LIBRARY BLOG
Life gets busy for everyone, and sometimes cooking is the last thing on our minds. Follow these tips to help you stay on track with cooking when life is busy!
Read the recipes ahead of time.
If you are cooking something, read the recipes ahead of time to get a grip on it before you do it. This will save you time since you will have a good idea of how you want to execute things before you start the process.
Meal plan and prep.
Planning out what to cook ahead of time can save a lot of time, but not only can planning help, prepping can help too! If you are typically a busy person, prep all your meals on your day off and put them in the fridge for an easy grab and go.
Choose meals that require little to no attention.
Instead of making things that must be stirred constantly or flipped every so often, make more meals that can be left in the oven while you complete other important tasks.
Write a weekly grocery list.
Make a list of all the things you need from the grocery store weekly that way you can stay on track. This will allow you to only make one stop to the store instead of running to the grocery store multiple times in one week.
Get a slow cooker.
Investing in a slow cooker can help put dinner on the table even on the busiest of nights! This is because you can put all the ingredients in, set it to cook, and not worry about it until it is time to eat! You can even leave the house to run errands, go to work, or go to sleep while your dinner is cooking.
Use shortcut ingredients.
Although it may not always be as cost effective to use shortcut ingredients rather than making everything from scratch, it can help save so much time and taste just as delicious. So go ahead, buy your pasta sauce in a jar!
Prep food ahead of time on the weekends.
If you find yourself too busy to dedicate a lot of time to making dinner, plan and prepare on your off days. Dedicate your time to meal planning, chopping vegetables, and even cooking things ahead.
Stock frozen ingredients.
Buy frozen vegetables, fruits, and meats to always keep on hand in the freezer. Try to stock the common ingredients you use in your dishes, so that it is everything is accessible when you decide to cook spontaneously.
Recommended Books
-Emily Daigle, Youth Services Clerk