mom2only1

We've been so busy with school starting and me going back to work that we have eaten dinner out every night this week. I feel horrible for it, but I'm not sure how to get my act together, besides doing a crockpot that I prepare the night before. Any tips on making dinner prep easier on weeknights?

alexis

Try and set aside about 10 minutes, make a quick list of things you would like to eat for a week, go to the food store, get the goodies, come back and organize them so each day its something quick but still not fast food.

PurpleFDU

Do prep work the night before. Chop, measure, etc so when you ge home its like having a meal kit. If you go with the crockpot make sure its something you can get more than one meal out of like a whole chicken or roast.

Seattle_mom

I also do meal planning and meal doubling (or tripling) so that when I cook a meal on the weekends, I make a huge batch, then freeze it in 1 meal sized portions, so during the week, I can just toss something in a pan or in the oven to heat it up and it's easy, healthy, and cheap.

mom2only1

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm going to give them a try. Recipe doubling sounds like a really good solution. We have a second freezer, so I could do a lot of meals like that.

AmandaBuckley

I agree with everyone above, its all about planning. Can you make the dinners for the week and freeze them? Or re-heat them? Cuts down on a lot of time!

Ambersmom

You have to plan ahead. Buy the things you need on the weekend and then get them partially ready. You can make some easy meals at night. You can also cook bigger meals on the weekends and then use those leftovers for week day meals.

Carmencita

I would also recommend you involve your family in the process. They need to see how hard you work and how feeding the family while an important job is not only yours. I bet they can help with little things that will make a big difference in the time you spend in the kitchen.