Back to school season is always bittersweet for me. I enjoy the lazy days, spending more time with family and the more relaxed tone of life in the summer. On the other hand I’m happy and excited to see the growth my son will experience in the new school year.
But back to school season does brings about some challenges. You see, every year Will and I make all these plans to make the next school year more efficient. Unfortunately, we don’t always get it right. Well, I decided this school year would be different.
During the school year, every morning looks like a major intersection during rush hour. Everyone is running around the house trying to get ready. Looking for the right clothes to wear, taking showers, ironing clothes that could have easily been done the night before. Breakfasts and lunches were sometimes thrown together hastily. That just won’t do anymore!
The kitchen is at the heart of our home, so it was best that we started there. To help make the necessary changes, I sifted through my old notes and revisited sites I’d bookmarked. What I found was that my kitchen goals align with goals in other areas of life: save time and money.
SAVE TIME IN YOUR KITCHEN THIS SCHOOL YEAR
Breakfast
For breakfast if you are a smoothie person why not cut your fruit and vegetables the night before. Put them in a plastic resealable bag or container. In the morning all you have to do is throw all the ingredients into your blender. For those who don’t make smoothies in the morning trying to figure out what to make for breakfast can also be hectic.
I like to make ‘ahead’ breakfast options like hard boiled eggs and avocado. I can make the boiled eggs the night before and have it ready for the morning. I also like eating cottage cheese and pineapple. That is one of my favorite quick breakfast items that provides you with protein and keep you energized until lunch time. Any breakfast recipe that is good to make ahead of time is my best friend.
Lunch
Dinner leftovers can be transformed into new lunches the next day. Just like make ahead breakfast, you can do the same thing with lunch. I always prepped my vegetables and fruit the night before. A great way to save time for lunches is to make everyone the same lunch. With exception of smaller portions for the kids. That way you don’t have to think about who eats what for lunch.
Dinner
Oh how I love dinner time I remember when I was in school coming home to a delicious smelling dinner. When I had my own family and our son started going to school I asked myself how my mom did it. I realized it was all about the process she used to cook dinner. The slow cooker will be your friend. Thinking about what to make for dinner can be as easy as throwing all ingredients in the slow cooker turn it on and go. By the time you come home dinner is done.
There is no need to wait to have dinner ready it is already there. You can also use a pressure cooker and sous vide. If you are interested in knowing what a sous vide is check out this article. It is important to have these kinds of machines to help make dinner without spending a lot of time. The best app to use for helping save time is Out of milk. This app helps you create your grocery list on your phone so you will never forget anything.
WAYS TO SAVE MONEY IN YOUR KITCHEN
To save money I always look at the weekly sales paper to help plan my meals. By doing my meal planning this way I save a lot of money. When you buy ingredients that are in season they are always cheaper. Sometimes during the school year things can get a little tight. I like purchasing a rotisserie chicken to help plan lunches and dinners. One whole chicken will feed my family for 2 dinners or 1 dinner and 2 lunches. I also add meatless dinners that are filling yet don’t cost as much.
When you make your grocery list make sure you are checking your pantry all the way in the back. I have found cans of tomato sauce that I didn’t need to buy. Always take an inventory of what you have and what you need. That will save you money because you won’t be buying things twice.
Make a list of items that you need from the grocery store. I truly hate going to the store and forgetting something. Paper is always better then memory. Plan your meals before you go to the store and never go to the store hungry. You will end up buying things you really didn’t need. And that can increase your grocery bill. Any way I can stretch a dollar during the year, I go for it. One of the best apps to use is Grocery IQ. This app helps give you coupons based on your grocery list.
Hopefuly this will help you save time and money in your kitchen this school year.
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