I know I have mentioned short cuts in the kitchen before but I read this statistic and thought this is a good time to mention them again.

According to the National Restaurant Association, “Americans currently spend 43 percent of their food dollar on food prepared away from home, compared to 36 percent in 1981. And that percentage is considered likely to increase in the future. National Restaurant Association statistics show that, even in the depths of the recession, customers have maintained their frequency of eating and ordering out. True, they are probably spending fewer dollars on each occasion (one reason why restaurateurs may feel things are worse than they are) but their obvious reluctance to “brown bag it” or stay at home, even in the face of declining real disposable income. On top of that the National Restaurant Association has projected foodservice industry sales to reach $262 billion this year, an increase of 5.6 percent over 1991, or 1.8 percent when adjusted for inflation.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of money to spend on eating out everyday.  I know the 918CouponQueen would agree with me that you will save more money by shopping smarter and if you are really itching to go out to eat she has several great deals to save you money at restaurants.  To learn more ways to save money on groceries and eating out read her blog at http://www.918couponqueen.com

In the mean time let’s find some short cuts in the kitchen. Taking a few steps can save you a lot of time to make dinners at home if you know a few secret tips.  We are all busy, busy and don’t have enough time in the day to make dinner from scratch or spend an hour trying to make dinner after you get home from soccer games.

I know Sunday is suppose to be a day of rest, but Sunday afternoon is the day I like to get ahead of the game.  I brown all of my ground beef and put it into a few freezer bags.  I don’t measure anything out…scary I know, but I scoop the browned hamburger into a freezer bag for what I think is enough for several dishes.  In our house we make taco’s, hotdishes (Minnesota talk) or casseroles for you Oklahoman’s.  I make a  freezer bag for spaghetti, BBQ’s,chili and so on.  The point I am trying to make is if your hamburger already done it takes no time at all to make a casserole, spaghetti, or tacos.  Not only are you saving money by not going out but you are able to be at home and this will give your kids some extra time to do their homework!  It’s a win/win!!

The next time you are grilling out chicken make a little extra to freeze for chicken quesadillas or put chicken in your pasta sauce for something new.  Sometimes I make a meatloaf ahead of time.  I just keep some of the ground beef out mix all of my ingredients (and the secret one) together and stick it in the freezer instead of the oven.

Another extra thing I like to do on Sunday afternoon is wash all of my lettuce and put it into a Ziploc bag.  Nothing drives me more crazy then wanting a salad for dinner and having to clean all of the lettuce. I just want to be able to throw it in a bowl and start adding lots of toppings.  I also cut up my fruit and put it into storage containers so that it is ready to go as well.

None of this is rocket science and some Sunday’s you may not have time to do any of this.  All I am trying to do is give you some ideas/tips on some very useful shortcuts to make your busy day less busy. I wonder what you could do with the money you will saving from eating out less for dinner?

Author Michelle Lehman of Organizing Solutions “Clear the Clutter” Michelle is a Professional Organizer in the Tulsa area. Her articles have been featured in the Tulsa World, The Oklahoman, Chicago Sun-Times and The Chicago Post-Tribune.  Michelle appears on TheNewsOn 6 KOTV and Fox23 News This Morning giving organizing tips and recommendations.
Photo Credit © Stoupa | Dreamstime.com

Tags: kitchen, organizing, time management