There are so many other things that I would love to be doing right now, other than cooking. I have some raised beds to get in, a chicken run to build, tomato plants to start, and strawberry roots to get buried. Between the rain and work, there never seems to be enough time.
Working nights makes it even more difficult because none of the stores are open late anymore, so I either need to order in advance for delivery or go without sleep. This often leads to ordering out because by the time everyone has decided, one, they are hungry, and two, what they want to eat, it is often too late.
It all changed last week when I pulled the salami and pepperoni out of the freezer. I separate the salami and pepperoni after bying it from Sam's Club. We can never eat it fast enough, and it freezes very well.
I thought, "I wish I could do this with meals that didn't need to spend an hour in the oven." So, all week I have tried it, and I think I am in love! I don't think I'll be going back to the old way of doing things!
One night, I made lasagna, and instead of a small pan, I made large pan. That gave me four extra servings. One night, I made baked chicken breast, so I cooked nearly 10 pounds. Another night, I made a feta pasta bake, and another I made poppy seed chicken.
This allows me to prep other meals while cooking dinner.
The servings vary depending on what's left, but it gets rid of waste, and on those days that nobody wants to cook, everyone can eat something they want without dirtying up the kitchen. Everything is a manageable size, so they can either get seconds or choose something else if they are still hungry. The family is very on board with this new way of doing things.
Lastly, I update the dry-erase board on the fridge with the items available.
So far, it's been a win-win!
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