Managing the Dinner Dilemma

I admit I used to have a habit of shopping almost daily on my way home from work. I’d rush through the store trying to think of something good to fix, justifying that it didn’t matter if we ate at 8 o’clock, we were eating a healthy home-cooked meal by me, mom. That didn’t last long. I was more tired from shopping and cooking than anything else in my life at the time. So, I took a long hard look at how I was handling my "bewitching hour" and I realized I needed a plan. Read on to see what I learned the hard way so you, too, can benefit and relax about mealtime.

The easiest way to serve a healthy and tasty dinner is to plan ahead. First, determine what type of shopper you are. If you shop daily, maybe it is time to reevaluate your routine, and plan a weekly or bi-weekly shopping day. Give yourself time to create a weekly or bi-weekly menu for the family. Use your family’s calendar of activities to determine what nights are best for a home-cooked meal and what nights are sandwich or pizza delivery nights. Be realistic when planning. What are the meals your family most enjoys? If they like tacos or your super spaghetti sauce, brown enough ground beef or turkey on a relatively slow night (or a weekend afternoon of preparing for the week for two or three meals). Freeze the remaining sauces into labeled bags and know you only have to boil some pasta or warm up some taco or burrito shells for a meal later in the week. To even further that step-ahead process, take advantage of the pre-cut vegetables, fruits and cheeses. They are fresh and if you don’t have 30 minutes in the early evening to slice tomatoes, shred cheese or lettuce, you certainly can open the bags. Give yourself a break and smile at your creative genius!

When planning your shopping trip, take a good look at what your weekly recipe menus require. Make sure you don’t duplicate something already in your pantry. This saves on money and ensures a healthy shelf life for your ingredients. And, as this is the holiday season, give yourself some time to celebrate the warmth of baked goods and pre-made, frozen treats. Plan ahead while you are creating your family menu and work in some time to make appetizers or other goodies, label and freeze them to eliminate that rush the day or night before a gathering. Wouldn’t you love to simply open the freezer, give your casserole, secret-recipe crab dip or famous chocolate chip cookies time to thaw and simply warm them up in the microwave or oven? (If nothing else, it allows you a little extra time to decide what to wear for that office party or neighborhood drop-in!)

Allowing yourself the opportunity to plan ahead is a smart organizing tool that benefits not only you but your entire family. Get their input. See what they would want for meals. Re-invent the dinner hour and see how you not only save time, but create time for those that matter most. Use this holiday season to try your hand at the ‘freeze ahead’ idea. If you can make the time to bake, cook and freeze, you’ll be surprised at how much time you have to devote to other tasks. The key? Remember that any successful plan requires planning and smart execution. It can be the greatest gift you give not only yourself, but your family and those around you. To help with these ideas, below are some websites for even more ideas.

Websites of interest:

www.dinnerplanner.com (weekly dinner menus e-mailed to you if you find your creative juices running low)

www.easydinner.com (the name implies the content!)

www.epicurious.com (for those who want the finer art of meals)

For more information, e-mail me at blisswriter@hometelecom.com or call 843-345-2592.