i’ve tried denying it for quite some time, but let’s face the truth.
i’m not crazy about cooking dinner.
when dinner time rolls around, i oftentimes feel exhausted & irritated. i am a morning person afterall! i used to hold myself to so many expectations for dinner. needless to say, i’ve trashed some of those expectations over the years & found my rhythm in the kitchen.
today i thought i’d share some tips i implement into my daily routine for making dinner prep much easier!
1. MEAL PLAN: here’s my thorough blog post on meal planning & oh boy, does it make the week easier! i buy exactly what i need from the grocery store once a week & plan what we will eat around our weekly schedule.
2. TAKE NOTES: when meal planning, i take notes on what needs to be done the day before or morning before that evening’s supper. i check the meal plan that evening & thaw my meats, cut vegetables or prepare the crockpot for tomorrow’s dinner.
3. CROCKPOT MEALS: crockpot meals are your friend. we have 1-2 crockpot meals per week & they make eating dinner at home possible during those busy evenings.
4. CANNED GOODS: i often opt for the fresh option, but i stand strong in purchasing canned beans. i used to soak & crockpot our beans, but i’ve since started purchasing pre-cooked canned beans. they’re affordable & so much easier.
5. LIST OF EASY MEALS: use an evening this week to jot down a list of easy meals. on those nights when you have very little time to cook, prepare an easy meal! one of my favorite is nacho night. i throw out tortilla chips, a handful of toppings & melt with shredded chips! so easy & delicious!
6. RICE COOKER: my family gifted me a rice cooker for christmas & i use this kitchen tool all of the time. it cooks our rice perfectly & has the option of delaying cooking time so that our rice is warm right when we’re sitting down to eat.
7. PREP RAW INGREDIENTS IN BULK: when harvesting salad from the garden, we always harvest enough for the week. it makes washing, chopping & preparing much easier than doing this task every single night. this can also be done for supermarket purchased goods. prep your fresh ingredients once a week for the entire week to make meal prep easier.
8. SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY: sharing the responsibility of cooking & cleaning is key. when i cook, my husband always washes the dishes. it lifts the weight of cooking at home tremendously & i feel incredibly supported by his willingness to contribute to our home life.
what are some of your tips for making dinner prep easy peasy?
love,
natalie