A Juggling Act

Posted by LaTonya on Feb 17, 2011 in Food, Recipes | 0 comments

As moms we juggle work, kids, school and social activities, as well as a house full of responsibilities. And it’s not easy.

The “good” mother in us wants to provide healthy meals for our family’s, but it can be a difficult and an overwhelming task.

I love to cook, and would love to slave over a stove, making homemade meals for my family everyday. Since we don’t have a personal chef, and time is a precious commodity, playing it smart is the name of my game. Following are a few tips that keep me from pulling my hair out, and help me get dinner on the table, most times at a reasonable hour.

Ad match/Coupons: Because I have a large family, cutting corners is a must. One thing I will not sacrifice is quality food. Ad matching, and coupons allow me to save dollars. When grocery stores release new sales papers on Wednesday’s, I go through them taking note of items my family can use. Coupons also add extra savings.

Menu planning: After browsing ads and clipping coupons, I plan my menu around the sale items, and shop from that list. This ensures I buy everything I need, and not a lot of unnecessary things, thus saving money.

Meal prep:Because of my schedule, some mornings I have a little more time at home after the kids have left for school. This allows me start preparations for that evenings dinner. I’ll either cut up vegetables, marinade meats, or throw something in the crock-pot. Evenings around our house, are always “hurry up, lets go.” A head start is always beneficial.

Keep It Simple: During the Fall of the year, an unusually busy time for us, trying to plan a “Sunday” style dinner during the week is ridiculous. A meal doesn’t have to have ten items in order to satisfy my family. I chose meals that have an easy to moderate skill level, and can be prepared inside an hour, including prep time. And because I’m smart, I’ve already done the prep work.

LaTonya blogs about the journeys through her 40s, and Tweets about everything else.

Picture Credit: Images.com