Cool news to share (and shameless ask for votes)!
My husband is a finalist in Cooking Light magazine's "Family Dinner Hero" contest. The magazine selected him as one of the finalists based on an essay I wrote about him. Now the public votes to name a winner. You can pick up the September 2016 issue on newsstands or read it here. Search his name, "Marcus." You should see the following picture. Then scroll down and look for the words, "Vote for Marcus."
The Backstory: My husband is an amazing cook. He also makes about 75 percent of the meals for our family. Yes. I do know how lucky I am to be married to him.
The BACK backstory: As a boy, my hubby was what was called a "latch-key kid." Back in the '80s, the idea of two-parent working households was still a little novel. The idea of young kids having to come home and fend for themselves for a few hours was still not that common.
So, my husband, and tens of thousands of other kids, were coming home to empty houses. Of course, my hubby's mom kept a few TV dinners and things to make sandwiches and simple meals, but somewhere along the way my husband taught himself how to cook. And cook he DOES.
Fast forward 20 years. When we first started to date. We were young and broke, so often our dates revolved around cooking a meal in his kitchen. Okay, he cooked. I drank wine, lit candles, and chose the music. To this day he calls me the "Chief Ambiance Coordinator."
In my essay, I told the magazine's editors that food is one of the ways my husband shows his love for his family. Day in and day out. Still, there are some accommodations that you make when you're a working parent. Gone are the days of romantic late night dinners just because. We no longer have the leisurely Saturdays to spent hours exploring the farmers market and then hours more creating meals. Between work, school obligations, sports, trying to fit in a few workouts. Well, we are hard pressed for time. The good news is we've found a few strategies for creating healthy, nutritious and tasty meals quickly. We try to have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes most days. Some of our best tips follow:
1) Meal plan - we plan our menu for the entire week on the weekends. Consider any evening events where you may not be home. Less waste when you plan for basketball practice or dinner with your girlfriends. Don't forget to plan for fun. We rotate through about 4 weeks of menus and always allow for some fun by creating homemade "takeout" like Thai food or homemade pizzas on Fridays and Saturday.
1b) Set reminder on your phone or calendar to put the frozen meat in the fridge to thaw the night before. When I clean the kitchen after dinner is when I think about the next day's meal. At minimum, I put any frozen items that need to thaw in the refrigerator. Sometimes I will pull out 3-4 items including spices from the pantry and group on the kitchen counter. Saves me time opening cabinet drawers.
2) Cook once. Eat twice - one day a week we grill enough chicken for 2 or 3 meals. Its just as easy to cook 8 chicken breasts on the grill as it is to cook 4.
3) Breakfast for dinner - sometimes we heat up the leftover pancakes or baked oatmeal from last Sunday morning. Add some turkey sausage and fruit compote and call it a meal. Other times we eat up leftover rice, heated up with milk, brown sugar and raisins. Cold cereal works too, but I prefer a hot meal.
4) Little shortcuts. Big time savings - really think about your meals for the week and the actual steps to prepare. Are there any steps you can eliminate or adjust to shave off prep time? For example: a) we started warming up our tortillas for taco night in the toaster. I used to wast 10-15 minutes heating an oven, layering the tortillas, flipping them, etc. One day, my hubby popped a couple tortillas in the toaster and we realized we'd stumbled onto a perfect solution. b) We cook enough rice for the week and scoop out what we need for each meal. We also cook 5-6 potatoes at once and then just reheat them during the week in the microwave. c) We buy at least one 5lb. bag of pre-washed veggies (broccoli, green beans, etc.) at Costco each week. Yes, it costs more, but we have found it worthwhile because it easily shaves 5 min. off nightly dinner prep. No need to wash and dry the veggies. No need to chop anything. You simply open a bag and pour into the steamer basket. Easy Peasy! We like convenience and quality of Costco's veggies, but you could easily do this yourself by washing and chopping in advance. My husband also sautes an onion. I love sauteed onions and this way I can just toss them into the my soup, sandwiches, etc.
5) Let the family help you - dear reader. It is time to give up on your idea of domestic goddess perfection. Its ok to ask for help. I ask my family for help all the time. Whether its asking someone to choose the music and turn on the lights in the dining room or having the kiddos get utensils and napkins.
What are your tips for getting delicious and healthy meals on the table FAST? Share your favorite tips, tricks, and tools in the comments section below.
My husband is a finalist in Cooking Light magazine's "Family Dinner Hero" contest. The magazine selected him as one of the finalists based on an essay I wrote about him. Now the public votes to name a winner. You can pick up the September 2016 issue on newsstands or read it here. Search his name, "Marcus." You should see the following picture. Then scroll down and look for the words, "Vote for Marcus."
 |
| Screen capture of my dynamic duo of cooking! |
The Backstory: My husband is an amazing cook. He also makes about 75 percent of the meals for our family. Yes. I do know how lucky I am to be married to him.
The BACK backstory: As a boy, my hubby was what was called a "latch-key kid." Back in the '80s, the idea of two-parent working households was still a little novel. The idea of young kids having to come home and fend for themselves for a few hours was still not that common.
So, my husband, and tens of thousands of other kids, were coming home to empty houses. Of course, my hubby's mom kept a few TV dinners and things to make sandwiches and simple meals, but somewhere along the way my husband taught himself how to cook. And cook he DOES.
Fast forward 20 years. When we first started to date. We were young and broke, so often our dates revolved around cooking a meal in his kitchen. Okay, he cooked. I drank wine, lit candles, and chose the music. To this day he calls me the "Chief Ambiance Coordinator."
In my essay, I told the magazine's editors that food is one of the ways my husband shows his love for his family. Day in and day out. Still, there are some accommodations that you make when you're a working parent. Gone are the days of romantic late night dinners just because. We no longer have the leisurely Saturdays to spent hours exploring the farmers market and then hours more creating meals. Between work, school obligations, sports, trying to fit in a few workouts. Well, we are hard pressed for time. The good news is we've found a few strategies for creating healthy, nutritious and tasty meals quickly. We try to have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes most days. Some of our best tips follow:
1) Meal plan - we plan our menu for the entire week on the weekends. Consider any evening events where you may not be home. Less waste when you plan for basketball practice or dinner with your girlfriends. Don't forget to plan for fun. We rotate through about 4 weeks of menus and always allow for some fun by creating homemade "takeout" like Thai food or homemade pizzas on Fridays and Saturday.
1b) Set reminder on your phone or calendar to put the frozen meat in the fridge to thaw the night before. When I clean the kitchen after dinner is when I think about the next day's meal. At minimum, I put any frozen items that need to thaw in the refrigerator. Sometimes I will pull out 3-4 items including spices from the pantry and group on the kitchen counter. Saves me time opening cabinet drawers.
2) Cook once. Eat twice - one day a week we grill enough chicken for 2 or 3 meals. Its just as easy to cook 8 chicken breasts on the grill as it is to cook 4.
3) Breakfast for dinner - sometimes we heat up the leftover pancakes or baked oatmeal from last Sunday morning. Add some turkey sausage and fruit compote and call it a meal. Other times we eat up leftover rice, heated up with milk, brown sugar and raisins. Cold cereal works too, but I prefer a hot meal.
4) Little shortcuts. Big time savings - really think about your meals for the week and the actual steps to prepare. Are there any steps you can eliminate or adjust to shave off prep time? For example: a) we started warming up our tortillas for taco night in the toaster. I used to wast 10-15 minutes heating an oven, layering the tortillas, flipping them, etc. One day, my hubby popped a couple tortillas in the toaster and we realized we'd stumbled onto a perfect solution. b) We cook enough rice for the week and scoop out what we need for each meal. We also cook 5-6 potatoes at once and then just reheat them during the week in the microwave. c) We buy at least one 5lb. bag of pre-washed veggies (broccoli, green beans, etc.) at Costco each week. Yes, it costs more, but we have found it worthwhile because it easily shaves 5 min. off nightly dinner prep. No need to wash and dry the veggies. No need to chop anything. You simply open a bag and pour into the steamer basket. Easy Peasy! We like convenience and quality of Costco's veggies, but you could easily do this yourself by washing and chopping in advance. My husband also sautes an onion. I love sauteed onions and this way I can just toss them into the my soup, sandwiches, etc.
5) Let the family help you - dear reader. It is time to give up on your idea of domestic goddess perfection. Its ok to ask for help. I ask my family for help all the time. Whether its asking someone to choose the music and turn on the lights in the dining room or having the kiddos get utensils and napkins.
What are your tips for getting delicious and healthy meals on the table FAST? Share your favorite tips, tricks, and tools in the comments section below.
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