After a ridiculously late and long kiddo bedtime I groggily realized that I’d forgotten to get the groceries for my co-op meal and totally needed to start things in the crock pot that night for the rest of my week to be manageable. So I got in the car and was alone for the first time that day as I tried to make a quick visit to the grocery store. Feeling both annoyed with myself for forgetting AND super lucky that I could leave Andy with the sleeping kids… but clearly, I was not at my best.
When I got home, I’d forgotten to buy black beans, because shopping while sleepy isn’t the most efficient… thankfully I grabbed a can from the meal I’d just received from another mom and since I was only cooking for 3 families that week it would likely stretch in my super flexible “California chicken, avocado burrito” recipe (it’s delicious!). It made me think about how we usually make things easier for ourselves. All I could do is wonder… Wait...what do we do again??! I’ve been interviewing each of the moms to hear their specific experiences and capture their voices. One of the things that consistently happens for each of us is feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of cooking a big meal - it has absolutely gotten easier for each of us, but it’s still a hurdle.
SO after reviewing my interview notes and once again being grateful for these wonderful women… here are 5 hacks that keep us going:
Break up big tasks into smaller ones …
buying groceries, preparation of food and cooking sections. This can take a bit more planning but it can definitely make things go more smoothly. So one day, grocery shop for your ingredients (and likely the milk and eggs you’re short on). One evening, chop all the veggies for the recipe/prep anything you can before you pull the meal together. The next morning (or another gap in your day), pull out your prepped ingredients and throw everything together. Shazaam!
Read the recipe/review the ingredients ahead of time …
I’ll admit, this is one that I frequently skip. But I am told that it REALLY helps when you’re mid-way through a recipe and you realize that you NEED chili powder (see reference above about black beans!)… folks who have reviewed their recipes ahead of time don’t have to run across the street to their neighbors house and borrow (AGAIN) the huge bottle of chili powder that they amazingly have from their devotion to Costco (and the reality of three teenagers).
Cook in the evening …
if you have really little ones this can be a game changer. Turn on a podcast or some music, put your phone away and just focus.
Prepare for the mess …
If you do need to cook with children running around - and I’ve done it many times - embrace the mess and if needed put all the weird bath toys in the middle of the floor (changing the location will make them cool in a new way!) or pull out special magnets (I found those spice jars with magnets on the top, and then grabbed some tiny dinosaurs… dinosaurs in JARS… on the FRIDGE!? My little friends were entranced. For a moment.
Enlist backup …
Making this a family endeavor has been an ongoing effort in our different families. The reality of all of us working so hard, means that sometimes extra hands in the kitchen won’t happen… but I adore the feeling of knowing I don’t have to take the meat off of two or three chickens because Andy’s on it. We’ve done it in different ways
Clean as you go …
Fill the sink with warm soapy water so you can easily wash things as you go, or just drop them in for later, it’s a little one but can really help...
OOPS that’s 6 hacks! You’re welcome.