"Investment" Cooking

When I was the single mother of two girls for fifteen years I found out that making many meals at once saved money, time, clean-up and wear and tear…on ME!

The idea is to shop one day, cook the next day (or two) and “bank” enough meals for a couple of weeks or even a month.The benefits are many:

You can buy large sizes (even restaurant sizes like you get at Costco or Sam’s Club) so you save LOTS of money.

You can make the most of specials and sales.

You make a big mess only once a month so your kitchen stays cleaner in between. The only dishes you have to do are the ones you eat off of and the one you use to heat up dinner.

You don’t have to think about “what’s for dinner?” every day. I'd rather think about other things myself.

You have more time and energy to concentrate on side dishes or desserts, setting the table, or just being with your family. Or maybe you can just sit down for a bit....

By grouping preparation processes together you save time and effort. Why not chop onions for 5 dishes in the food processor all at once?

If you're watching your diet you can plan out your meals so they're on track for the month and you're less tempted to go "off" because you haven't thought ahead.

I think you could also make a case for saving energy, too, especially if you use energy-saving cooking equipment like crock pots and pressure cookers.

Now an empty-nest grandma I still use this method quite often. I couple my marathon cooking sessions with my six (yes, count ‘em, SIX) crock pots. Several meals cook while I sleep and those get “put up” in the morning. Then I cook several more during the day and if I need to, a few more that night. I often use this method when I’m going to have lots of family visiting or out-of-town guests. I can entertain bountifully and still have lots of time for my guests when they arrive. Clean up after dinner is a snap!

Give it a try. I think you'll like it. Even if you don't have six crock pots!!!