There are many ways to save time and energy getting food din the table. The one basic concept that works the best for me is to batch cook whatever protein that is the best special of the week. The meats vary , but usually bought in bulk saves a lot of time and money.
You are buying the "meat " at rock bottom prices, cooking it once, amd portion controlling it onto batches just big enou for a nights meal. There is no waste and you have saved labor and energy cooking it.
Stair stepping ingredients for meals helps a lot too. Making a double batch if rice so that you split it and have Spanish rice with tacos, and rice under a stirfry the next day. Roce and beans have a short fridge life, so don't hold them too long.
The crockpot is your best friend, The is something very therapeutic about coming home to dinner cooked. I imagine the smell is glorious. Simplest pot roast ever. Put pot roast in the crockpot. Slice a peeled onion and out on top. Salt and pepper. Pour a beer over top. Add enough beef stock or water to almost cover. Set on low for 8-10 hours., I. Microwave potatoes and carrots until tender and put in the pot with the cooking liquid the last 1/2 hour.
There is a method out there called freezer cooking, we used to call ot marathon cooking. Basically you shop once a month and cook a months worth of meals in a day. It's hard work. It works for some people. I can see it working for a mom with a weird shift at work. Meals would be ready for another family member to heat up when dinner time came,
Personally, I don't have the stamina to cook for eight to ten hours straight. I would prefer batch cooking. You have to pick what works for you on a long term basis.
I just Re read a cookbook called, " don't panic,dinner is in the freezer. " I got it as a e book from amazon I think. Even of you dint want to marathon cook, it has some really good scratch recipes. It's also breaks down a recipe for number of batches you wish to cook. A good go to if you need to cook for a crowd.,
Whatever works for you.
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Jane
Hi Jane. I'm being frugal in the UK. I'm always interested in the differences between your countries food buying experience and mine.
ReplyDeleteWe don't get ads and coupons like you do but I am enjoying reading about your journey to feed your family well and for not much $. Have you looked at 365 days of crockpot cooking. I got lots of ideas from their blog. Thanks for writing, I enjoy stopping by.