Preparation

Mise en place. Everything in place. Thinking ahead to the next meal or the next day. Cleaning vegetables; washing lettuce and spinning it; washing herbs. Cubing the butter for the biscuits. Measuring flour and other dry ingredients for a loaf bread or a cake. I find this kind of thinking ahead takes a bit of the pressure off when I have to get to work. At the end of an evening when I am tired yet tireless, knowing what I will be preparing next, I can get the ingredients together on a second wind which makes it easier to ease into the next go round. This really helps, knowing what I have already prepared, it really takes a mental load off of the task. If you're in the kitchen and you know the next day you will be baking bread, measure out the flour and put it into a container with a label. If you have more time on a certain evening, knowing your cooking plan for the week, wash things, measure things, measure and prepare the single ingredients. Take the time to prepare and have everything ready - You'll be happy you did and it's good for you.