Old Mother Frugal likes to take time off from cooking and
hang the “Gone Fishin’” sign.
Well, not literally gone fishin’.
Figuratively, gone fishin’.
This episode of "Frugal Bugle" is dedicated to using the oven as my ‘fishing
hole’. One strategy to defer cooking is to cook several meals at one time. Sometimes it’s using three slow cookers simultaneously or the main oven. Today, it’s the stove-top and toaster oven.
Simultaneous cooking is a frugal use of time, energy (both
physical and gas/electrical) and keeps money in the wallet by not dining out.
First, there is the time issue. Plan to cook a minimum of three meals at one
time. Allocate about 2 hours maximum to
this endeavor. You may use only 60-90
minutes. There are only 24 hours in a
day but preparing several meals simultaneously in advance gives you an extra
30-60 minutes per day.
Yes, Old Mother Frugal has figured out how to add extra time
to your busy day. If you are a full time working person, slot 7-9PM one night when
your Little Helpers are busy doing homework or 7-9AM on Saturday. Maybe Saturday/Sunday afternoon works better
for you.
How are you saving time? You are not repetitively taking utensils out
of drawers and cabinets, not repetitively washing dishes, pots and pans.
This strategy works for dinners and it works for desserts
(muffins, cupcakes, cakes, quick breads, etc). Start with your lightest color
batter first and work up to the darker color batters (vanilla, banana, carrot,
red-velvet, chocolate).
One and done.
Next is the issue of expending energy. Physical energy. Cooking can be tiring. All that walking around the kitchen,
back-n-forth. If your oven is low, all
those knee bends and squats! Bending
down to open and close drawers, reaching up to open and close cabinet doors. Cooking
three meals in the oven at one time is less tiring.
This brings up the next energy-drainer, the
utility bill. When you can turn on the
oven one time and cook multiple meals, you are saving electricity or gas.
Washing dishes one time conserves water and cost.
Dining out is pricey.
If you’re too tired to cook…not in the mood to cook… sick and tired to
cook, how wonderful it is to reheat and eat!
No loading up the car with the Little Helpers. No waiting for a table or
in a line to be served dinner for two or three or four or five. No embarrassing public meltdowns by Mom due
to hunger. [The Little Helpers never have public meltdowns]. No shocking bill
at the end of the meal. No remorse the following month when the credit card
comes due for payment.
Now, Old Mother Frugal has no qualms with dining out, but it’s
budgeted in the spending plan. When
looking to find ways to save in the budget, look at money spent dining
out. You may be surprised!
There are three new meals in Old Mother Frugal's refrigerator for this week: one
for chicken fajitas; one for chicken scampi and spaghetti and one for salmon
patties over noodles. Extra meatballs from Sunday's dinner means a meal of meatball leftovers, maybe a meatball sub sandwich!
What does one do with
the extra time? Write a blog entry, of course!
SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: If possible, make an extra serving when doing
your dinner prep. Build up your freezer with these extra meals so that you can
periodically have meals from the freezer without having to cook that day’s
dinner. Serve it buffet-style and let family members select which entrée they
would like for dinner!
SALMON PATTIES
ONE-PAN CHICKEN FAJITAS
CHICKEN TENDER SCAMPI
MASHED POTATOES
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