The 6 p.m. Rush – Do You Know What’s For Dinner?

I love to cook.

If I made enough money to hire a chef, I probably wouldn’t. I like cooking and it relaxes me. I love the chop, chop, chopping of onions and even though I may cry, it makes me feel like I accomplished something when dinner is cooked and smells so good.

One complaint I hear from my fellow mommy friends that they only know how to make one or two dishes. I like to call these my “spaghetti and fried chicken” friends. They don’t stray too far from what they know and if a recipe has more than five steps, they won’t make it.

I used to be like that. Longer recipes used to scare me and I used to avoid baking altogether.

But it’s all about confidence. If you believe you are a good cook, the rest will follow. You have to learn to trust your tongue.

So when you’re trying to get dinner on the table every night, try some of these tips:

1. Any meat you plan on cooking take out of the freezer the night before. Put it on the lowest level of the fridge, preferably on a plate or platter so the juices don’t leak onto anything else.
2. Assemble your ingredients the night before. This will help you know if you’re missing any particular ingredient that has the possibility to ruin your dish. (Don’tcha hate that?)
3. If you have time the night before, prep some food. Chop that onion or bell pepper, make the rice. It saves you time and energy the next day.  
4. Merge dishes whenever possible. Say you make a pot roast on Sunday night. If you have some left over, use it in a chili or in an omelet. No need in wasting food or cooking from stratch when you already have seasoned, cooked meat at your fingertips.

What about you, readers? What tips do you have for getting dinner on the table fast?