The Art & Joy of Taking the Time

Making home cooking a priority in your life takes some work. It takes some getting used to. And once you get to this point you'll feel good about thinking ahead and taking the time to be prepared.
You'll be prepared to cook and to eat.

Yesterday, I took the time to cook my lunch meals for the week.

I made spaghetti squash, hamburgers, sauteed mushrooms and onions. I took three containers and divided each item and topped it with a handful of mozzarella cheese. Ready to grab and go for three days. For Thursday, I have frozen chili. Friday is our lunch day at work for the weekly meeting.

I got out my plastic containers, washed the grapes and filled some containers. Ready to eat or take with me.

Fresh sliced watermelon...

Prepped and ready to go.

I'm a big fan of my lettuce spinner. Of any kitchen gadget to have, this is one of my all time favorites. It's worth it to have a good one that will not only spin the greens, but comes with a cover to keep the greens fresh and ready in the frig.

No more bagged greens! Fresh, clean, crisp and ready to eat! You can create a mixture of greens and spinach - ready when you are!

By taking this time, maybe a half an hour to an hour a week, to prep ahead of time, you'll make your life easier. You'll eat better, you'll be thankful for your own forethought - you're going to be hungry, that's a given - that you took the time to take care of yourself and your family.
I keep a container of chopped onions and peeled garlic cloves in the frig. I use these ingredients often, so, when I cut one onion, I cut two or three at the same time. When I buy garlic bulbs, I peel a whole one and put it in the frig,sometimes covered in vegetable oil, in a jar.
The feeling of doing these things is a good one. Rely on yourself and know you can make it work for you. Habits like these are small, yet very powerful lifestyle changers. It's that simple.