Most days around 4:00 I’m just beginning to think, what’s for dinner? By this time it’s too late to do anything super healthy or profound, and once again, pancakes it is! Are you with me? Here are some tips we can all use to make dinner time an easier process:
#1) Make a schedule for the week.
Sit down for 20 minutes on a Sunday evening and write out 3-5 ideas for the week (factoring in leftovers). Having some sort of plan will help you prepare for the week ahead.
#2) Plan ahead the night before.
Planning ahead the night before is key! Do you need to pull out some meat from the freezer to thaw? Do you need to put out your crockpot on the counter so you remember to put that roast in? Do you need to marinade something? This will make your life a whole lot easier!
#3) Get a binder.
Get a 3 ring binder and some plastic sleeves and put all your recipes, kitchen lists, and ideas in it! Have it in one location (a control center) in your kitchen where you can easily reference it!
#4) Have an empty sink in the morning.
I know, easier said than done! Many mornings (okay MOST mornings), my kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes. Having a clean kitchen and an empty sink is a huge motivating factor for a successful food-prep day!
#5) Organize your cupboards and refrigerator/freezer!
I love doing this before I go grocery shopping! Go through your cupboards and refrigerator/freezer weekly to get rid of purge outdated items and evaluate what you do have to cook/bake with.
#7) Keep produce within eye sight!
How many times do you find that green/bluish growth appearing on your food in the back of the fridge? Keep your produce within eye sight so you can use it within its proper time frame. There’s nothing worse than throwing away perfectly good food just because you waited too long to use it!
Have you ever visited Jaime from Raising Up Rubies? Oh my this girl is amazing! She’s oh so crafty (I’m so not) and she is super de duper organized (I’m so not)! Check out her several posts about, Simplifying Your Kitchen. They are amazing!
#8) Have a thankful attitude.
We are so blessed in America! We can go to the grocery store, get pretty much whatever we want, and bring it home to use! That’s unheard of in many parts of the world. Have a thankful attitude and be appreciative of the food you do have in your home! Make dinner time a joyful experience because you have a thankful heart!
I have/do most of your tips…but you know…it was #8 that hit me the most. After my bi-weekly shopping yesterday I felt frustrated because I barely managed to keep under my budget due to my kids allergies at the moment. Yeah…conviction…I need to be THANKFUL!
I, too, love your #8 comment…we just transplanted our family back to the US after living/working in Israel for the last 5 years and I am AMAZED at what is available in the grocery stores…not only what’s in them, but the largeness and spaciousness of them! Just simply amazing; I’m so thankful!! Thx for posting!
Thank you for the tips I should benefit from all of them. Seen an “What’s for dinner” organizer on Pinterest that I hope to ke soon and use with your tips.
Question: was there a tip #6?