Christa Wagner

In a previous post, we recommended starting dinner earlier in the day, which saves time in getting meals ready for the family. If you are stumped on what foods can be prepared ahead of time, here are a few suggestions. Most of these make delicious leftovers, too!

• Casseroles – Usually you can make these ahead of time, then pop them in the refrigerator and take them out when it is time to bake

• Soups – They taste better when they simmer for a while anyway!

• Pizza – You can put the dough in the bread machine and leave it, then chop up all the toppings and place those in a container in the refrigerator. If you don’t have a bread machine or time to make dough, tortilla or pita bread makes a great substitute.

• Chicken for grilling – I usually parboil some chicken thighs or whole breast and marinade them. At dinnertime, pop them onto the grill for a few minutes and you have a quick meal!

• Salads – Throwing together a crisp salad all ready to go is a good and healthy addition to any meal! Pasta salads are great to make in advance too.

• Bread – If I get my bread in my bread machine by 1:00, it is ready for dinner. Fresh, warm,  homemade bread is delicious! If I am making dough for rolls, I will start it in the morning and in the afternoon get it all ready and bake right before dinner.

For more help, use our Meal Planning Made Easy system with step-by-step reminders to make meal planning and shopping easier for busy people.  For less than take-out, you can get dinner on the table every night.

You’ve probably seen previous posts and information about my Meal Planning Made Easy System. Now I’m proud to officially launch this time-saving product, as well as offer a special recipe-book bonus. Read on to find out more!

Do you stress over what’s for dinner?  Are you wasting time and money not being prepared?  Do you make several frustrating trips to the grocery store?   I have worked with hundreds of Moms over the years, and it goes without saying you have so much on your plate. One of the most challenging tasks for Moms is getting dinner on the table.  I want to make this daily task a little simpler for you with my Meal Planning Made Easy System.

Our Meal Planning Made Easy System includes Our Grocery List, Our Weekly Meal Plan and Our Fallback Favorites in a simple-to-use system with step-by-step reminders to make meal planning and shopping easier for busy people. Here is how the system works:

1. Use Our Weekly Meal Plan to plan the week’s meals for your entire family.
2. Once you have your meal plan created, it’s time to use Our Grocery List to make your comprehensive list including food, personal items, cleaning supplies and more.
3. Using Our Fallback Favorites, you keep a list of all your favorite meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Our Meal Planning Made Easy System is simple and straightforward and you will save time, money and stress week after week. Purchase all three and start enjoying family dinners together.

Meal Planning Made Easyis simple and you can start using it today.  These lists can be yours immediately upon purchase, they are downloadable and you can print them up anytime after saving them to your computer.  The benefit to you is always knowing “what’s for dinner.”  
  
Special Bonus!
As a Special Bonus if you order Meal Planning Made Easy within the next 30 days, I will include  my Tried and True Family Favorites Cookbook.  Sometimes coming up with dinner recipes is impossible so I am sharing my personal favorite recipes I cook in my kitchen.   Your family will love them and now you always have my favorites to fall back on. 

Invest in Meal Planning Made Easy and for less than a pizza delivery and you can get dinner on the table every night of the week.

Our Meal Planning Made Easy System Helps You Get Dinner On The Table Every Night

You’ve heard me talk about my Mom in the kitchen before.  She is amazing.  My Mom can look into a the emptiest of fridges and make a masterpiece. I wish I had that skill as I am more of a cookbook cook, but I have learned a few of her shortcuts from the pro along the way.

1. Fast and Curios BBQ Kielbasi:  Now I know this sounds strange, but I can personally guarantee there will be no leftovers with this appy.  Slice store bought kielbasi and boil for 20 minutes in water.  Drain.  Take equal parts grape jelly and nothing fancy yellow mustard and bring to a simmer.  Add cooked kielbasi and simmer for 15 more minutes to marinade.  Serve with toothpicks.  Could also be a dinner at brat size. 
2. Alfredo Sauce in Minutes:  Warm butter in the microwave, add fat free half and half, bring to a simmer and then add Parmesan cheese.  Pour over your favorite pasta.  Mangia!
3. Take Advantage of Packets:  Like Taco seasoning, Fajita seasoning and Italian dressing seasoning.  All can make a fast and yummy dinner. 
4. Zucchini Parmesan:  Slice zucchiniand simmer in olive oil and garlic stovetop.  Add stewed tomatoes until soft.  Serve with Parmesan cheese. 
5. Roasted Potatoes:  I am proud to say these are actually my shortcut potatoes and they are so good I made them for Thanksgiving last year.  I made them according to recipe and then thru them into the turkey juices for the last 20 minutes.  Outstanding!  Lay two sheets of foil on top of each other, spray with cooking spray.  Cut as many potatoes as you need and quarter them.  Add olive oil, fresh garlic and rosemary (of whatever herb you have).  Top with foil and crimp.  Grill on medium heat for 30 minutes, rotating. 
6. Grilling:  5 Minutes on each side.   My Mom’s (actually my Dad’s) solutions for just about everything on the grill is 5 minutes on each side.  Chicken is the exception which is 20 minutes total at 5, 5, 5 and 5 flipping.  So add some terriaki sauce, BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, pesto or just about any marinade to meat or fish and grill it on medium for 5 minutes on each side. 
7. Blueberry Ice Cream:  Water and a packet of sugar, simmer on the stove for a five minutes.  Cool and serve over vanilla ice cream.  Fantastic and decadent. 
   

   Mom and Me In the Kitchen

8. Diet Fruit Dip:  Vanilla yogurt, lite cool whip, 1/2 packet sugar free Kool Aid or 1/2 small tub of Crystal Light (flavor is your choice(.  Mix and chill.  Serve with favorite fruit.   1/4 cup is 1 point on Weight Watchers.

I could go on and on.  The one thing my Mom has always taught me was to have fun in the kitchen and to keep short cut tools on hand.  Have fun with cooking and come up with your own shortcuts. 

For more help use our Meal Planning Made Easy system with step-by-step reminders to make meal planning and shopping easier for busy people.  For less than the price of take out, you can get dinner on the table every night.

By the way, my Mom also happens to be a great travel agent.  Her business is Personalized Travel and she can help you plan your next fabulous vacation at gigi.patchen@aol.com. 

Christa Wagner is a Vancouver Professional Organizer and founder of Savvy Solutions.  As a professional organizer, We bring the plan, the products and the know-how to get organized and stay organized. We help you decide what’s important and make sure you have the right tools at your finger tips.

I know the last thing you want to do at the end of the day is cook dinner.  You’ve had a long day working or running the kids from activity to activityand you’re tired.   You could get take out, but that can get expensive and it’s certainly not the healthiest option.  Here are few tips to get a Fast Family Dinner on the table every night.

Our Meal Planning Made Easy System Helps You Get Dinner On The Table Every Night

1. Plan for leftovers.  There are so many meals that make fantastic leftovers.  Lasagna, casseroles, burgers and soups are delicious leftovers.  Make extra and freeze in individual containers.  Defrost and microwave for dinner.   Perfect for busy night where the family may be eating at different times.  Also, perfect is you live alone and have trouble cooking for one. 
2. Have a sauce extravaganza!   Just like a casserole you can also make large quantities of sauces and freeze them.  Marinara sauce, vodka cream sauce or pesto.  These takes minutes to make and can really save you in a pinch. 
3. Keep staples in the pantry and freezer.  If you open my pantry you will always find pasta, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, kidney beans, canned corn, salsa, enchilada sauce, taco shells, chicken stock and tuna.  It’s the same in the freezer with chicken, burger patties, shrimp, broccoli, hash brown potatoes, gnocchi and of course all my sauces.   When you have staples in the freezer you can always pull something together.  Stay well stocked and play a little in the kitchen. 
4. File favorite recipes in a binder or folder and keep them with your cookbooks.  So often we just can’t think of anything for dinner and then we pick up the phone an order a pizza.  Well place all your favorite reciples in one place; we recommend using Our Fallback Favorites from Our Meal Planning Made Easy System to keep them organized. 
5. Do the dishes as you go.   You’re probably thinking what does this have to do with getting dinner on the table. Well when there is a distraction, like dishes, it can get in the way of the real task; dinner.  Do the dishes as you go so you have clutter free kitchen counter and space to work in. 
6. Cook earlier in the day or work one day in advance.  If you’re a stay at home Mom, cook earlier in the day to avoid the crazy time from 4 – 6pm.  This gives you more time to help out with the homework or if you running late from ballet class.  If you work all day, then consider making dinner for tomorrow so you’re always one day ahead in case something comes up. 

Growing up we always had dinner as a family so this is something I hold truly close to my heart.  I know it can be a challenge, but give one of these tips a try.  I know you can do it!  For more help use our Meal Planning Made Easy system with step-by-step reminders to make meal planning and shopping easier for busy people.  For less than take out, you can get dinner on the table every night. 

Who doesn’t love chocolate, but add ice cream, cool whip and Oreo’s and you have a dessert that is out of this world.  The last time I brought Oreo Freakout to a picnic, my friend’s husband was licking my pan.  Seriously.  Try this fast and simple dessert at your next BBQ – it will be a hit with kids and adults!

Oreo Freakout:  

12 Oreo Cookies crushed – filling included 
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream or yogurt
1 2 oz container of Cool Whip
Crushed Oreos for topping

Instructions:

• Place crushed cookies in the bottom of 9×13 pan.
• Soften the ice cream and combine with Cool Whip.
• Spread over the cookie crumbs. 
• Sprinkle crushed Oreos on top.
• Freeze.

For more help getting dinner on the table, use our Meal Planning Made Easy system with step-by-step reminders to make meal planning and shopping easier for busy people.  For less than take out, you can get dinner on the table every night.