The Busy Mama's Guide To Getting Dinner On The Table

By Heather Dessinger of Mommypotamus.com Copyright 2016 Heather DessingerFirst Edition License Notes

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The information contained in this guide is for informational purposes only. By reading this guide, you agree that myself and my company is not responsible your results relating to any information presented in this guide. The material in this guide may include information, products or services by third parties. Third Party Materials comprise of the products and opinions expressed by their owners. As such, I do not assume responsibil ity or l iability for any Third Party material or opinions. The publication of such Third Party Materials does not constitute my guarantee of any information, instruction, opinion, products or services contained within the Third Party Material. Publication of such Third Party Material is simply a recommendation and an expression of my own opinion of that material. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form, without the prior written consent of the author. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this guide are the property of their respective owners. Users of this guide are advised to do their own due diligence when it comes to making decisions and all information, products and services that have been provided should be independently verif ied by your own qualif ied professionals. Please be mindful of copyright ? The Busy Mama's Guide To Getting Dinner On The Table e-book is intellectual property that is protected by copyright law. They may not be republished or distributed, for f inancial gain or not, without written permission of the author (Heather). If you would like permission, please just contact me and I am happy to give permission on a case-by- case basis. Copyright 2016 Mommypotamus. All Rights Reserved.

But I think EVERY adult has probably fantasized about dinner falling from the sky at one point or another. Some days we get home, slap our keys on the counter, and then realize the meat we meant to take out is still in the freezer.

Oops.

I've been there . . . and I'm pretty sure I'll be there again! Fortunately, I've developed some simple strategies for getting real food on the table, even when time is short and/or things don't go as planned. In this guide I'm sharing my top tips with you, along with links to recipes that will help you get started. I hope you find them helpful!

This is just a guess . . .

"But there were no food stores in the town of Chewandswallow. They didn't need any . . . The only thing that was really different about Chewandswallow was it's weather. It came three times a day at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everything that everyone ate came from the sky." ~ Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Meal planning doesn't suck the spontaneity out of life, it streamlines food prep so that you can relax and do other things when you're inspired to. If you've tried meal planning before and didn't love it, here are a couple of tips that may help:

1. Don't feel l ike you have t o plan every m eal.

I typically only plan dinners because I have a solid set of breakfast recipes that can be easily made on the fly. Lunch is usually covered, too. I'll explain more about that later in this guide.

If you want to plan everything, go for it. However, if dinners are where you really feel the crunch, start by just planning those. You can always add lunch or dinner later if you want to.

2. Try t hem e night s

Italian night, Taco Tuesday, Soup & Sandwich Night, Breakfast For Dinner, Slow Cooker Sunday . . . you get the idea. A nightly theme provides opportunities for structured creativity - it takes the pressure off making a plan from scratch, but you're not locked in to a particular recipe for each theme. There's room for flexibility based on how much time you have that week, and what sounds good to you.

Bonus Tip: If you want to simplify the process, Real Plans is hands down the most amazing meal planning service I have ever used.

#1 M AKE A REAL PLAN

Unlike meal plans that provide static printouts with recipes that may not even sound good to you, Real Plans allows you to login, select your style of eating (Paleo, Traditional, etc.), decide if you want make-ahead and/or super quick meals, eliminate recipes that don't appeal to you or contain ingredients you want to avoid, and import any favorites you want to put in your rotation.

You can also decide how many meals you want to plan a week and adjust portions to fit your family size, then all you do is press a button and VOILA. The meal planning is all done in an instant, including a shopping list that you can access from your phone while you're at the store.

Big batch, that is. Doubling or tripling a recipe is a huge time-saver because you only have to take the time to pull out the necessary ingredients and equipment once, plus there's only one set of pots, pans, measuring spoons, etc. to wash. It takes just a few extra moments to measure out a second (or third) batch, andwhen it 's all said and done you've got extra for the week. Here are some practical ways to implement this technique:

- Instead of roasting one whole chicken for dinner, roast two. Use the second chicken you've prepped in advance to make sandwiches, simple chicken soup, chicken "tortilla" soup, coconut lime chicken curry soup, chicken salad with apples, lettuce wraps and more. (New to roasting whole chickens at home? Here's a quick tutorial.)

- One of my favorite recipes to double is paleo bread. I make it in advance, then pre-slice and freeze. When errands run longer than expected and we get home late, I make sandwiches for dinner. The recipe I use is from Carol Lovett 's of Ditch The Wheat. You can find it here.

- Make a double batch of condiments like this easy ketchup and homemade mayo. They can be served as-is or become a base for other recipes. For example, the ketchup can be used to make sloppy joes or quickly turned into barbecue sauce for livening up a roast chicken or shredded pot roast. Mayo can be served over burgers or turned into a quick tartar sauce, chipotle mayo, or homemade ranch dressing. Other recipes

#2 - GO BIG

usually work well with batch cooking are: Roasts, soups, stews, casseroles . . . even grain-free pancakes!

- Another dish I love to make a double batch of is this bacon and ranch potato salad. It isn't going to win any beauty contests, but it absolutely makes up in flavor what it lacks in photogenic qualities. It 's also a great source of resistant starch ? a type of starch that is indigestible to us, but a favorite food for the good bacteria that lives in our digestive tracts.

- For quick snacks or desserts, I often make a triple batch of these cinnamon raisin cookies and freeze the extra batches for later.

Tip: Only double or triple batches when you know you love the recipe. I've used this technique before with recipes I mistakenly thought my family would enjoy, and it was really difficult to get rid of the leftovers.

#3 - USE TIM E SAVING KITCHEN TOOLS

Slow Cooker

Using anything with the word "slow" in the name may seem like a counterintuitive way to save time in the kitchen, but this litt le kitchen tool is brilliant for so many reasons:

- Most meals require just a few minutes of hands-on time as you throw everything in the pot. Slow cookers do their magic by taking those ingredients and melding the flavors together over low heat while you run errands, relax, play with your kids, clean - whatever!

- They're usually large enough to make double batches, which means you can make extra and save the rest for when you're too busy to cook.

- Cleanup is easy. Making a veggie side or dessert may dirty a few dishes, but for the main course you've only got one pot to wash.

You can make staples like bone broth in a slow cooker, and even cook a frozen roast without thawing it first. Soups, stews, and chili also make wonderful slow cooker meals.

Pressure Cooker

Now, I?ll admit, when my pressure cooker first arrived in the mail it took me about two weeks to open the box. I was worried I might not be able to get the hang of it, but after using it just a couple of times I felt comfortable enough with the basics to start trying some fancy stuff.

Pressure cookers take the pressure off (heh, see what I did there?) by dramatically decreasing the cooking times needed for meats, beans, veggies, rice, soups, etc. They also preserve more nutrients than some other cooking methods - for more on that, check out this article from Kristen of Food Renegade.

If you're new to using a pressure cooker, here are some recipes to get you started:

- Basic Bone Broth- Chicken Soup - Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken - Mexican Beef - Beef Stew - Buffalo Chicken Soup - 5 Minute Saffron Rice - Spaghetti Squash

#4 - STOCK YOUR PANTRYA rose by any other name might smell just as sweet, but homemade hot cocoa without cacao powder is just a glass of milk. Making sure you have a well-stocked pantry prevents last minute "oops" moments in which you realize you don't have what you need to pull a recipe together.

What you need to stock will depend on the recipes you make most often, but a few things I

Bak ing Essent ials: - Almond flour- Arrowroot powder- Baking soda- Baking powder*- Cacao powder- Coconut flour- Cream of tartar- Chocolate, 85% dark

(for brownies and such)

- Tapioca flour- Vanilla extract

Condim ent s- Apple cider vinegar- Balsamic vinegar- Coconut aminos- Mustard - Sriracha- Ketchup* *

Dr inks- Cacao powder (for hot

chocolae)- Coffee- Tea (herbal, black, green)

Healt hy Fat s- Coconut oil- Ghee- Olive oil

Herbs & Spice Blends* * *- Italian- Cajun- Lemon pepper- Ranch - Taco seasoning- Lots of single herbs and

spices

Nut s & Seeds* * * *- Almonds- Almond butter- Cashews - Cashew butter- Macadamia nuts

- Pecans- Sunflower butter- Tahini

Rice, Past a & Beans- Dried black, navy & other beans- Pad thai noodles- White rice

Sweet eners- Blackstrap molasses- Honey- Maple Syrup- Sucanat

Miscellaneous

- Anchovies- Coconut cream concentrate (for

making coconut milk)- Dried fruit- Gelatin- Olives - Paleo wraps- Sea salt - Shredded coconut

Chart Notes: * Baking powder often contains cornstarch, so if you're sensitive to corn try this homemade version. ** I actually keep my homemade ketchup in the fridge, but included it here since store-bought versions are often kept in the pantry. *** While I usually use single herbs and spices when cooking, I've found that keeping a few pre-made and/or homemade seasonings on hand can quickly and easily l iven up simple meals. If you opt for pre-made mixes make sure to real the label carefully - some contain undesirable f il lers. **** The oils found in nuts can become rancid if left out too long. I only keep what I know I'l l use quickly in my pantry and store the rest in my freezer. I also use up jars of nut butter soon after purchase. Tip: If you have leftover tomato paste, broth, etc. after making a recipe, store the extra in an ice cube tray for use later as a quick addition to sauces.

?You don?t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces ? just good food from fresh ingredients.? ? Julia Child

My husband still teases me about my one of my first real food experiments - a fancy goat cheese pizza. One bite and he quickly reached for a glass of red wine to wash it down. I should probably mention that he hates red wine. . . he just hated that pizza more. (He did eat it, though. I love him for that!)

Over the years I've learned that simple foods can be just as satisfying as complicated, gourmet meals. That 's why quick recipes like egg drop soup, apple sandwiches with chicken and bacon, and "breakfast for dinner" items like scrambled eggs, frittatas, pancakes and waffles are my go-to options when I need a quick Plan B (or C, or D).

Tip: Embrace the power of "good enough." While it 's great to strive for every meal to be balanced, sometimes it doesn't turn out that way. In my house

#5 - Keep It Sim ple

Have you ever read one of those quotes that says something like "No matter how busy a person is, if they really care they will always find time for you" and thought "Well, I bet you didn't change three sets of pukey sheets last night!"

Yeah, me neither. And yet one of the best things to do after a hard day is to laugh with the people we love, which is why I adore my friend Sarah's tips for making that happen in a way that makes the busiest seasons of life easier. Using her step-by-step guide for throwing a freezer meal prep party, you can:

A) Take a week off from making dinner while still serving your family delicious, healthy food

B) Have back-up meals ready to go for when life gets overwhelming

C) Move meal prep from your "need to do" list to your "want to do list" because it now involves spending time with friends

D) All of the above

Glick here for a guide to planning your party.

#6 - Throw A Freezer Meal Prep Par t y

At least a few days every week I skip making lunch and serve leftovers instead. Though it doesn't sound glamorous, it 's actually a win-win. Because I don't cook from scratch three times per day, I am able to put more effort into preparing the meals I do cook. The litt le "extra" that goes into making them pays off, because my family is usually quite happy to have them again for lunch the next day.

Tip: Store leftovers in see-through containers. It makes seeing what you have to work with so much easier, and it reduces the chance something will be wasted because it 's forgotten about. I prefer to use glass storage containers with leak-proof lids. You can find some of my favorite options on my resources page.

#7 - Give Lef t overs Som e Love

If some of these tips feel overwhelming, don?t panic! The Busy Mama?s Guide To Getting Dinner On The Table is a reference guide, not a to-do list.We all have a "why" when it comes to making the effort to live a healthier lifestyle. Personally, my "why" is my family. I want them to thrive, and I want to be the best possible version of myself so that I can love them well. Focusing on my "why" helps me stay motivated - you may find that it helps you, too.It really is possible to eat well - even with a busy schedule - but please don't think it 's all or nothing. Try implementing the tips that work best for your current lifestyle and don't worry about the rest. You've got this.

READY TO GET STARTED?

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