Wednesday, February 1, 2012

What's for dinner???

I consider myself a shortcut queen when it comes to chores, tasks, cooking, and baking. I would love to be Martha Stewart, but really, I’m more like a Rachel Ray.

Lately though, I struggle with dinner for my fam. I make menus on sticky notes (which is probably problem #1), go to the store, buy all the ingredients I need to make meals for an entire week, and come home with the best of intentions. Then the reality of the week sets in…work, kiddos, life… and all those great intentions get pushed to the side, I lose said sticky note with the menu (‘cause really, I should have put it someplace safer), forget what the ingredients were purchased for (probably because said sticky is missing), or am to wiped to prep (which I coulda, shoulda, woulda done on the weekend when I picked up everything at the store).

I admire women and men who have it down to a science, to a rhythm. In fact, I have a lot of great role models around me, I just need them to rub off on me a little more…ha! In honor of those great gurus of organization…and my and my hub’s sanity…I’m trying to be more realistic in my meal planning and my expectations.


Here’s a few great solutions and ideas I came across that just may be the ticket:

Planning is the first step. Check out these cute planning sheets found via design finch:


The planning sheets can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

Here’s another great idea (via Babble) so the whole fam knows what’s for dinner:


And talk about genius…46 freezer meals for $96?!?!?!!? Rock on… Definitely going to look at this more closely. My wheels are turning about all the possibilities.


And this recipe had the words yummy and easy all in the description…had to post this great weeknight dinner solution…and I know my lovely cooking assistant M would love to help with this one (especially since grated cheese is involved…she loves to help me put it on pizza, although I’m thinking more of the cheese makes it into her belly than on the actual dish ;-).


I want to learn from you… do you have it down to a science? What are your favorite shortcuts? How do you balance work, life (hobbies, dreams, exercise), family, and friends?

Thank you for taking this journey with me. It means more to me than you know!

2 comments:

  1. Loving this blog! Sometimes we do a "salad bar." You cut up all the veggies, rinse a can of black beans, etc, putting each in a separate container. To set up the bar, just open each container on the counter...We do this a lot in the summer and just throw some meat on the grill to go w/ it. Be sure to cut lots o veggies so then you can pull the fixins out again in a night or two. So easy.

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comments! And for being my first commenter!!! What a wonderful idea...a salad bar -- delicious, healthy, and quick! That's a winner in my book!

      Thank you again! I hope you keep visiting and sharing your ideas, thoughts, and comments.

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