Life seems much easier when I take time to prepare ingredients ahead of time. Prep time is very important to me and I take valuable time to so this each week. I use my RADA cutlery to cut, chop, slice, mince or julienne the ingredients for my upcoming week’s dinner menu and lunches. I also use this time to save food that is close to expiration which saves money. I portion food that I can freeze to preserve it and have it ready for a meal in the future. The time that I spend doing this preparation is an investment that yields healthier meals, time savings, money savings and prevents waste.
I’m a planner. I like to know what is ahead and what tasks I need to complete to make the week run as smoothly as possible. I have a planning notebook (more to come on this valuable little item); in it I note scripture, appointments, phone calls, household projects, date nights and the menu for the week. I create the menu, make a grocery list (I usually take a picture of the list with my phone for shopping) and decide what I can prepare early to prevent stress in the evenings (that’s when hubby comes home and I want to focus on him). I also keep a “thawing tray” in my refrigerator where I put meats and veggies to thaw. I put meat out 48 hours before I need it and veggies 12-24 hours. This allows food to thaw at a safe temperature and it’s ready when I need it! I note when to put out frozen items on the daily menu page. For instance, if “Wing Wednesday” is on the menu, I write by Monday, “take out frozen wings”. I try to only shop once for the upcoming week. If my menu predetermined this is possible! Yes there are of course items that I may have to purchase the day of now and then, most of ingredients for the meals can be purchased all at one time. A LIST is so important – it’s hard to stick to when I’m in the store but if I am faithful to it, it always saves me money and waste! This is all part of my prep!
In addition to setting aside a bulk of time to prepare, during the week I also take little moments to prep food that I might use later that day or the next. For example, if I am sautéing veggies on the stove for one meal and need ground beef for tomorrow night’s casserole, I can cook them at the same time! This makes the time that I have my attention focused on the stove top even more valuable.
I commit myself to “quick read” posts so this is a summary of what my prep time looks like for my weekly menu. I will have other “prep” posts that use specific examples of my week’s menu including how I decide what to prepare and when to prepare it. Additionally, more posts about planning in other areas of your home life. Stay tuned….