Easier mealtimes help you during busier times

Guest post from Bible in 90 Days Grad Jessica Fisher

Like most moms, my days are pretty full. And yet there are seasons when I want or need to add something more to an already full plate. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, I’ve finally admitted to myself that something’s gotta give.
A few months ago I sat down and prepared a time budget. I mapped out my day and added up how long things really take. This was an enlightening exercise, to say the least. It reinforced the idea that I really can’t add something new to my plate, no matter how good it is, without making room for it.

Next week as we get reading the Bible in 90 Days, I know that I will need to make room for extended reading time. Last summer, I found that each day’s reading took me about 45 minutes. So, I know that I need to make room in my day to devote to reading. One way I can do that is by making mealtimes easier for me and my family.

Here are some techniques that help me create easier mealtimes during busier seasons:

1. Plan quick fix meals.

Sandwiches, quesadillas, and salad suppers are all meals that I can pull together quickly. I can even prep the ingredients ahead of time when I get little minutes throughout the day. These are filling meals that I know my family enjoys, an added bonus. No fussing at suppertime!

• Plan a Regular Sandwich Night
• Easy Quesadillas and Busy Night Suppers
• DIY Pasta Salad
• An At-Home Salad Bar

2. Make meals that build on one another.

Planning meals that use common ingredients is a great way to take short cuts in the kitchen. Grill lots of chicken one night and serve the chicken as a main dish. Then serve the leftover chicken, chopped, over pasta the next night. Turn leftover pasta into pasta salad to serve on the third night. Not only will you save time in the kitchen, but you will also eat really well!

• 5 Easy Pantry Meals for Busy Weeknights
• 5 More Easy Pantry Meals for Busy Weeknights

3. Fill your freezer with make-ahead meals.

By preparing a number of meals in advance and stashing them in the freezer, I buy myself valuable time in the coming weeks. And contrary to what you might be thinking, you don’t need to spend an entire day on the process. Spend an hour or two assembling marinated chicken or homemade baking mixes. You’ll save valuable minutes by cooking in bulk and you’ll have a quick answer to the inevitable question: What’s for dinner?

• 5 Easy Ways to Fill Your Freezer
• Freezer Recipes You Can Count On
• The Power of the Mini-Cooking Session

While I’m not sure that we moms can “have it all,” I am convinced that with careful planning, we can squeeze something new and good onto our schedules without loss of life or limb. Preparing easier meals is a great tool to use during busy times and can help you in your quest to read the Bible in 90 days.

Jessica Fisher, aka FishMama, writes about how not to be a crabby mom at LifeasMOM.com and shares delicious ways to act your wage at GoodCheapEats.com. She read the Bible in 100 days last summer.

How do YOU make mealtimes easier?