Eating Well While Spending Less Time - Multimeal Preparation

OAMC ... OAWC ... freezer meal preparation ... multi-meal preparation ... assembly cooking...What do all these terms have in common? 

1. They are all strategies used to prepare more than one meal in a single cooking session and then store the extras so they can be eaten later.  
2. They can shorten food prep time by hours to days each month.
3. Using one of these strateges can decrease transportation, grocery, and utility expenses more than you can imagine.

I generally do mult-meal preparation once each week and store between 4 and 5 meals.  I purchase enough of whatever meat is on sale and double or triple each of 1 to 2 recipes that freeze well.
A few weeks ago, I purchased two 3# bags of fresh chicken tenders.  I had 2 bottles of jamaican jerk marinade, a bottle of italian salad dressing, and the fixins for vegetable soup in the pantry.
-- From the first bag of tenders, I divided the chicken equally into 3 freezer bags, poured jerk chicken marinade over them, squeezed as much air out of each bag as I could and placed the sealed freezer bags flat in my freezer.
-- With the other bag of chicken tenders, I used a third of the chicken for chicken vegetable soup which we ate that night with cornbread.  I sauteed the rest in italian salad dressing for chicken salad dinners, divided the cooked chicken pieces in two freezer bags and placed the sealed freezer bags flat in my freezer.
--Once all the chicken meals were frozen, I turned them on end like old fashioned album covers. 
All 5 dinners took less than 30 minutes to prepare, cost less than $22.00, and used less than 2 inches of freezer space!

Strategies for Eating Well While Spending Less Time

       For years, I ate just about whatever I wanted.  Sounds great doesn't it.  But after so many years of eating "well", I was much heavier and didn't feel physically fit.  Lots of my time, money and energy was focused on eating and food preparation...shopping for it, cooking it and eating it.       Something had to change!  I wanted to look and feel more like I did years ago AND I wanted to keep more of my time, money and energy for other areas of my life.   So, I developed strategies to help achieve each of those goals and stuck to the plan... Almost two years later, I am smaller and more healthy. I eat well but don't spend nearly as much time, money or energy focusing on eating or preparing food.

GOAL:  Spend Less Time on Food Preparation   
     Most people spend 30 to 45 minutes each time they do spontaneous grocery shopping.  If you stop by the store spontaneously 4 times each week, that's 2 to 3 extra hours of time you could have back again.  Here is a strategy you can use to shop only once each week.

1. Take a look in your pantry & refrigerator, and see what staples you have.
2. Review the weekly circulars for the week in your area. 
3. Create a menu for the week based the two weekly circulars in your area with the best sales, and what you already have in your pantry.
4. Develop a grocery list based on your menu and any items you purchase on a weekly basis.

It really works!  Until next time...

Kathy

PS.  Do you have a time saving strategy for grocery shopping?
  

A Simpler Life

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season!  My family and I had a very thoughtful, meaningful Christmas this year.  Our holiday was filled with extended family and friends, good food and relaxing times. 

This year we concentrated on "the reason for the season"...There was less  "keeping up with the Jones" or "shopping until we dropped".  We participated in less activities, visited with friends and family, and gave gifts that were meant to provide a feeling of love and friendship.  We decided not to rush through December trying to "beat the clock" before the 25th arrived, rather we slowed down a bit and just enjoyed the moment.

After it was all over, my family has decided that we like this new, slower and more deliberate way of life.  So, we are going to try to keep the feeling going by living a simpler life in 2010. 

What is your primary goal for 2010?

More on Disaster Preparedness: A Household First Aid Kit

        Whether preparing for a natural disaster or for a child’s “ow-ee” a first aid kit is essential to have around. The Red Cross suggests the following to be included in any first aid kit for a household of 4:
  • 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
  • 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
  • 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
  • 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
  • 5 antiseptic wipe packets
  • 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
  • 1 blanket (space blanket)
  • 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
  • 1 instant cold compress
  • 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
  • 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
  • Scissors
  • 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
  • 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
  • 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
  • 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
  • Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
  • 2 triangular bandages
  • Tweezers
  • First aid instruction booklet
Of course, it should also include any medications that one’s healthcare provider suggests. In addition, it is a good idea to include emergency phone numbers.

        An alternative to putting a first aid kit together is to purchase one. You can find first aid kits at most pharmacies, “one-stop-shopping” stores or on-line.

Until next time!

Kathy

PS. For more information about first aid kits, go to the Red Cross Website.

How to Prepare for a Natural Disaster

        For the last few weeks, people in King County have been enundated with news of possible ‎flooding in and around the cities of Auburn, Kent, Tukwila, Renton and in South Seattle this ‎winter. ‎

        The culprit is the Howard Hanson Dam, which was damaged last winter following heavy rains and ‎is in the process of being repaired. The Green River, downstream from the dam, is at risk for ‎massive flooding if the dam collapses completely, or if the Army Corps of Engineers has to ‎release large amounts of water quickly to prevent its collapse.‎

        How does a person prepare for something like this? As it turns out, there are steps a person can take to prepare for and ‎manage during a flood. 

Preparing For a Flood:
• Decide how your household will communicate in the event of a disaster.‎
• Make sure that all in your household have access to information from the Emergency ‎Alert System. Find out if there is a local disaster warning signal and, if so, what that is.‎
• Contact your City or County to find out about their emergency action plan.‎
• If you have children, find out about the school’s emergency action plan.‎
• Decide on a meeting place outside your neighborhood and make sure everyone has the ‎address and phone number.‎
• In case there is a need for evacuation, talk about the best two escape routes out of your ‎home, neighborhood, from your children’s school, day care center, your workplace or ‎anywhere family members spend time.‎
• Identify an out-of-State contact, and make sure everyone in your household has that ‎person’s name, address, phone number, and email address. ‎
• Build or buy a disaster kit.‎  The Red Cross website is a great resource to help determine what you will want in your kit.
• Think about CPR and First Aid training if you don’t already know both.‎
• If you don’t know your neighbors, introduce yourself and your household to them.
‎• Get flood insurance if you don’t have it already. If you are renting, get tenant’s insurance ‎for your belongings.‎
• Gather disaster supplies.‎


Managing During a Flood:‎

        The notification will come from the NOAA Weather Service. It will use the terms ‎advisory, watch or warning. An "advisory" means that there may be a flood in 2-7 days. ‎The term "watch" means there may be flooding possible in 12-48 hours. The term "warning" ‎means that a flood is occurring or will occur within 12 hours.


        If the notification includes ‎an advisory to evacuate, do so immediately.  The following tips are from FEMA...
• If you need to evacuate, secure your home. ‎
        -If you have time, bring in outdoor furniture. ‎
        -Move essential items to an upper floor. ‎
• Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do so. Disconnect ‎electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in ‎water. ‎


• Once outside, do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you ‎have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the ‎firmness of the ground in front of you. ‎
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and ‎move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle can be quickly swept ‎away. ‎


Once you get to higher ground, be sure to follow your evacuation plan.  Please let me know if this information is helpful, or if there is any additional information that might help others.


Until next time...
                                                     Kathy

Welcome!

My Husband and I began providing housing for people in and around the Seattle area almost 13 years ago - three months before the birth of our almost adolescent son. As we prepared for this new endeavor, we said things like...It'll be a piece of cake...How hard can it be?...It shouldn't take much time at all...


We quickly learned that our sense of well-being was directly connected to the prosperity of the folks we were serving. Over the years, we celebrated as folks moved out of our property after purchasing their first home - and we fretted over others who had to leave because of a lifestyle that we knew would become dangerous if continued.


Now, almost 13 years later, we see the effects of this nation's economic crisis on the faces of the people that are our customers. So, we've decided to do what we can to help by sharing information with folks that live in the region through this blog...


It'll be a piece of cake...How hard can it be?...It shouldn't take much time at all...

I'll keep you posted.

                                                                     Kathy