As a working mum, I have too often been in the position of not getting home until late and then having to feed myself and Squidge something healthy before bedtime.
If you have been in this position before, you probably felt as stressed as I once did!
By the time you have finished figuring out what to make, chopping the ingredients, cooking the food and then feeding yourself and your child/children, it is way past bedtime and you’re feeling even more stressed!
We always search for the ‘easy dinner’ recipe, but why not the ‘easy dinner time’ recipe?
That is what you really want!
If you have not felt even slightly stressed, whats YOUR secret?
Honestly, please leave a comment below – I’d love to know 🙂
1. Make a “Weekly Meal Plan”
As mentioned in my post, 10 Essential Habits of Highly Productive Women, a weekly meal plan can save you both time and stress!
By planning what you will make at the start of the week, you can shop accordingly (save time and ££ by doing this online) and prepare things for the meal in advance.
This prevents the drama that comes when you ask what everyone wants for dinner and they all say something different.
2. Chop extra for future meals
How many times have you bought an ingredient, only to use part of it and throw the rest away?
How much time from your cooking process does chopping take up?
Once I discovered the joy of chopping extra and storing it for another time, my cooking time literally halved.
As an alternative, to save time (and achy arms when chopping), why not stick it all into a mini-blender?
3. Batch-cook meals and freeze them
If you’re not already doing this – do it!
I don’t own (and don’t wish to own) a microwave (each to their own), so I just use a pot or pan with some unsalted butter to re-heat meals for me and Squidge.
If I’ve had a meeting or extra work to do and I don’t get home until late, being able to just re-heat a yummy pre-made meal is a Godsend!
4. Create a “Recipe Book” of your fave meals
When you’re stuck for ideas, you can spend ages searching online for the ideal meal for that night, or you can stick all your fave recipes into one place.
This makes it easier when planning your weekly meal schedule too.
You can also start a “Family Cookbook” (like this one, which I love!), where your children can record their recipes as they get older.
It has specific areas to record everything, from ingredients and the actual recipe to a space to add a photo of the meal you have created.
5. If the kids are old enough, get them to help
I don’t see me asking my toddler to chop onions or anything, but for older kids, the small jobs (grating cheese, butter bread etc.) are a great way to keep them busy and get them involved.
It is also another way to spend some time with them and take some of the work off you.
