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Learn How To Plan Your Meals To Free Up Your Time
By Aurelia M. WilliamsMeal planning and bulk cooking are both wonderful techniques you can utilize and modify to fit your families needs. The idea behind this is simple. The principle is that you cook and or prepare your meals ahead of time and then preserve them by either freezing or fridgerating them. Also, meal planning you can cook one large meal and get 2-3 other meals out of it! The key here is to make every meal you cook count!
When you are going to prepare a family favorite, double, triple, even quadruple the recipe if it will keep in the freezer. Sound wonderful doesn’t it? Why not give yourself a much-needed break -- cook ahead today so you can relax tomorrow!
The first step in meal planning is always the most challenging. To make it less challenging I suggest that you grab the following supplies: Pen, paper, your personal recipe collection or your favorite cookbook and a comfortable chair.
Start by writing down a list of your favorite meals and plan on preparing a grocery list that will coincide with your list. Now, since we are talking bulk cooking here – if you normally would serve up one pot of spaghetti – plan to serve 2 (that would mean that you will have to double the recipe – so be sure to alter your shopping list accordingly) – It will take the same amount of time to cook – just a little extra planning is needed.
Next you can use a blank calendar and simply write the meals down on the day you will serve them. I personally post my meal plan up on my refrigerator for the entire house to see. This also helps to prompt me for the next day of meals that will be served.
The most important tool in meal planning and bulk cooking is your freezer. If you have a small freezer, don’t fret; you can fit many meals in that small freezer space – it will just call for a little more creativity on your part. With the use of freezer bags, that you can stack flat and the use of some freezer proof containers you will be surprised at how many meals your freezer can hold.
Here are a few essential and widely used meal planning techniques and tips:
Multi-recipes ~ Using this strategy requires you to cook many main course meals in one day. For instance, on a Sunday morning you could prepare a roast in your Crock pot, some spaghetti on top of the stove, a baked Chicken in the oven and perhaps a nice salad. You also could quarter and boil some potatoes, cook some rice and some veggies (either fresh or canned). What you now have is 5 different meals that you can use throughout the entire week. You can eat one of the meals that very evening and you could Freeze or refrigerate the rest. This technique works very well for some people and it provides a wide variety of dishes that you can use. I personally use this technique from time to time. I usually do my multi-recipe cooking on a Sunday and it can take up to 5 hrs to complete but what you are left with is 2 weeks worth of food that you can enjoy. And notice that the meals that I use in my Multi-recipe list are easy to prepare.
One Cook Wonder ~ With this strategy you would cook one main course recipe that can be used for different meals. For Instance, let’s say you just baked a large turkey. You could slice some of the turkey off and serve the breast with gravy, dice some of the turkey and prepare a turkey gumbo and use the rest for either a soup or turkey salad. Mind you, you do not have to prepare all of those meals on one day. After the Turkey has been cooked and cooled, you can freeze and refrigerate the turkey that you cut off the carcass and prepare your other Turkey related meals at a different time.
Quick and Easy meals ~ Be sure to incorporate those quick and easy meals into your planning process. If your family loves Sloppy Joes – cook up the sloppy joe meat in bulk and freeze it – then all you need to do is defrost the meat, grab some buns and viola.
What about Hamburger Helper? Why not cook 2-3 boxes of it, separate it into 3 separate large containers and freeze them. That idea alone allows you to prepare 3 meals in just 30-minutes.
Designate a meal for a particular night ~ Every Friday night in my house is either Pizza or burger night. The idea here is to choose any night of the week and just designate a meal to go with that night. I always make sure that I have plenty of Frozen Pizza’s with a variety of toppings on hand in my freezer. The same goes for those Turkey burger patties (my family doesn’t eat much ground beef). The idea behind this process is that you now have one night’s meal already planned. You can also stock up on that meal when the products are on sale. If you see Frozen pizza’s being sold in bulk, grab them up!
Love your leftovers ~ This is one of my favorite parts of meal planning as it allows you to use your imagination. At least every other week or so be sure to go through your refrigerator and take inventory of what you have in there. When you combine 2-3 leftovers, you may find that you have a meal right there. You can use left over pasta from spaghetti to prepare a pasta salad, leftover spaghetti sauce and just a few pieces of chicken can be a wonderful dish to top with cheese and place in the oven. Again, with a little imagination – you can make your leftovers work for you!
Use the sales paper ~ everyone loves a good sale and I use the sales paper to help me in my meal planning. When I see our Family favorites on sale – instead of buying one, I will purchase 3-4 of the same items and simply come home and prepare the meals or freeze the food that I purchased. My family and I love Chicken. When I spot whole chickens on sale I’ve been known to purchase up to 5-6 at a time. Keep in mind that I have a family of 6 and in my family of six; there are 3 teenagers (and you know how much they can consume). By shopping like this, I actually save hundreds and hundreds of dollars a year in food alone!
Helpful supplies
Labels/freezer bags/Freezer-proof containers: Be sure that you have all of your freezing and refrigerating needs on hand. When storing food in freezer safe containers be sure to place a label on the container with the name of the meal and the date the meal was prepared.
Crockpot: This handy appliance is my best friend in the kitchen. When using a crockpot you literally prepare the meal, place it in the crockpot, Set it & Forget it. It is a hands free cooking experience. I cook whole chickens in my crock pot and then slice the chicken up to freeze and use for sandwiches, enchilada’s, chicken salads, chicken soup, chicken stew.. as you can see – the possibilities are endless.
As you can see, meal planning is a money, sanity and time saver - what else could a busy mom ask for?
Now, let’s get Cookin’!
About the Author: Aurelia Williams is the owner of Real Life Solutions http://www.reallifesolutions.net which is a Family Resource site that was created to help you lead an emotionally & physically healthier, more productive and less stressful life.
Source: Webmaster Info And Content
Three Weeks In Advance:( if possible)
Make your guest list
Write out your menu.
Order your turkey--especially if you want a fresh one.
(Plan on 1 pounds per person.)
Buy your Ham (we always serve both)
Measure your oven to make sure your turkey will fit especially if you're in a new to you kitchen.
Invite your guests.
(Before you get on the phone, have a list of guests and a list of menu items.
Then, when someone offers to bring a dish, accept the offer. And if they don't offer, ask them.)
Check your equipment:
Table (one large enough for all your guests or 2 nice sized ones)
Mixer working ok?
Locate your meat themometer, basting brush, liquid fat removal tools and any other less used items you can think of
Comfortable Chairs for all of your guests
Have some coloring crayons and books on hand for little ones to keep them out of the busy kitchen area
Spices:
Check to see you have all the spices you'll need and plenty of salt and pepper
(refill your shakers at least 2 sets)
Don't forget the poultry seasoning, lemons, oranges, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, bay leaves
(lots of spices this time of year you normally don't use)
Dishes:
Dinner plates (have extras on hand)
Dessert plates and small dessert bowls if needed
Coffee cups and saucers
Silverware:
Polished forks, knives and spoons, serving spoons, ladels
Glassware: Water glasses (not a time for spots)
Clean beverage glasses (smaller ones for kids)
Linens:
Clean cloth napkins if possible
Tablecloth (large enough to fit your tables)
Cooking and serving items:
Roasting pan: Is it the right size for your turkey?
Will it fit into your oven?
A V-Rack is very hand inside the pan.
(Don't laugh:
It's easier to buy the right pan today than it will be on Thanksgiving morning.)
Big-enough bowls, pots and lots of serving platters
Trivets, Hot pads
Bread basket
Sauceboat
Gravy pitcher
Well-sharpened knives
Zester
Coffeepot--Can yours make both regular and decaf for a crowd?
Maybe you should get a thermos or carafe (would be handy).
Sugar bowl
Cream pitcher
SUGGESTION:
If you can afford it, having someone to do the dishes will make a difference in your enjoyment of the meal.
If not, have others pitch in and help after the dinner before they nod off.
Two Weeks In Advance:
Make a seating chart if you're having guests.
Work on your shopping lists--
don't forget cola's, not everyone drinks coffee or wine. Begin cooking--
relish will keep in the fridge for a week
turkey gravy freezes well and can be refreshed with broth from the turkey day of.
Select a wine--Caterers recommend providing a half bottle for each guest--not counting children, of course.
I recommend a smaller amount.
Bake your pies and freeze them. All fruit pies freeze well. Pecan freezes well.
If making lemon or chocolate freeze them but make the merinque the day of and put on the top of your thawed pies.
Bake a batch of brownies and freeze, usually everyone likes brownies and they're easy to make.
One Week Ahead::
Pick up the house some but don't worry yourself sick about it.
Put clean towels, washcloths in the bathroom. (out of sight to family for now)
Put a new bottle of hand soap out
Be sure and check your first aid kit for minor accidents be prepared Make a final shopping list-
-Remember ice,
cream for the coffee
and nuts, snacks for nibbling in the living room. (nothing too filling, just some bites to curb the hunger pains of smelling the great food all day)
LAST WEEK Is Finally Here
THANKSGIVING WEEK - MONDAY:
Chop and refrigerate all these vegetable items for easy access later:
onions, celery, carrots, ...
anything that will stand up well get it out of your way now
Defrost your turkey (if it's frozen).
Remember that you have to allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds if you're going to defrost a turkey in the refrigerator.
That means a 15-pound turkey will take three full days, so get started on Monday.
SUGGESTION:
If you miss that deadline, you can defrost the bird faster in a sinkful of very cold water, allowing about half an hour for each pound of turkey and changing the water every half an hour or so.
(It will still take 6 hours for that 15-pounder, so do it after work on Wednesday, then refrigerate it.)
THANKSGIVING WEEK - TUESDAY:
Do your final food shopping.
Make a cooking schedule for Thanksgiving Day.
If guests are invited for 5 P.M., count backward from a 6 P.M. dinner, writing down the time everything goes into the oven or the microwave.
Don't forget the dishes that will have to be reheated.
If guests come earlier than planned let them help you prepare it will help you tremendously.
THANKSGIVING WEEK - WEDNESDAY:
Set the table.
Clear out the coat closet for guest coats.
Clean all the bathrooms.
If possible, make it off-limits to the family.
Take the gravy out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator so it can defrost.
Make your best mashed potatoes and set in refridgerator, reheat thanksgiving day and they will be great
THANKSGIVING DAY:
You'll be so caught up that you'll be looking around for things to do.
Have a great Thanksgiving and don't overstress. Written by Barb Gary editor of webmaster info and content
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Buying, Storing And Preparing Apples
By CindyWhen buying apples, look for those that are firm and brightly colored. Shiny red for Macintosh, Rome and red Delicious. Clear green for Granny Smith and golden yellow for Delicious.
Always avoid bruised apples. When an apple is damaged, the injured cells release polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that hastens the oxidation of phenols in the apple, producing brownish pigments that darken the fruit. It's easy to check loose apples.
If you buy them packed in a plastic bag, turn the bag upside down and examine the fruit.
Store apples in the refrigerator. Cool storage keeps them from losing the natural moisture that makes them crisp. It also keeps them from turning brown inside, near the core, a phenomenon that occurs when apples are stored at warm temperatures. Apples can be stored in a cool, dark cabinet with plenty of circulating air.
Check the apples from time to time. They store well, but the longer the storage, the greater the natural loss of moisture and the more likely the chance that even the crispest apple will begin to taste mealy.
When preparing apples, do not peel or slice an apple until you are ready to use it. When you cut into the apple, you tear its cells, releasing polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that darkens the fruit.
Acid inactivates polyphenoloxidase, so you can slow the browning (but not stop it completely) by dipping raw sliced and/or peeled apples into a solution of lemon juice and water or vinegar and water or by mixing them with citrus fruits in a fruit salad. Polyphenoloxidase also works more slowly in the cold, but storing peeled apples in the refrigerator is much less effective than immersing them in an acid bath.
When you cook an unpeeled apple, insoluble cellulose and lignin will hold the peel intact through all normal cooking.
The flesh of the apple, though, will fall apart as the pectin in its cell walls dissolves and the water inside its cell swells, rupturing the cell walls and turning the apples into applesauce. Commercial bakers keep the apples in their apple pies firm by treating them with calcium while home bakers will have to rely on careful timing.
To prevent baked apples from melting into mush, core the apple and fill the center with sugar or raisins to absorb the moisture released as the apple cooks. Cutting away a circle of peel at the top will allow the fruit to swell without splitting the skin.
Red apple skins are colored with red anthocyanin pigments. When an apple is cooked, the anthocyanins combine with sugars to form irreversible brownish compounds. Apples can be process by drying. To keep apple slices from turning brown as they dry, apples may be treated with sulfur compounds but that may cause serious allergic reactions in people allergic to sulfites.
Besides, apple could also be made into juice. Clear apple juice has been filtered to remove the pulp.
Ninety-eight percent of all juices, including apple juices, sold in the United States are pasteurized to stop all natural enzyme action that would otherwise turn sugars to alcohols, eventually producing the mildly alcohol beverage known as apple cider (non alcoholic cider is plain apple juice). Pasteurization also protects juices from potentially harmful bacterial and mold contamination.
Apples also have medical benefits. They are use as an antidiarrheal. The pectin in apple is a natural antidiarrheal that helps solidify stool. Shaved raw apple is sometimes used as a folk remedy for diarrhea, and purified pectin is an ingredient in many over-the-counter antidiarrheals.
Apples can also be used to lower cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber (pectin) may interfere with the absorption of dietary fats, including cholesterol. The exact mechanism by which this occurs is still unknown, but one theory is that the pectins in the apple may form a gel in your stomach that sops up fats and cholesterol, carrying them out of your body as waste.
About the Author: Cindy is the host of http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com, a Free Asian Recipes website dedicated to all things on Asian Cooking.
Distribution Source: Webmasterinfoandcontent.com
The Power Of The Meal
By M6.Net Web HostingSince the beginning of time one aspect of human social experience has stood out as the ‘place to be’ for communication and family bonding: the meal. In contemporary human life the evening dinner is often the only place and time that a family all sits down together. In tribal times (of course there are still tribes today) the cooking of a slaughtered animal or cultivated vegetables brought the group together to share ideas and feelings. Think about it these days; when you want to take someone out for a romantic date, meet business colleagues, get together with old friends and acquaintances, we go out for a bite to eat. What is it about sharing some food that puts us in such a relaxed and communicable state? Could it simply be science, and the fact that if you are tense when you eat, the food doesn’t digest as well? Or, could it have some psychological basis having to do with the idea that you are sharing some life-giving sustenance with your fellow species instead of warring over it? Subconsciously do we recognize the facts that we will be able to live another day as well as sew healthy seeds for future generations?
Think of all the problems in the world today. Maybe if we all got together for a feast we could work out some practical solutions, say while sipping on coconut milk, or chewing on a loaf of bread. The current (14th) Dalai Lama is quoted as having said, “I sometimes think that the act of bringing food is one of the basic roots of all relationships.”
There is also the idea of food as being a medium for the transferal of emotional energy. I am currently living with a friend who is very adept in the kitchen. He uses high quality ingredients and professional techniques, but he also follows the belief that what mood you are in, the amount of effort and awareness you give the cooking process, and the love and gratitude that you feel for the ability to eat is imperative to making a good meal. I have read in a famous Hari Krishna cookbook as well as Taoist teachings how the actual emotions that the cook feels when making a meal is transmitted into the food via chi energy. Feelings and food are both forms of energy. Native Americans believe that all thoughts and emotions are ‘alive’.
You may have seen the recent film, ‘What the bleep do we know?’ Read about it at whatthebleep.com. In this film world-renowned scientists discuss the idea that all thoughts and emotions are actually physically material in the sense that they are produced by chemicals and are transmitted in electrical forms. Therefore, a happy chef truly spreads happiness by enjoying the preparation of a meal.
So, next time you sit down to a meal with friends or family, or cook for guests, remember the significance of this often undervalued experience. For hundreds of thousands of years our distant relatives’ whole way of social life was based around the acquisition and sharing of food. It is often the main time to communicate to the ones you hold most dearly, so please don’t take it for granted or think that just because it is necessary for survival that there aren’t any meaningful and mysterious aspects to the experience. Relating to each other is one of the most important elements in a social creature’s existence; the meal is a time and place for relationships to sprout and grow. That’s just some of the power of the meal.
About the Author: Jesse S. Somer, M6.Net, http://www.m6.net
Distribution Source: Webmasterinfoandcontent.com