Honestly, I’m exhausted. Typically, I spend the majority of my week dazed and confused. But I somehow manage and every now and then dinner actually makes it onto our family’s table. And I’m not talking Ramen Noodles… I’m talking a home cooked meal!
Through it all, I’ve learned some quick tips and tricks to make my time in the kitchen much more manageable. Here are 6 of my cheats.
Tip Number 1 – Find a grocery store that delivers.
You are more likely to cook if you have everything you need in the kitchen. I have a local market in my town that delivers for free. Whenever I know that I am going to be cooking for my family, I call in the morning and put together an order. It’s easy and it doesn’t cost me a dime.
Tip Number 2 – Save time on prepping.
I buy fresh onions that are pre-diced and garlic that is pre-peeled. Mind you, I am a fanatic when it comes to coupons. Some would even say that I’m obsessed with saving money. HOWEVER this does not apply to my meats and vegetables. I buy organic and I buy frequently. I also don’t mind giving the store a few extra dollars to do the chopping and peeling. I HATE dealing with onions and garlic and I welcome this expense.
Don’t want to spend the extra cash? I totally understand – remember I am a coupon-holic. Instead of the above route, spend one day a week prepping your veggies. Get a bunch of storage bags or Chinese food containers and dice your peppers, broccoli, carrots etc. That way, each time you have to cook dinner, there will hardly be any prep required. As a bonus, you only have to wash your chopping board / knives once. SCORE!
Tip Number 3: Be sure to add a paper towel in with your cut up vegetables.
If you want to make your veggies last longer, add a paper towel in your storage container. This will absorb all the extra moisture the vegetables let out and will help keep your greens crisper for longer. SCOTT Naturals towels are made with 60 percent recycled fiber and feature fast-absorbing ridges. So, they will get the job done.
Tip Number 4 – Start leftover night
I just started doing this a few years ago. Every Wednesday is leftover night. There is no cooking going on. We whip out anything that we have in the fridge and we reheat it all. Kids pick and choose what they want to eat and I get a night off.
Tip Number 5 – Don’t sweat the recipe
If you are making a recipe and are lacking a particular ingredient… so WHAT? This isn’t baking! This is cooking and anything goes. Open up your cabinet and substitute. As long as I have 60% of the ingredients on a recipe – I go for it. Why not? It’s just one meal out of a million that we will eat in our lifetime, right? Don’t get caught up in the details.
Tip Number 6 – Make friends with a crock pot.
They are magic. End of story. If you don’t have one, you can find some great options for under $40
Now I have something fun for you to do —
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Looking for a coupon? I have a few for you to choose from!!
*this is a sponsored post – all opinions are my own