Chop Now, Rest Later
We cooks know that planning ahead is not only one of the keys to success, but it will literally be the difference between high anxiety and clear focus when you're down to the minute.
In the Kitchen: Menu Planning
At home, every Sunday morning, our family plans dinners for the work-week. The time it takes to brainstorm things we'd like to cook, how we can use leftovers, how our menu supports the schedules we all keep, etc, saves us a lot of stress, chaos, AND money in the long run. We do one big shopping trip for the week, and "poof!" gone are the early afternoon text conversations about what we're going to eat for dinner and who is going to shop. This advanced planning is also a great way to keep the kids engaged: let them take charge of a meal, or choose a dish that they can help you prepare.
A sample menu for a week:
Monday: Sake Poached Salmon, Japanese rice, nori and avocado
Tuesday: Tacos/Burritos
Wednesday: Thai salad with rice noodles
Thursday: Burgers and oven fries
Friday: Smoked chicken thighs, mac and cheese, brocollini
In Life: Keeping a Schedule
I’ve been hearing from other parents that during distance learning they feel like a super hero. The schedule is planned out, the house runs smoothly, there's less screen time. It may be unrealistic to implement this all the time, but I've come to learn that my kids thrive on a schedule, and it seems like they're not alone.
Get the kids involved in creating a schedule that works for everyone, and stick to it! Build in time outside, exercise, gardening, cooking... whatever your dream is for a "healthy" household. You can even write in the stuff they don't like to do, then, when it's time, you just point to the schedule as if it's not YOU, it just IS.
In the Kitchen: Mise en Place
If you don’t already know it, let me introduce you to the simple organizational method the French call Mise en Place (“everything in its place”). This fluid and flexible concept is carried out in three steps: assess, prepare, assemble. Depending upon the complexity of a meal, this pattern repeats.
Assess: Read your recipe, know your road map, gather your ingredients, tools, and equipment.
Prepare: Chop, slice, measure, etc. so that when it’s time to cook, you have everything on hand.
Assemble: I use this word lightly, as there will surely be better verbs for the act of cooking, depending upon the dish, but the idea here is that once you’ve gathered and prepared everything, the cooking process can proceed smoothly.
There are many nuances to this process and you will discover what works for you. Play with the concept and make it your own.
In Life: Mise en Place
We would love to know how Mise en Place shows up in your life outside of the kitchen. Email us your stories and we will add them to our website! info@cookprograms.com