Save Time In The Kitchen & Get Dinner On The Table In A Hurry! - Part 7 of 7

7.) Sort-It and Season-It

Whenever you bring meats home from the grocery store, try to get in the habit of prepping them before you put them into the freezer.

Take time to rinse, season, and divide into meal size portions before freezing. It just takes a few extra minutes in the beginning, but it’s sooo worth the convenience in the long run.

I love reaching into my freezer knowing that I can always fall back on a bag of chicken breast that have already been sliced and seasoned.

Just pop them in the microwave for a quick thaw, and they're ready for the pan, grill or oven.

What are some of your tips for sorting and re-packaging your meats?

Free French Stuff!

Girls, if you're a fan of French Country and would love the chance to win some pretties for your nest, you'd better head your captains quarters on over to Cynthia's Cottage before Friday Oct. 30th!

Just sayin'

Cutting The Morning Madness and Getting Your Kids Out The Door On Time - Part 2

5.) Pre-pack Lunches - Preparing and packing lunches the night before can save you a ton of time and stress the following morning. Everyone can easily grab what they need from the fridge that morning and head straight for the door.

6.) Pre-select Clothes - Get kids in the habit of picking out their school clothes each night before bed. Make sure they include EVERYTHING. Honestly, can you even count how many times you've been late because someone was searching for a shoe? Plus you get the “What to Wear Wars” out of the way and plenty of time to deal with rips, wrinkles, or anything else that could cause a morning meltdown (theirs or yours).

7.) Set The Breakfast Table - Take a few minutes after dinner to make a quick mental note of what to prepare for breakfast and set the table accordingly. Whether you’re a “just add hot water” kind of family or egg scramblers, keep it simple during the week. Save the freshly squeezed O.J. and homemade cinnamon rolls for the weekend. lol

8.) Stagger Wake-Up Times - Staggering wake-up times can be especially helpful if you are limited to one bathroom, have more than one child, have a large family, or all of the above. This technique really helps to cut down on traffic jams and bottle necks.

By making just a few small changes in your normal daily routine, you’ll save yourself a ton of stress and get your family out the door prepared and on time.

How do you keep the morning mayhem to a minimum in your home?

Save Time In The Kitchen & Get Dinner On The Table In A Hurry! - Part 6 of 7

6.) Pressure Cooking - Fast and Furious

Pressure Cookers have come a long way since the 1950's horror stories of spattered ceilings and flying lids. Today’s pressure cookers are much easier to use and safer than ever.

They are the perfect tool for busy moms with busy families because of the incredible amount of time they can save.

Foods that would normally take hours to prepare, cook in 1/3 the time of conventional cooking methods.

So give it a try the next time you're strapped for time and need to get a super quick meal on the table. Just add your liquid and ingredients, and… Voila, dinner in no time!

Stay tuned for Part 7 of this 7 part series.

What are some of your favorite recipes to prepare using your Pressure Cooker?

Green Smoothie Recipes

With the hubs bringing home 3 bags of Spinach this week, plus already having an open bag in the fridge, I figured this would be a good time to try my hand at making one of those Green Smoothies that seem to be all the rage these days.
 
Although I've been bumping into Green Smoothie recipes all week long, I couldn't for the life of me remember the who and where of it all. So I decided to throw a little something together using what little I had on hand, which happened to be...

1 handful of Spinach
1/2 cup V8 Splash Mango Peach
1 peach cup with the juice (you know the ones)

... and ladies, I've gotta say that I loved it! Looking forward to trying many other recipes and variations.

Cheers!

Got a Green Smoothie recipe you'd like to share?

Save Time In The Kitchen & Get Dinner On The Table In A Hurry! - Part 5 of 7

5.) Plan Your Meals For The Week Ahead

Organize your dinner menu for the week ahead and you will be surprised at how much time you can save.

No need to run screaming into the night here ladies, it doesn’t have to be anything complicated.

Pasta on Monday, turkey cutlets on Tuesday, etc. Just something to use as a basic guideline to help curb the dinner time crunch. Why not start today?

Stay tuned for Part 6 of this 7 part series.

What are some of your favorite meal planning tips?

Cutting The Morning Madness and Getting Your Kids Out The Door On Time - Part 1 of 2

Frazzled, grumpy and running late. Does this sound like a typical morning in your household?

A simple way to relieve stress and streamline your families morning routine is to prepare what you can the night before.

Check out the tips listed below.

1.) Bathe The Day Away - Encouraging children to bathe before bedtime can be a huge time saver. Not only can it cut down on bathroom time in the morning, but it can also help them unwind, sleep easier and maybe even a little later.

2.) Early To Bed, Early To Rise - Set an age appropriate bedtime that allows 8-10 hours of sleep for each child, and Stick To It! Hitting the sack at 10:00 one night and 7:30 the next can be tough on their little bodies.

3.) Mom, Get Your Rear In Gear! - Consider getting a jump start on your morning routine before your children are awake. You will have plenty of time to get showered, dressed, and maybe even squeeze in a cup of coffee before anyone needs your attention. Use this quiet time to collect your thoughts and prepare for the day ahead.

4.) Pack Those Sacks - Encourage school aged children to pack their schoolbags somewhere between completing their homework and bedtime.

This is also a good time to…

• Pack money for lunch/field trips
• Record important school events on the Family Calendar
• Replenish supplies
• Sign permission slips, notes, etc.

You can even go as far as having them put their backpacks at the front door where they’ll be ready and waiting for them in the morning. Just grab and go!

Check back later for Part 2 of this article.

How do you curb the morning chaos in you household?