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Save Time, Money and Energy with Make Ahead Meals

May 4, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
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Close your eyes and imagine walking into the kitchen once a month to cook dinner. Oh the thought huh? It can be more than a thought it can be a reality. On top of that those meals can be nutritious. Impossible to do you might say. No it’s a real possibility and it can save you time, money and energy too. There are numerous people doing it all around the world. Meal preparation is an important factor when trying to plan for a family or a stressful month. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be to have great-tasting and healthy food on hand even when you don’t feel like cooking.

This little feat can be accomplished two ways. The first is to prepare, cook and freeze. This gives you a meal that can be reheated in a flash. The second is to prepare, freeze and then cook. There are benefits to each. Let’s take a look.

Cook First and then Reheat

For those with time constraints, such as a second job, kid’s soccer practice or even a late night out with friends, cooking first is the way to go. Just as the title conveys, this involves cooking all of the food first, letting it cool down and then storing it in the freezer to be used at a later date. The best part about this preparation method is the almost-instant door to table effect.

Since this food is already cooked, it only needs to be warmed up to your liking which can be accomplished within a few moments of walking in the door. Unlike the freeze first method there is no fresh cooking. If you are not a fan of eating leftovers, this may not be the ideal preparation method for you.

Freeze First and then Cook

Combining all of the ingredients into a big pan and then freezing is a great way to have a home cooked meal on limited time. These meals can be prepared well in advance, taken out to thaw that morning. At dinnertime they can be easily slipped into the oven to cook through. This completely cuts out the prep time for that meal on that given day. Imagine getting home from work and pulling the bake set out of the refrigerator and popping it in the oven while you take off the day with a warm shower. By the time you are done, so is dinner.

This is a great way to get the home cooked taste without all of the work. By freezing first, the freshly cooked taste remains intact and nothing beats a good hearty meal to end the day. The only negative to this solution comes into play when the amount of cook time is greatly reduced. These meals still need to be cooked. The reheat in the microwave factor doesn’t apply.

With techniques such as these your food can be ready in a flash. It saves you time after a busy day, energy that most of us don’t have to spare and money. It’s much cheaper to cook at home. With these techniques you buy once instead making a trip to the store every other day. Try a day of cooking and freezing and see if how good it feels and how great those fast and easy meals can taste.

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Choosing the Recipe Wisely

April 29, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
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Choosing the right recipe for those scrumptious meals can make all the difference. Many of us know that our children won’t eat certain foods. Yet we also are aware that some of these foods hold nutrition that our children need. Those favorite recipes can make all the difference in finding ways to get those finicky eaters to enjoy nutritious and health foods.

There are other ways of to get your family the nutritional balance of certain foods and that can be done with some clever hiding techniques. Depending on what you are trying to hide, there are certain techniques to disguise almost any food. Here are some possibilities:

Most ground meats are begging for some veggies. Mix some shredded carrots or beets into a hamburger or meatball for some added nutrition. It can also male that meat extra moist. It is amazing what a little well-ground vegetable can do to even the driest hamburger.

Almost everyone loves pasta. Why not grate some carrots or finely dice a couple of mushrooms or green peppers into the sauce? The red color will hide any evidence of vegetables and the tomato taste will mask anything that is small enough.

Chili and soups are another great way to hide vegetables. Take a chicken noodle soup and experiment with adding different vegetables to see which one your child likes the best. Chili is a giant mix and match of ingredients, so adding another one to the mix is no big deal.

Pizza is a win-win situation for kids and parents. Kids love to eat it and parents love to hide vegetables within its gooey goodness. Take a little of the tomato sauce described above as well as some finely chopped veggies under a layer of melted cheese and you have a slice of pie that is as nutritionally dense as a full salad, not to mention a winner for everyone.

When all else fails, you will be surprised how far raw veggies with a little dip will get you. There are numerous children, and adults too, who strongly dislike cooked vegetables, but when offered a veggie tray, will devour it in a second. A simple rule is, offer the veggies as-is first to see the initial reaction, then try incorporating them into different foods.

To get some grains into your family, try making grilled cheese with whole grain bread. Another possibility is making toast with wheat bread. The color will be masked when the bread is toasted or grilled and who doesn’t love bread smothered with butter and jelly or with a piece of melted cheese slapped in between.

There is no child that will refuse to eat his or her own baked goods. By letting your little one participates when it comes to baking and throwing in a few whole grains, some unbleached flour and some dried fruit. The kids will have a blast making and then devouring their creation.

Remember to keep the recipes simple. Try different ingredients to see which ones will pass the test. You might those picky eaters eating foods you never would have imagined. The whole idea is to use those valued recipes with a few new ideas. You’ll never until you try and there is no better time to start than now.

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Saving Dollars with Meal Plans

April 24, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
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When it comes to saving money a meal plan is very important. It saves you money, time and keeps your kitchen life in order. Meal plans can be monthly, weekly or even nightly depending on the lifestyle. Each type of meal plan has its benefits as well as its hindrance but they can do one thing well. Save you money!

Different Plans for Different Lifestyles

By the Month – These meal plans are extremely helpful for families on the go. Monthly meal plans help big families and active families to see what is for dinner on any given night. It also allows those who are doing the planning to fit certain foods around the monthly schedule. For instance, on a night where all three kids need to be in different places within thirty minutes of each other, pizza might be a good alternative. Monthly menu plans may also include pre-preparation and freezing, making it easier as a grab and go type meal.

By the Week – Weekly meal plans are usually more typical due to the frequency of store visits. Most families abide by the weekly meal plan, buying just enough food for that week, so a minimal amount goes bad. This meal plan is best for a family that may not be on a tight schedule, but on a schedule none-the-less.

Every Night – Nightly meal plans offer the most flexibility when it comes to meal plans. These meal plans are usually for people who live near a store or market and are extremely health conscious. This specific meal plan usually includes copious amounts of fresh fruits and veggies. Since the meal planner has all day to come up with what they would like for dinner, these meals are usually more in depth when it comes to preparing.

Saving the Dollars

Meal planning in itself is a giant cost savings habit. It is a habit because in today’s microwave society, where we want everything instantly. It is extremely easy to stop at the drive through or order out if in a pinch for time. The savings comes in with advanced planning.

If you spend ten dollars a day for food at a restaurant, you can easily spend $200 a month, which equates to $2,400 per year. If you also figure that meal planning allows you to eat those same meals for five dollars a day, well you can calculate the savings.

Food is much less expensive if purchased in a store. Just take a look at the cost of a steak in a restaurant versus buying that same cut in a store and cooking at home. Funny how when we stop and think about it we can really see the dollar differences. The cost saving is ridiculous.

Try each type of these meal planning ideas to see which one works best. Remember everyone needs a break sometimes so when planning throw in a night out. This will ensure you aren’t chasing the money at the end of the month. If you stick to your game plan you will not only save the dollars but deliver great tasting and nutritious meals every time.

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Give Meals a Halloween Twist

October 1, 2009 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
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pumpkinseedsHalloween is a fun and exciting time for everyone. Kids anticipate dressing up, treats and being scared. It is as much fun for many parents as it is for the kids. Enjoying Halloween all day long can be one way of keeping those ghosts and goblins excited up to the last minute. Here are few ideas that you can incorporate into your Halloween meals, snacks, treats and parties to keep the excitement fresh all day.

Start them out on their Halloween adventure with a spooky morning breakfast. Toast can be transformed into ghosts by toasting the bread then using a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut the bread into ghosts. Smoother the bread with whipped cream cheese or plain yogurt and add raisins for the eyes.

Pumpkin oranges are another great breakfast idea. Use a toothpick or small sharp knife and carve a jack o lantern face into the outside of the orange. Be careful not to go to deep that you pierce the orange meat.

Lunch can also be transformed both at home and in the lunchbox. Goblin tongues can be the perfect tough. Use mini bagels and lightly spread them with mayonnaise. Cut slices of bologna into the shape of tongue and place on the bagel so they hang slightly over the edge of the bagel.

How about a worm sandwich? Slice hotdogs into several thin slices. Place them in the microwave and heat on high for a minute or so or until the hot dogs begin to curl slightly. Place them on a bun with ketchup to make them slimy.

You can also make ghost sandwiches. Add the filing to white bread then use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut out the sandwich ghost. Remove the crust for the perfect ghost.

Don’t forget dinner? Transform devilled eggs into scary eyeballs by adding red food coloring to your egg yolks. Place a slice of black olive in the center for the pupil and you have some great blood shot eyes.

Having Italian for your Halloween dinner? Why not add Salty Bones to the meal. Use refrigerated breadstick dough and roll each triangle into a long skinny bone shape. Sprinkle with salt and bake as directed on the package.

Let’s not forget those snacks. Spider snacks can be a fun snack. Spread one round cracker with a dollop of peanut butter. Press stick pretzels into the peanut butter for the legs. Add raisins or small candy pieces for the eyes.

Graveyard snacks are also exciting. Use a cup of popped popcorn. Stir in the mini pretzels, marshmallows, chocolate chips and raisins to finish off the treat.

There are numerous ideas out there that will help in transforming any meal into a Halloween adventure. Cook up something spooky and don’t forget the BOO!

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