And when ‘cook’ is only one of your innumerable job titles, you could do without it stealing your precious moments!
Want to save time while staying sane in the kitchen? Follow our Busy Mum’s Guide to Cooking….
HAVE A PLAN
Make a menu list before you go food shopping so you can mentally visualise what to eat throughout the week.
It will make meal prep during the week easier…you don’t have to stand at the fridge and wonder what on earth to make.
USE A ‘BIN’
Whilst your cooking, use an empty container and put all your rubbish in as you go along…onion peel, wrappers….and then when you’re doing your cleanup, you can dump the contents of the container into the bin altogether.
You can save time by not walking back and forth – and you don’t have to keep stretching to chuck things away!
KEEP CLEANING!
Fill your sink with soapy water as you cook so you can wash as you go along. Don’t let the dishes pile up!
Also make sure you have the dishwasher empty before you start. Saves you a job.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Delicious meals don’t have to be complex! Stick to what you know.
COOK BASICS IN BULK & FREEZE FOR EASE!
Spend a couple of hours on the weekend (or whenever you get a spare minute) preparing for multiple dishes.
Store in a variety of containers in the freezer!
Chopped vegetables hold up nicely for a few days – you can have ingredients on hand to make pizzas, salads, soups etc….You will have all the basics ready to go for the more last minute meals.
GRAB AND GO
Prepare stuff for your kids’ lunchboxes on Sundays for the whole week, so all you have to do is grab them and go!
READ LABELS
As long as jarred sauces are made with the same ingredients you’d actually use if you made it yourself, then use them!
PEEL TO PERFECTION
When you’re peeling potatoes etc, spread a newspaper out on the counter and peel them into the paper.
When you’ve finished just drop it all into the bin. So much easier than leaning over the bin and having the peelings go everywhere!
CLEAN WHILE YOU COOK
Clean and wipe as you go. That way your kitchen is clean before you sit down to eat, and food won’t harden on the pans and countertops.
Plus, after you eat, you become a little tired and sluggish and hardly EVER feel like cleaning up.
LET THE KIDS HELP
Kids can be a huge help just by setting the table!
You may be able to get them to help with more adventurous tasks too – age permitting of course!
HAVE SUPPLIES OUT & READY
Place all your pots, pans and utensils on the counter - have everything ready to go!
By Tasha Usefnia