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Table of Contents

|Introduction |Page 4 |

|Part I – Planning Ahead |Page 6 |

|Part II – The Art of Dinners |Page 9 |

|Part III – Get Creative |Page 11 |

|About the Author |Page 13 |

| | |

Dedication

To my husband Tim and our two sons, TJ and Joey – who expect dinner every night.

To my mom; who prepared a hot, fresh and homemade dinner most nights for us growing up. You are an inspiration to live up to.

Introduction

Next to the morning rush where everyone is trying to get out the door with everything needed and on time, dinner time is probably the most hectic time in a family’s day. Everyone is tired, cranky excited about their day…all coming and going at different times from different activities with one thing in common….they want to eat!

Experts agree and studies show that families that eat at least a few meals together each week have better communication, the kids do better academically, stick to a budget with more success and the overall nutrition of the meal is improved.

Sure that sounds dandy – but doesn’t it seem like we have even less time these days? Even with all the technology that is supposed to make our lives easier we still seem to be over-committed, over-stressed, over-worked and over-tired. The choices for activities are endless, giving everyone their equal opportunity to pursue their own interests. Johnny has Little League practice three times a week, Katie has ballet and swimming both twice a week, Church group is on Wednesday nights, mom’s book club meets on Tuesdays and dad plays poker every Friday night. Saturdays are spent running errands and if we are lucky, Sunday is a day of rest. Rest! HA! What a concept.

In the midst of our hectic lives, where does quality family time fit in? One thing that has gone by the wayside is the family dinners. But how is this possible to achieve when everyone is coming and going in different directions and at different times? And is it just me, or does it seem that all activities seem to happen right around the normal dinner hour?

Let me ask you a question. How many meals last week did your family sit down together and actually eat at the same time? One, two, four, seven….none? How many would you have liked to have eaten together? How many meals were picked up through a drive-through window and half eaten by the time you got home? Then everyone scatters in different directions once they arrived at home?

The goal of this mini-book is simple. Provide tips to make dinnertime less hectic so you can enjoy time with your family. Added benefits will be better nutrition, saving money and reducing stress.

Here are some things to say to yourself and to keep in mind to help implement these tips to create a real change in your daily routine.

• I desire to have a set time for my family to come together as a family to share a meal, enjoy each other’s company, and learn about their day and their accomplishments.

• I will set time aside to plan and prepare for nightly dinners.

• I will make a commitment to provide healthful meals.

• I acknowledge the importance and benefits of eating together as a family and I will make it a priority to try to achieve this goal.

Just to be clear, this mini-book is not a cookbook, nor do I provide any recipes for you to use. One quick search on and you’ll see, there are thousands of books that offer that. Instead, I offer tips. The tips I offer are simple, easy to implement. I invite you read through the book, and then revisit it from time to time to see if any of the tips resonate differently with you at different times throughout the year and the circumstances of your schedules.

In addition, I have not received any payment for any books, articles, websites, etc. that I list in the tips. Nor are the lists I offer all inclusive. The things that I list or suggest are examples, and I would imagine if there is one, there are probably more alternatives. I invite you to do a little more research and find what works best for you.

Thanks for reading and best wishes to you and your family

~Amy

Part I – Planning Ahead

1. Set a goal for how many dinners you’d like to have with the family each week.

Calculate how many meals you are currently eating together as a family. Then set a goal for how many you’d like to achieve each week. Be realistic about this goal. If your current number is zero – shoot for two or three. After six months, review and strive to increase the number.

2. Use a calendar

Look at your weekly or monthly calendar to find obvious days that are free from commitments to schedule your family dinners. Create an appointment for these dinners and don’t let anything interfere or interrupt your plans.

3. Create a weekly menu

At the end of each week or the end of each weekend, create a weekly menu based on what is scheduled for each day of the upcoming week. Make note of particularly busier nights and plan accordingly. Planning ahead of time will eliminate the stress of having to come up with a meal at the same time when everyone is hungry and rushed.

4. Sunday night place frozen meats and meals in the refrigerator to thaw for weeknight meals.

Have the main protein or other frozen items thawed and ready to use when you need them.

5. Keep take-out menus handy and in one location.

Takeout food isn’t all bad nor is it realistic to assume you’ll be able to make dinner every night. Allow yourself a night off from time to time, but keep the menus close by so you don’t waste time searching all over for them.

6. Keep your pantry stocked with staples.

An entire meal can be made with the right sort of staples. Keeping things like canned beans, canned tuna, chicken broth, pastas, rice, etc. can make a quick go-to dinner for even the busiest of nights.

7. Keep your refrigerator stocked with staples.

Same reasons as #6 – some refrigerator staples are eggs, cheese, butter, milk, parmesan cheese, lemons and Dijon mustard.

8. Keep your freezer stocked with staples.

Same reasons as # 6 and 7 – here are a few freezer staples; frozen veggies, pastas, nuts, bacon.

9. Shop from a shopping list according to the weekly menu

Once the weekly menu is created and all the staples are in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer, it is time to go shopping and stock up on items you will need for the week. Create a list of all the items needed so you don’t have to make a “store run” during the already busy weekdays.

10. Create your shopping list in the order of the grocery store aisles.

Shopping in order of the store layout will save time and ensure you get all the items on your list. No double backing allowed!

11. Have kids unload the dishwasher while you are cooking dinner

Keep the kids busy and engaged instead of running around asking for snacks and interrupting your concentration around cooking. If they are old enough, have them do jobs to help the dinner time process run smoother. Kids as young as five or six can start unloading the dishwasher with non-breakables and putting things away that are at their level.

12. Kids can set the table while you are cooking dinner

Same as #11 – keep the kids busy and have them set the table, so the table it ready when dinner is.

13. Run the dishwasher and empty it before going to bed.

Start the day off with an empty dishwasher helps make the morning rush less hectic. This will lead to a less hectic dinnertime in that you won’t walk into a sink full of dirty dishes that need to be dealt with even before you can start with the dinner preparations.

14. Create a general grocery list and check off things as you run out.

Over the course of a couple months, track and make note of the most common items you use. Check them off as your run out and then you’ll remember to get those items next time you are at the grocery store.

15. Shop on a schedule and use a list.

Keep your time a priority and don’t get sidetracked with meandering through each aisle with no purpose. Keep to your list and keep to a set time.

16. Have milk and other groceries delivered to your door.

Eliminate the need for countless trips to the grocery store for very common items or for even all your items. Many grocery stores offer delivery right to your front door.

17. Set a time for dinner

Family dinnertime doesn’t mean never-ending family time. Set a timeframe for dinner and let members give attention to their other weekly commitments too.

18. Keep the kitchen and dinner table clutter free

No one will want to sit or eat at a table they can’t see. Find other places for the stacks of mail and laundry.

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Part II – The Art of Dinner

19. Use a garbage bowl while making dinner.

Rachel Ray made this idea famous: keep a garage bowl close by to prevent running back and forth from different stations while making dinner. Keep everything near you and you save time by staying put.

20. Cook extra and freeze meals for extra busy weeks.

When making freezer friendly meals, make an extra batch and freeze. Things such as casseroles, chili, and soups are all good meals that are easy to double the recipes and keep and freeze half for later.

21. Don't be a short order cook - offer everyone the same meal.

Making one meal is easier and quicker than making three. Find meals that everyone will eat.

22. Grill or bake once a week and reheat for dinners.

Fire up that grill just once or heat the oven only one time and cook all the main dishes or proteins for the week.

23. Bake/cook in big batches.

When creating your weekly menu, pick recipes that complement each other. Eat chicken three times in one week? Cook all your chicken at one time.

24. Make enough for leftovers.

Leftovers don’t have to be a plastic food storage container reheated like your mom used to do. YUCK! Instead – get creative with leftovers, but make enough the first time around to have extras.

25. A rotisserie chicken goes a long way.

Whoever invented this product should get a gold star. Tasty chicken and easy to eat as is or use in casseroles, salads or soups. If you family can eat an entire chicken at one meal, buy two and use the meat for dishes later in the week.

26. Frying less requires less cleaning.

Cleaning up is just as much part of the dinner time process. Make it easy on yourself – save the frying and cleaning for the weekends.

27. Prepare meals in a Crockpot.

The current slow-cooker isn’t your mom’s Crockpot. Find new recipes and have dinner waiting for you when you get home each night.

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28. Know 12-15 recipes by heart.

It’s better to make something good again and again versus not making anything at all. Save experimenting for the weekends.

29. Rachel Ray!!!

She’s created an empire of thirty minute meals that are homemade with fresh ingredients. Check out one of her many cookbooks or any other quick cooking recipes.

30. Involve the kids

Kids can help with prep, cooking, and cleanup. Get them involved too.

31. Use quick cooking items – boneless chicken tenders, boneless pork chops, canned beans, etc.

There are many products that are naturally faster cooking. Don’t make it harder than it has to be.

32. Get help from the store – with chopped veggies, shredded cheeses, etc.

While they might be a little higher in cost, buying items that help speed the prep process along might be worth it.

Part III – Get Creative

33. Use a theme for different days of the week

Take the guess work out and the planning out of every weeknight meal. Instead, create themes to keep the process simple. Here are a few to try: Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, and Pizza Thursdays.

34. Try new recipes on weekends or special occasions.

Reading and rereading a recipe takes extra time. Time that week nights usually can’t offer. Don’t use the busy weeknights for trying new and complex recipes. Stick with stuff you know how to prepare and your family likes.

35. Keep coupons for restaurants in one location.

Be realistic about your expectations and abilities. Some days a home cooked meal just isn’t going to happen. Allow yourself to bring food in from outside sources, but keep the phone numbers and coupons handy, so at least you’ll save time searching for these things.

36. Swap meals with friends and neighbors.

Many families have been very successful in keeping the variety in their mealtimes by trading meals with other families and friends. It takes some organizing to work out who eats what and define parameters. But with some practice, families who are successful at it, say it is well worth the effort.

37. No technology at the table

The whole idea of bringing the family together at the dinner table is to eat together. Not to see each texting. Create a “no technology at the table” rule from day one and start talking the old fashion way.

38. Cereal for dinner

If it is well balanced enough for breakfast, it should work for dinner too.

39. Redefine dinners

Dinner doesn’t have to be meat, starch, vegetable. It is far better to eat together as a family, no matter what it is on the plates.

40. Once a month cooking

Set aside one full day or if needed an entire weekend to cook, prepare and freeze meals for the upcoming month. There are many websites that help organize your menus, shopping lists and even methods in preparation so the efforts aren’t duplicated.

41. No TV at dinner time

Much like no technology, no TV either. Family time is where’s it at!

42. Sandwiches!

Quick, healthful, well-balanced. Sandwiches aren’t just for lunch anymore. They’re an entire meal between your hands. Don’t underestimate them or forget about them.

43. Websites and Aps to the rescue!

There are many websites and Aps for your smartphone that can help with dinner time preparations. One quick Google search for “dinner time help” and you’ll get hundreds of resources. Some websites and Aps offer meal planning, some you can type in the ingredients you have in your refrigerator and it produces a dinner idea. Dedicate some time to finding one or two that work for you and return to them again and again for inspiration and help.

44. Hire a personal chef

Let someone do the cooking for you. This isn’t even considered a luxury service anymore. Many personal chefs create specialized meals based on your dietary and personal preferences. When you consider the cost of groceries and your time spent shopping, the fees around a personal chef are well worth it.

45. Get help from the store.

Many grocery stores are now offering prepared meals that are fresh and many times made from local ingredients. All they need is to be heated and served. Take advantage of these options on weeknights that you are extra busy or have just run out of ideas and energy.

46. Create family traditions

By creating family traditions, it gives everyone something to look forward to and keeps the motivation high to work hard to create a family dinnertime. Taco Tuesdays might not seem so silly after a few weeks when everyone is counting on them.

47. Dinner didn’t work out? Have a family dessert.

Maybe with your schedules and preferences, an actual family dinner just won’t work for your current family. But recognize it is still important for all the reasons listed in the introduction to get together as a family. Maybe you have a family dessert time together each night with a bowl of ice cream or cookies and milk.

About the Author

Amy Munns writes about time management strategies in her blog Just a Minute. She also offers time management consulting for small businesses, busy professionals and active families. Her tips are for anyone who can use some more time in their professional and personal lives.

Having run her own small business for over ten years, Amy says running her own company has been the most challenging and rewarding experiences of her professional career. At the same time, she has had to learn to balance her active family of two small sons and a husband who travels a lot. Over the years, she found she had a knack for time saving methods and starting advising fellow small business owners and fellow parents on ways to trim excess work from their daily routines. The biggest result is always the same, cutting excess work and waste….allows for more personal and family time.

Amy’s two philosophies in life are:

• Keep it simple

• Keep it honest

To read more of Amy’s Time Saving Tips, subscribe to her blog at or like her Facebook page

Copyright, Amy Munns, 2011, All Rights Reserved.

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What’s for Dinner?

Daily dinnertime tips that will save time, money and energy.

Amy Munns

Time-management Guru

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