Taking the Frustration Out of Dinner

Is dinnertime the most frustrating time of the day for you? The kids are antsy from sitting in a desk all day at school(well, except for Laila's kids and other homeschool families), and they're hungry, and you have no idea what to make. Here is a simple solution to getting dinner on the table in a hurry so that you can spend significant time with your family.




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The night before, decide what you'll make for dinner the next day. Poke through the pantry and the fridge and then thumb through a cookbook (if needed), and come up with a dinner plan. This should not take more than 10 minutes. (Believe me when I say it's much easier to find the ingredients you have to work with before you look through cookbooks.) Mark the page in the book and leave it by the stove.

In the morning, take a quick peek at the book (if you're even using one) and take out all the non-perishable ingredients. For me, this includes potatoes, carrots, peppers, etc - anything that won't go soggy or dry out. Leave them on the counter near the cookbook (make sure they won't interfere with breakfast preparation).



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When you get home, you don't have to struggle with rummaging around trying to find something for dinner. You've taken the thought and frustration out of it - simply dice up the veggies and the meat you'll need to complete your meal, and most of the work is done.

I'll be posting tips on meal planning and shopping in the near future.