out the door at 7:40am but it’s not hard to throw on a roast, chicken or even pork chops and throw some sauce over them and turn the knob to medium and when we walk in the door at 6:15pm with the hardest part of that meal is ready to eat. After that throwing together a salad with lots of fruit and nuts is easy. I also bless my rice cooker because that makes life even easier for me.
Invite your children to order up – I do this once a week with my 4 children and usually have to plan this for a Friday evening as my kids tend to order Indian or Vietnamese food – this is home cooked so I have to plan and prepping usually takes longer. The end result is I get them to help and they all love it and clean their plates.
Get your partner to cook one night – I know this is hard. Just watching my hubby cut up carrots kills me but who the heck cares. He’s great at making pancakes and egg mcmuffins and me and the children are totally okay with having breakfast for supper.
I’d love to know your favorite family recipe. Leave it in the comments and I will pick my fav for an e-copy of Off Limits.
