"What's for Dinner?"

Fortunately, we are in an area where school is in full swing. Along with school comes the business that is soccer and football and baseball and preschool, all of which are activities my children enjoy and I enjoy supporting. Life is crazy, but given the last few months of chaos overtaking the world, I’m grateful for my crazy.

One of my only complaints with our full schedules is, "What’s for dinner?!"

It’s the most asked and feared question a mother can ever hear! Every day it’s another decision to make. Here are some ways to hopefully make your evening meal time go much smoother.

Make a Menu:

As boring a suggestion as it sounds, planning out a menu at the beginning of the week clears up one of the many tasks on our never-ending to-do list! I’ve got five little ones at home, and they each have their own day where they get special “privileges”. One of those privileges is choosing what they want for dinner. If I’m lucky, I can then wrangle them in the kitchen to help me whip it up for a few minutes before they run off and play again.

Along with making things simpler by writing out my menu, I know just what I need when I go to the grocery store--or I should say, when I make my online order and schedule a pickup time (serious game changer!). I'm all about efficiency, and this for sure tops the list.

Freezer Meals:

All over Pinterest and blogs are ideas for meals that you can prepare ahead of time then freeze. Once you’re ready to eat them, pull them out and cook them up in your Instant Pot or slow cooker. What could be better than to come home from a long day to a warm dinner ready to go for you with just minimal additional prep? 

I’ve also seen several companies where you can assemble a bunch of meals for your slow cooker in their store, then take the meals home to freeze and use on a future date. They provide all the food, recipes, and cooking instructions. It’s been something that my family has enjoyed and benefited from occasionally. It's perfect in a last-minute pinch!

Recipe Swap:

Because the hardest part of dinner time is coming up with the idea! Sometimes getting a group together and swapping some fresh new possibilities can give you the extra gumption to pull out that apron every night! Friends and I have done this often, and I’m always amazed at the new ideas and excitement I feel to serve up something new that my family will be sure to love. 

Take Out:

Yes, this is can be a last resort--because sometimes it’s okay to let go of the guilt and stress of having to feed our children fancy, creative meals every single day! And let’s be honest, pizza is never a bad idea!

Hopefully, these few ideas will help you make the hardest hours of the day go a bit smoother and bit yummier!