One of the things I learned from my mom was how to make a meal from practically nothing. She can take a little of this and a little of that and create something tasty and delicious in no time flat. This is a skill that is particularly handy in the summer months, when I want to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen.
Do you have a handful of meals that you can come up with on a moment's notice? When the troops are tired and hungry, and you're too exhausted to run to the grocery store, having ingredients to whip together will convince everyone that you are indeed, magic.
Today's Small Thing is to do some "Quick Menu" menu planning.
Jot down some meals that you can pull out of a hat before you can say, "Presto," and put those ingredients on your grocery list. I like to have a list of quick meals on the fridge so that when my brain is fried and I can't think of a single thing to prepare, I can refer to it and get inspired.
Let's brainstorm together:
Spaghetti: ground sausage, Prego, pasta
Hamburgers: pre-formed burgers, buns, frozen french fries, beans (I often individually form, wrap and freeze the patties so they are ready to go)
Vegetable Medley: sauteed veggies (whatever's on hand) and diced rotisserie chicken (or other leftover meat) over rice
Burritos: shredded chicken, beef or taco meat with beans, cheese, etc in a soft tortilla
Quesadillas: tortilla and chees goodness
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: my family STILL loves them, especially with soup
French bread pizza
Ingredients to have on hand:
Individually frozen chicken breasts
Individual hamburger patties
Ham and cheese
Rice
Tortillas
Buns
Pastas
Soups
Frozen veggies
Frozen french fries
Frozen pizza
Hey, why not have some packaged, prepared meals in the freezer/pantry as well?
These are just a few ideas to get you started. You might also think about pulling your crock pot out of retirement and onto center stage for a show-stopping quick dinner. I love to make a large pot roast and then have lots of left-overs for even more magical meals.
What are YOUR favorite snap-of-the-fingers meals? What ingredients do you like to have on hand for an instant dinner? I hope you'll share so we can all take a bow!
Song of the Day: This Magic Moment, The Drifters
