"I just don't have time to cook"

"I just don't have time to cook". I hear this statement all the time. People often ask me how I manage to make homemade meals (sometimes simple and sometimes gourmet) when I work and I am home with my kids at the same time. Often my answer has been, "I don't know I just make time for it". While this answer is true, I realized it is not very helpful, and not the full story. The keys to getting a meal on the table that doesn’t involve the pizza delivery man are planning and organization.
1. I plan all my meals for the week ahead of time. I get everything I need and then I make whichever of those meals sound the best on that day. SaucePlate.com is a huge help because I can quickly pick my meals and get all the ingredients on my shopping list so I never have to go back to the store at the last minute.
2. The day before I take any food out of the freezer that needs to be thawed for my dinner the next night.
3. The day of, I look at my recipes and think about what I can do ahead of time. For those of you who are not home during the day, these are things that could be done the night before. Prep work such as; cutting up veggies, cooking pasta, browning meat, making a sauce, can all be done ahead of time. The amazing thing is when you break a recipe into smaller parts you can get a lot done in a couple 15 minutes sessions.

If you follow these simple tips you will find that when you are down to that half hour before meals when you, and the people you are feeding, are tired and hungry you can quickly throw together a great meal!