Getting Out the Door: The Lunch Plan

by kathilipp | Sep 10, 2013 | Home | 10 comments

Half the battle of getting out the door is the decision making that goes into food – breakfast and lunches and planning for dinner. (Why do all these people need to keep eating?!?) So here are some easy ideas to get lunch underway each and every day (and save you some stress in the AM hours.)

Have a Lunch Menu Sit down and brainstorm everything that your family likes to take for lunch. Make up a meal plan for the rest of the week so that you don’t have to think about it. If you find a plan that works, repeat every week. (Monday is PB&J, Tuesday is Turkey Tortilla Roll Ups etc.)

Make it the Night Before Don’t leave the kitchen after dinner until lunch is packed. Keep a supply of containers, napkins, utensil handy so that lunches are a breeze to put together. And finally…

Our Super Secret for Never Forgetting Your Lunch Again If you are packing your lunch to go in the fridge the night before, but have a habit of leaving the house sans lunch. Go ahead and put your car keys on top of your pre-packed lunch. When you go to look for them, I promise it will jog your memory of where they are.

Special Hints For Kids

• PB&J I love Crystal for Money Saving Mom’s post about Filling Your Freezer: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches (she has a special technique to keep the bread from getting soggy: put peanut butter on both sides of bread, creating a sealant against the bread.)
• DIY Snack Packs While convenience seems to be the name of the game for most families with kids, with a little prep, you can save money and have kid lunches pre-prepped. Buy a big bag of mini carrots on the weekend, and then break them down into smaller bags (or better yet, have your kids do it and count it as a counting activity.) I have a basket in my fridge with all the grab and go stuff for lunches so even smaller kids can pack most of their own lunches.

For Adults

• Dinner Leftovers Now that I have adult kids, (with access to microwaves at work,) Roger is not the only one who is keeping out leftovers from dinner in check. When you are cleaning up after dinner, go ahead and package leftovers for lunch the next day for any adults in the house. 
• DIY Frozen Dinners When I’m doing one of my big freezer cooking projects, I will do an extra lasagna or pot of chili and break those down into meal-sized portions. That way, my husband or I can grab an individual serving and heat it up in the microwave. Much cheaper than a frozen meal or eating out.
• Store-bought Frozen Dinners I watch my store ads and when Roger’s favorite frozen dinners go on sale for $2 per meal or less, I stock up. (This is especially handy for when I’m traveling out of town.) All he has to do is add a piece of fruit.

Tell me in the comments below what your favorite on the go lunch is (for you or your kiddos) and you’ll be entered into our drawing for The Get Yourself Organized Project and a $10 Starbucks Card!

Getting Out the Door Busy Morning Breakfast Guide

by kathilipp | Sep 9, 2013 | Home | 23 comments

Do you have breakfast on the go, or do you go without breakfast?  I am guessing most of us, or if you do not skip breakfast than you might fall into the “eat the granola bar with your coffee as you walk into work or drive the kiddos around” category. Let’s face it our mornings are rushed and tackling the day’s tasks can seem  more important to us than sitting down to eat breakfast.

All this week we are going to be focusing on getting out the door in the morning and one of the best ways to do that is to have some Busy Morning Breakfast Ideas.

But,whether it’s sitting around the table, or  breakfast on the go  it’s so important! It provides the energy we need to start the day, it gets our metabolism going and we all want that to work right?  So how do we start the day off on the right foot, make it quick, easy and healthy and stay on time?

Below are a few links to give you some ideas about breakfast on the go. Many can be made ahead or take little to no time at all to prepare.

If you have kids there is plenty you can do to set up the night before.

1. Before bed set the table with the bowls, spoons, napkins and cereal choices. Add any fruit or bread items needed…anything that does not live in the fridge.
2. Have a list in the kitchen of your current breakfast choices so you do not waste time hunting for food. I have a friend who types up breakfast choices for her kids and before she sends them to bed the kids initial what they want the next day. The list changes as her food choices change. This save several minutes each morning for everyone in the house.
3. Set your coffee pot at night so by the time you wake up you have hot, fresh coffee.
4. Use your Crock Pot for breakfast; it’s not just for dinner. Crock Pot Oatmeal ROCKS.
5. Go ahead and chop the fruit or peel it and place it in a Ziploc bag. If you are prepping apples toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
6. Have  breakfast on the go choices ready: cheese sticks, yogurts, nuts and homemade breads sliced and in a container as well so you can grab it on your way out the door.

Below are a few sites you can visit to get great crock pot breakfast on the go recipes.

Crock Pot Breakfast ideas

10 Easy Breakfast Crock Pot Recipes

Here are a few places that list great, quick and easy breakfast options.

Top 10 easy breakfast recipes

9 Fast and Healthy Breakfast Ideas

You have to love this next list of breakfast ideas, if only the website address… “Dumb little man” But it is also good to get a man’s perspective as well as a lot of us are taking care of his needs too!

5 Quick & Simple Breakfast-On-the-Run Ideas

And be sure to head over to my Facebook Author Page to download our list of 30 On the Go Breakfast Ideas!

So let’s help each other out. I want to hear what tips and tricks you have to make breakfast simple and healthy and getting out the door on time with little stress. What is your favorite Busy Morning Breakfast Idea?

Tell me all your great ideas in the comments below one commenter this week will win a $10 Starbucks gift card and a copy of The Get Yourself Organized Project

One winner will be chosen from all comments posted for the entire week.

Please, be sure to link to your blog or provide an email address so we can get in touch with you!

Getting Out the Door: It’s All About the Night Before

by kathilipp | Sep 8, 2013 | Home | 23 comments

I am not what you would call a “morning person”.

I don’t function well first thing, but also don’t have a ton of time to become fully alert.

That’s why I think the most important thing about getting out the door is getting ready the night before, (or in the early evening, if you’re not a night owl.) For me, it’s so important that I’m able to go on autopilot in the morning and not have to make any crucial decisions, (like what to wear or feed myself…)

Here are a few simple and elementary tips. I am sure a lot of you might remember your parents telling you some of these.

1. Have a night before checklist

• Charge everything you need for the next day (phone, laptop, iPad, iPod etc.)
• Defrost something for tomorrow night’s dinner in the fridge (so you don’t have to think about it in the morning.)
• Lay out your clothes for the next day (including shoes)
• Set your coffee maker up and prep as much of your breakfast as you can the night before

2. Create a morning Launch Pad

For me, this is the table right by the front door. This is where I keep everything I need for the next day:

•  your purse, backpack, laptop bag
• Keys
• Reusable shopping bags
• Sports equipment
• Kid’s backpacks (with homework safely tucked inside)

3. Go to bed at a decent time. (Sleep is not just for princesses who have servants, our bodies need sleep time to heal and stay healthy.)

4. Stay consistent with your waking time each day. This will train your body to naturally wake up on time. Even on days you don’t have to get up early, do it. This will give you a wonderful break from your morning routine. You can spend time in the Word, sip your coffee, watch the news or just enjoy the quietness of the house while the natives sleep.

5. Keep everything in the same place. For example: your dog’s leash should hang on the same hook every time you get home, so it’s easy to find in the morning.

So what have I missed that you may do that will help another girlfriend out? I want to hear it all. My mornings get by me way too fast!

Tell me in the comments below what your tried and true strategies are for getting up and out the door in a snap. What makes your mornings easier? One commenter this week will win a copy of The Get Yourself Organized Project and a $10 Starbucks Gift Card

The Retro Art of Freezer Cooking – All Your Questions Answered

by kathilipp | Sep 3, 2013 | Home | 6 comments

In this, The Retro Art of Freezer Cooking – All Your Questions Answered I wrap up (pun totally intended…) some of your questions about the whole process:

How do you fit all those meals in your freezer?

One thing is important for you to keep in mind:When you are shopping for things like foil pans to prepare your meals, squares and rectangles pack better than round pans.

The other key is to freeze thing like soups, stews and marinades as “flatly” as possible. When I’m freezing those liquid-y items, I freeze them as flat as possible (lay them down on a cookie sheet in your freezer,) so I can stack as many as I can in my space.

How long can you keep meals in the freezer?

Some people would say longer, but I feel that three months is a good rule of thumb. (Plus, it gets me to clean out my freezer at least a few times a year and not waste meals.)

Where did you get all the recipes for all the meals?

A while ago I bought a “Freezer Cookbook” (Without naming names, if you were cooking in the 90?s and going to church, you probably owned – or own – that book,) and tried out all of the recipes. While I loved the technique and learned how to do freezer cooking from that little book, there were a couple of problems:

1. Making 30 entirely different meals was a pain in the rear.
2. My family hated most of the meals.

That is when I tried some of our family favorites Freezer Cooking Style. As I learned more and more about what froze well (and what didn’t) I got a collection of recipes that worked for us. I have those in my book The What’s for Dinner Solution.

My freezer doesn’t look anything like yours – mine is full of Mystery…

Trust me – if I don’t keep on top of it, my hubby and I have conversations like, “So what do you think that grey lump of meat it?” Roger’s response? “Garbage.” That is why I have to be so vigilant at labeling everything with dates and contents. Trust me – it is better for everyone involved.

How long does it take to make all those meals? Is your grocery bill astronomical?

Pretty much a full weekend. We figure that each meal averages up between $5-7.50. We could make it cheaper (cook our own chickens for casserole meat instead of buying Costco roasted chickens, making our own pesto, etc.) but we choose convenience over cost on some things.

Does shopping at Costco really save you money? How about for a smaller family?

Here is my very uneducated opinion about Costco: If you are super organized, use coupons wisely, follow loss-leader sales, and can shop on a frequent basis to take advantage of those sales, you can probably save as much money shopping more traditional stores and outlets as you can at Costco.

I admit that we make some trade-offs re: money/convince. If I can get it at Costco, I usually do – especially when it comes to Freezer Cooking. (Although, we tend to buy our fruits and veggies at Safeway or Farmer’s Markets, and do grow a few things – tomatoes, peppers, and some herbs – on our tiny back patio. We have not always been over the moon with the quality of all  the Costco fruit and vegetables. )

I think if you get your stuff home and have a plan for dividing up your big Costco-sized items, you can save money. Money is lost when you forget that you bought that bag of frozen chicken and discover it 18 months later.

What about Low-Fat versions of the recipes – where can I find those?

Most recipes – low fat or not – can be frozen in some state. You can always use low fat substitution for the ingredients that are stated in a recipe as well.

Obviously you are not going to freeze a salad, but, low-fat soups, chili’s, marinades, stews, (that are not cream based) work great.

I have some recipes in my book that are great for low-fat cooking. And then there are others. There will never be a low-fat version of “Poppy Seed Chicken” or “Dreamy Spaghetti”. Maybe lower-fat, but they are just not healthy. In those cases, we serve a lot of veggies, and treat those casseroles as more of a side dish (and I have a bowl of chili instead of the casserole.) These are the recipes that my kids LOVE so it is OK to slip them in every once in a while. (Trust me, the meal I am serving them is better than what they would order at McDonalds.)

Here is a family favorite for low fat cooking. If I could only freeze one recipe – this would hands down be it. You can spice it up and add chicken sausage to make a great Jambalaya – serve it over pasta, or if you are looking for lower-fat versions, over steamed white or brown rice.

Chicken Cacciatore
1 lb    Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

1 Tbs    Vegetable oil

1 1/4
cup    Onion

2 cups    Mushrooms

1 tsp    Minced garlic

1-28 oz     Can of crushed tomatoes in puree

2 Tbs    Parsley

1/4 tsp    Pepper

2 tsp    Italian Seasoning

1 tsp    Basil

Parmesan cheese
1. Prepare: Cut chicken into cubes. Slice onions and mushrooms. Chop garlic.

2. Cooking: In a large skillet, sauté chicken in vegetable oil until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet and sauté onions, mushrooms, and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add chicken and remaining ingredients except for Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes. Allow sauce to cool.

3.  Freeze: Freeze in a 13×9 pan.

4. Serve: Thaw sauce in the refrigerator overnight. Place the foil-covered pan in a 350° oven for 30 minutes to warm. Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

Servings: 4

Can I store my freezer meals in glass – I am worried about the health reports re: plastic bags.

If you are likewise concerned about plastic bags, I would encourage you to take a look at This Article. Basically my philosophy (this is just for me and my family, you need to make your own decision,) is that I store and freeze in plastic, but I don’t reheat in plastic anymore.

How do you cook the black and white meat under the table?

Just like chicken.

The Retro Art of Freezer Cooking Day 4 Getting Your Cook On

by kathilipp | Aug 29, 2013 | Home | 20 comments

***Give Away Alert! I will be giving away four copies of my freezer cooking cookbooks The What’s for Dinner Solution A winner everyday Tuesday through Friday. PLUS – a Freezer Cooking Prize Pack including The What’s for Dinner Solution and $25 Amazon Gift Card to buy all the Ziploc bags and 8×8 pans you need to get started! Just leave a comment on the blog sometime this week and I will pick four book winners and one grand prize winner – the more comments, the more chances to win! (One comment per person, per day, please!) ***

All this week, I will be giving you step by step instructions on how to have great, tasty meals for you and your family, every night. To make sure you don’t miss a post, subscribe to the blog!

OK – Now we get down to the nitty gritty. I know you all know how to cook, so I am going to just put down some of my Best Practices when it come to Freezer Cooking and preparing all those meals.

• Think Assembly Line When you have four recipes that called for chopped onions, get your food processor (or the food processor that you borrowed from your friend at church) and chop all those bad boys at once. (Another little trick that works well with onions: Light a wooden match and then blow it out. Hold the wooden part in your teeth while chopping onions to keep from crying. I don’t know why it works, but it does.)

Here is another tip on onions from Kelly www.bittybowsboutique.com :

“I despise chopping onions. I use my food processor on “Pulse”, to chop onions to keep in my freezer, freezing them flat in 1 gallon freezer bags. Whether I need 1 Tablespoon or 2 Cups, I can break off just enough to add to my recipes. It is also a great way to use up a large bag of Costco onions…which is about the same price as a tiny bag from Safeway.”

• Play mix and match – marinade style. When it comes to my marinades, I don’t discriminate on the types of meats I use – If I buy a ½ gallon of Yoshida Sauce (and you all should – it is YUMMY) I will line up my Ziploc bags each filled with a different meat (Chicken Breasts, Flank Steaks, Pork Roast, Pork Chops) and just pour the marinades over the meats. Instantly, I have four different kinds of meals – now all I have to do is come up with side dishes, and that is where I will get a little creative. (For example, with the chicken, I might chop it up after cooking and make rice and mixed Asian veggies for rice bowls. For the pork, I could serve it with veggie kabobs and grilled pineapple.)

Pictured here – Giant Pork Loins that I chop into thirds and get six family-sized meals out of each. For smaller families, your could get up to 12 meals out of these two pork loins.

• Pasta Preparation When I am doing a pasta casserole, I just use up any small pasta I have around – I don’t care if it is penne, macaroni or egg noodle. All of it works. Also, when preparing pasta for freezing, make sure it is al dente so that it doesn’t get mushy in the freezing/cooking process.
• Beg or Borrow Things that will Make Your Life Easier There is no need to chop peppers by hand when your neighbor has a Food Processor that she uses 4x a year. Ask if you can borrow it – and when you bring it back, present her with one of your home cooked meals as a thank you. For years we were frying ground beef and turkey in a stove top pan until I finally invested in a Presto 16” Electric Skillet. Any step that saves me time (and keeps me encouraged to keep on Freezer Cooking) is worth weighing the costs on!
• Play Lots of Loud, Upbeat Music While Cooking
• Do Categories at Once I usually shop and prepare the marinades on Friday, and then leave the rest of the assembly (casseroles, chilis, soups, etc.) for Saturday.

Label EVERYTHING as it Goes into the Freezer No mysteries allowed. That defeats the whole purpose.

For today’s free download, go to my Facebook Page this week (through September 1. 2013) and get our our 50 Dinner Ideas.

Tell me below – What is you favorite thing to freeze? You could win a copy of The What’s for Dinner Solution or the grand prize of The What’s for Dinner Solution and a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Want more freezer recipes? Did you know you can get a free ecopy of Six Chicks Freeze and Fix: How to Start a Freezer Meal Co-op just by liking my Facebook Page. Once you hit “Like” just go to the tabs and download the booklet. It’s that easy. Over 20 great family-pleasing recipes!

We’ll have a free freezer download every day this week. Stay tuned!