For real though, "WHAT THE F*CK IS FOR DINNER?!?!"
This is the 2nd most repeated thing in my house any given day right next to the number #1 which is "Are you friggen kidding me?" Both are usually accompanied with a head shake and some hair-pulling.
With multiple diet preferences, a picky eater, and different schedules it is usually impossible to make one dish that fits everyone's plates and preferences. I've gotten really good at creating dishes that can serve as a base and then be tweaked to work for everyone. I am a big fan of component cooking which consists of preparing a bulk batch of certain ingredients like rice, noodles, sautéed veggies, etc with basic seasonings that can then be imagined into countless dishes. This is only one option along with many others like meal prepping, select prepping, or the "Please for the love of god just EAT IT!!!".
To avoid screaming while running out of the kitchen or house I'm sharing some of my time tips and money-saving tricks on how to streamline your meal planning and prep as a busy mom.
Plan out leftover nights around your schedule (sports, meetings, etc) and trash day to keep a cleaner fridge. By figuring out when you will utilize leftovers, you avoid last-minute trips to the store, drive-thru or wasting food which will save you time and money.
If you tend to prefer fresh veggies but don't seem to use them before they bite the dust we suggest washing and cutting them ahead of time. We tend to use and grab what is less work and this makes it more tempting to include them. Don't use them all? They are already ready to be frozen and pulled out whenever!
Not all frozen items stay fresh or are safe to eat within the same time of defrosting but freezing is a wonderful way to save when things are on sale to be used later. For example: Cooked soups can be frozen for up to 2-3 months while raw poultry can be frozen for upwards of of 12 months!
Nothing is worse than baking something wonderful and realizing you are missing some of the ingredients. Easy swaps to avoid an extra trip to the store. Spoiler Alert: Apple Sauce is the BEST but honorable mentions go to ground oats in place of flour and maple syrup for honey.
Need another reason to not feel guilty about ordering groceries ahead of time? Curbside Pickup cuts down on impulse buys and last-minute grabs, doesn't usually have a pickup fee like deliveries, and you can blow through your to-do list in half the time while not disturbing that little one that inevitably fell asleep just as you pulled into the parking lot.
Want more tips, tricks, and some of my favorite go-to recipes? Check out Boujee Meals on a Budget for my "Mom Life Approved" formula.
Comments