{"id":707,"date":"2014-05-26T10:10:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-26T15:10:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-12-13T18:04:59","modified_gmt":"2015-12-14T00:04:59","slug":"time-management-in-the-kitchen-10-ways-i-keep-my-sanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/articles\/time-management-in-the-kitchen-10-ways-i-keep-my-sanity\/","title":{"rendered":"Time Management In The Kitchen: 10 Ways I Keep My Sanity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time Management In the Kitchen<\/span><\/h1>\n

10 Ways I Keep My Sanity<\/span> <\/em>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Is this not the bane of our domestic existence?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Time<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We want delicious, wholesome food.\u00a0<\/strong> We also gaze longingly upon the family playing a game together after dinner while we are\u2026.you guess it\u2026decked out in Hazmat suits and hosing down the pre-dinner kitchen disaster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s old career meant that he was gone for long periods of time.\u00a0 Months, even.\u00a0 In practical terms, I was a single, homeschooling mom of three, with multiple potty-training toddlers.\u00a0 I was also running the business of Pantry Paratus, operating a homestead with nearly 60 animals, and cooking our food from scratch.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> I want to offer some hope to the weary.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

As with all things, there is a cycle to the implementation of these suggestions.\u00a0 Maybe you tried menu-planning before and it was an abysmal failure (amen, sista).\u00a0 Maybe you used to have the designated baking time but life got too busy.\u00a0 Keep an open mind as you read the suggestions below and understand that individual personalities and familial dietary needs might play into what works for you.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Only you can determine the priorities.\u00a0<\/strong> Perhaps a family food allergy, personal ethics about food sourcing, or a sense of frugality play into your decision to use your kitchen in the first place.\u00a0 For our family it is “all of the above” and so sometimes I have to de-prioritize other things in life if I want to live out these specific goals (such as cutting back on community involvement, no midnight costume-sewing for this year’s<\/em> Nutcracker!).
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you check the “been-there-done-that” box on some of these or not, hang with me. \u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you how I have kept my sanity and still put something healthy (and edible) onto the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Menu Plan<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m starting with the obvious and most infuriating.\u00a0 At least, to me.\u00a0 I cannot tell you how this one particular time-saving method annoyed me, always leaving me with the sensation of failure.\u00a0 By the end of the week, the kids were eating boxed macaroni and cheese, my grocery budget was nearly always over the limit, and I was tired from the mental effort it required.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Menu<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, I now menu plan.\u00a0 Successfully.\u00a0 But I had to find my own way of doing it.<\/strong>\u00a0 The weekly calendar, the monthly do-ahead, the 3 ring binder of frozen meal schedules, and even the apps did not work for me.\u00a0 My friends would swear by it and I was beginning to think that I had an undetermined learning disability—Meal-Plan-Lexia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0My solution came when I got away from the calendar format.\u00a0<\/strong> I have 3 underlined categories: \u201cMain Dishes,\u201d \u201cSide Dishes,\u201d and \u201cBaking.\u201d\u00a0 I pick a good cookbook and pick 95% of all choices from ONE cookbook (so yes, we sometimes have very Japanese, German, or Church-cookbook themed weeks).\u00a0 That one cookbook gets the honored spot in the kitchen that is accessible yet less prone to morning marmalade messes.\u00a0 Each recipe is bookmarked and the page number is written on my weekly menu anyway. \u00a0 If I\u2019m using online recipes, I print them out so that I don\u2019t have to try to find them online or risk getting my tablet wet on the kitchen counter.\u00a0\u00a0 Here is what works for me\u2014I never determine the menu day-by-day.\u00a0 I love the freedom of picking what sounds good from the list the night before.\u00a0 The night before, I will soak the beans or grains and set out the meat to thaw.\u00a0 I scratch it off the list as \u201cdone\u201d and I can mix-and-match.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0As I make the list of the week\u2019s dishes and tape it on the inside of a frequented cabinet, I have another piece of paper beside that to serve as the shopping list.\u00a0 I make both lists simultaneously.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This may seem silly to you if you are a successful menu-planner.\u00a0 But if you have quit in frustration, try it this way and let me know what you think!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a02)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cold Salads\/side dishes in the refrigerator<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spinach<\/span><\/p>\n

Spinach Pesto Salad with Pignolias (Pine Nuts)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I consider myself rather brilliant for this, even if not original.\u00a0 It was an \u201caha\u201d for me.<\/strong>\u00a0 Snacks and meals always seemed to catch me by surprise somehow (especially lunch\u2014since we homeschool, these are sit-down table meals for our family).\u00a0 I would have to stop the forward motion of the day to shackle myself to food prep multiple times of day.\u00a0 If at the beginning of the week, I make a carrot salad and a Mexican Quinoa salad, no one has the right to complain to this Mama that there\u2019s \u201cnothing to eat.\u201d Sure, you might not like it, but you haven\u2019t the right to complain I\u2019m starving you.\u00a0 Lunch may not be glorious\u2014it may be pb&j\u2026again\u2026but you now have a choice of sides requiring zero kitchen time mid-day.\u00a0 For our family, I make 2 a week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a03)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Leftover magic<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mexican<\/span><\/p>\n

This Mexican Potato<\/a><\/em> Casserole makes an awesome breakfast burrito the next day!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Leftovers<\/a> are a beautiful blend of art and science.\u00a0\u00a0 I knew a co-worker once who said her husband refused to eat them, so they always threw the leftovers away.\u00a0 Yes, I know…I had the same reaction.\u00a0 Your family doesn\u2019t have know that they\u2019re eating the leftovers, always.\u00a0 We like to make extra on purpose so we have something to eat for tomorrow\u2019s lunch.\u00a0<\/strong> It\u2019s part of my menu-planning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Setting a timer or listening to a cd<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes it is just a matter of powering through<\/strong>.\u00a0 When I\u2019m weary or even just in a bad mood about the whole deal, I pull myself out of my typically choleric ways and re-frame the kitchen cleanup.\u00a0 Instead of aiming for a \u201cjob done\u201d status with animated sparklies for effect, I instead aim to get through \u201c3 songs\u201d or a radio program.\u00a0 Ironically, if it\u2019s a radio program I find excellent, I\u2019ll have the job finished and then some, as I keep busy until I get to the end of my listening pleasure.\u00a0 This is usually when my stove gets clean.\u00a0 True story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a05)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Night-before prep-work<\/span><\/p>\n

Really? Can\u2019t I just crawl into bed?\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Muffins<\/span><\/p>\n

Trust me on this one.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t have to take a lot of prepwork, it can be as simple as setting the dishes on the counter.\u00a0 I got into this habit when our family attempted the GAPS diet, which was an extremely time-consuming endeavor for me.\u00a0 My family has this Morning Crisis Mode when it comes to breakfast, and nothing puts me in a bad mood faster.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> Having the fruit already on the table buys me time to make the oatmeal, or having the yogurt refrigerated the night before in separate bowls means I can quickly top them with granola and serve them with the fewest morning steps possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a06)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Double recipes & vacuum seal them for the freezer<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/span><\/p>\n

These calzones are a perfect freeze-ahead meal<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve written about this before<\/a>, this nearly saved my life.\u00a0 It meant I got into the kitchen at all during a time of my life when I just did not cook.\u00a0 This system means that there is always dinner.\u00a0 No need to break every rule and have a regrettable fast food meal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Vacupack<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Designated Baking Time<\/span><\/p>\n

This has come and gone and come again in my life many times.\u00a0 Schedules change, and so does the way this time-saver looks in practical application.\u00a0 My preference, without a doubt, is to schedule a 2-3 hour block of time.\u00a0 While your bread dough is rising, you are making a quick bread for breakfasts, cookies for dessert, and oatmeal bars for the week\u2019s snacks.\u00a0 You have used your Multitasking Powers for Good, and since you blocked the time off, you can enjoy the accomplishment without worrying about the rest of the house explosions.<\/strong> \u00a0 You have knocked out multiple things with one mess.\u00a0 One mess, one cleanup, and one well-fed family.\u00a0 Right now, I\u2019m finding that I\u2019m doing more night-before stuff and less \u201cdesignated baking time\u201d stuff\u2026for instance, I might whip out muffins for breakfast before I go to bed\u2026but ideally I pick a morning, make multiple things and freeze the extra.\u00a0 \u00a0My bread baking mentor had a difficult time planning a weekly time\u2014she did this once a month and made an entire month\u2019s worth of baked goods in a single Saturday!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a08)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Delegate Clean-up<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Go put your feet up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Dirty<\/span><\/p>\n

Sounds good in theory, right?\u00a0 Well, my family isn\u2019t tall enough to put clean dishes away, but they can set the dishes on the counter by type for me, they can do silverware, and they are required to clear the table and sweep the floor.\u00a0 Anything helps.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a09)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let them in there<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Your 12 year old is reading her latest poetic opus to you and your 8 year old is catching up on the latest episode of his favorite radio drama\u2026let them in there.\u00a0 I am not graceful with this<\/a> because I move fast and bounce off of unauthorized personnel like a pinball.\u00a0 We have an oversized stepstool out of my moving path now, and it\u2019s the hot-seat.\u00a0 I can enjoy my family without having trip hazards.\u00a0 I find that the kids are less likely to interrupt my work in the kitchen when I can somehow involve them in it.\u00a0 And if that isn’t possible but we can just be in the same room, there are fewer crises demanding my attention elsewhere.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

10)\u00a0\u00a0 Shopping Day prep-work\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 If you write off the next hour after arriving home from the grocery store, including it mentally into the entire \u201cshopping trip experience\u201d you will save multiple time-stealing instances later.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Shopping<\/span><\/p>\n

Chop up the green pepper & onion going into tomorrows huevos rancheros before they see the Light of Fridge.\u00a0 Slice the carrots into sticks for a quick grab-n-go snack.\u00a0 It\u2019s like mail\u2014if you open it & glance through it only to deal with it later, you\u2019re reading your mail twice.\u00a0 If you put the veggies in the fridge whole, you only have to pull them out later.\u00a0 If you menu plan, you should know the form they\u2019ll take in the finished product.\u00a0 Oh, and bonus: if you put the veggies in the fridge processed, they are less likely to get away from you.\u00a0 If my family sees something in the fridge, it\u2019s \u201cfair game\u201d\u2014it is more obvious to all that I have a purpose for the food that has been processed.<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s pretty much the list<\/strong>, although I’d say that time-saving devices are an obvious one, like slow cookers and dishwashers (if possible).\u00a0 My dehydrator saves a lot of time for me too, although I have a few doubters out there about it.\u00a0 I save money when I chuck the nearly-going-bad stuff in there (like the limp celery), and then on slow-cooker soups I have a 5 minute task of “a little of this and a little of that”…delicious meals with little effort on The-Night-Of.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Leave a note and tell me your favorite time management techniques in the kitchen, I’d love to try them out too! <\/span><\/p>\n

Burnin’ Daylight,<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaya<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Photos:<\/p>\n

If a photo bears the Pantry Paratus logo, it is property of Pantry Paratus.\u00a0 Feel free to use it in connection to sharing this blog but please keep proper attribution.\u00a0 Thanks.<\/p>\n

chopped onions, adapted for blog under cc license: Jonathon Watney<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/p>\n

grater and prep work: dark.molly<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/p>\n

menu planning: LizMarie_AK<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/p>\n

dirty dishes: cuantofalta<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/p>\n

blueberry muffins:\u00a0 by chotda, cc<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Time Management In the Kitchen 10 Ways I Keep My Sanity \u00a0Is this not the bane of our domestic existence? \u00a0 We want delicious, wholesome food.\u00a0 We also gaze longingly upon the family playing a game together after dinner while we are\u2026.you guess it\u2026decked out in Hazmat suits and hosing down the pre-dinner kitchen disaster.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[19,227,297],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dirty-dishes.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Fvks-bp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=707"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pantryparatus.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}