One Day, One Focus™ Menu Prep and Batch Cooking

Most of you know by now that I do most of my cooking in bulk.  For me, I find it works best to spend one day, with one focus, and get the job done.  

Sunday, after attending an early morning meeting, then heading to church with the fam, it was time to get cooking.  

Roy and I headed off to our local Farm Boy Grocer to get the fixin’s for the week.  By 2 pm we were home and it was time to wash the produce, slice and dice the veggies and get crackin’. 

By 8 pm we had eaten our dinner, food for the week was prepped, all the dishes were washed and the bonus is I  don't need to think about what to serve for dinner again for another week!  Maybe longer given we have stocked the freezer at the same time. 

 So, in just six hours (which included eating our family meal) spending One day, One focus™, yielded:

• A crockpot full of beef and veggie stew.   Frozen into family sized and individual portions.

• Oven Roasted Kale Chips for the week of snacks.

• Roasted Chickpeas for grab and go snacks or to add to salads.

• A fridge full of cut peppers, carrots and celery for snacks and lunches.

• Fruit washed and put in bowls for easy grab and go snack.

• Six huge cooked chicken breasts ready to add to the top pastas or salads  (one breast will feed 2-3 people).   I wrapped each cooked chicken breast individually so we can quickly grab, thaw and add to our meal.

• A pot of spaghetti sauce which was frozen into both individual and family sized portions.

• 6 Burger patties made and wrapped individually & frozen for later in the week.

• A pot of veggie soup that was frozen in individual servings for lunches or a snack

• A stir fry for dinner that evening

• Green juice for moi (the rest of the family thinks this is a little whacked)

Intense periods of focus result in major results!

If you need assistance with menu planning, time management or simply strategies to achieve the ability to have the opportunity for One Day, One Focus™ opportunities in your life.   Book an appointment with us, either in person or virtually – we can help you find more time in your life.   Visit our website at www.adventuresinorganizing.ca

Is Your Day Planner Friend or Foe? 10 Quick & Simple Tips to Effective Productivity

Last week I received my 2014 planner in the mail.  I do not know about you but one of my favourite things to do is crack open my new planner each year and begin mapping out all the important dates and events.   

In 2014 my eldest daughter Jasmine will be getting married, I need to block the week before her wedding of to help with last minute details, and I need to block the week after off for what I anticipate will be much needed “me” time.

 

A couple of years ago I gave a talk at a woman’s retreat and was asked to come up with one word that spoke to where I was at in my journey.  The word I chose was “Content" my life was in a state of peace and I was completely content.    Having to come up with one word was a challenge but it something I have adopted each year since.  

 Last year it was "Adventure" and my word for 2014 my word is: "Create".    

The word goes at the very beginning of my planner to remind me over my overall goal.

 Here are a few tips for was to maximize your planner usage and ensure that if is being used effectively

1.     Take it everywhere, put everything it and refer to it multiple times per day.   It will not work if you do not open it, read it and use it.

2.     When mail comes in the door, write bill payment dates, write appointments, and invitations dates into your planner

3.    Don’t stop there!  Put addresses, contact names and phone numbers into the planner as well.

4.    Stop the “sticky note insanity”.    Gather all your “sticky notes” and put the details into your planner. 

5.   Keep all your notes, phone details and comments in your planner – if you need to call someone back in a week, write in your planner.    If you are just too in love with your post it’s, use them in your planner.   Eg…if “call John on Tues 27 555-5555 “is the post it not and John was not in, make a note on the 27^th that you called and move the post it to the 29^th in your planner to try again.

6.    Add your grocery and shopping lists to your planner.

7.    Contact information – keep client numbers in your planner.   If you are stuck in traffic and running late, you want to be able to let them know.

8.    Use colour to chunk out and separate activities.   I always highlight my categories in colour.   An example would be…client bookings in “green”, family in “orange”, social media activities in “purple”, and networking events in “pink” and bills to pay in “red”.       At a glance I can see what is happening in my week and the ratio of family to work time.   It helps me keep my priorities in line.

9.    Have a way for your family to know what is happening with your calendar.   Online calendars can be shared.  I use a paper calendar for all of my appointments, and transfer the details to a family wall calendar at home.    I have an online calendar my clients and family can take a peek at to see what time slots remain open.   The kids have actually booked me through my client booking system on occasion to make a point if I have been working too much.

10.                     Let’s go back to #1!   If you do not use it, it will not work for you.   Develop the habit of checking, re-checking and adding to your calendar.

If you would like assistance ensuring you are making the most of your time, space and information, please contact us today for a complimentary phone conversation to see how we can help.    I look forward to hearing from you.    Bless others with your abundance, Jennifer

M is for Menu: Simple Menu Planning Tips

M is for Menu Planning   

One of the most important things I do each month, for both my sanity and my budget, is menu planning.

There are a couple of things that I have found over the years to be of the biggest assistance when planning my family’s meals each month.

1.  Planning monthly saves me time and money.   I can cook in bulk and freeze saving me cooking time and having meals prepared ahead saves money on expensive and unhealthy take-out options  
2. Having a deep freeze saves me money
3. Using the weekly flyers saves me money

In my early 30’s (yes I am well beyond that now), I was given the book Once-a-MonthCooking by Mimi Wilson & Mary Beth Lagerborg and it completely changed the way I thought about cooking and planning meals.   It may not be for you and it does indeed leave you locked in the kitchen for a day BUT it is one day a month and then  you are free as a bird the rest of the month.

When checking out the link for the book - I stumbled across this quick YouTube Video that talks about the cost savings and family benefits to using this method.

Planning Monthly Menus.    

I personally have found it helpful to plan my menus by the month.   If making a pot of spaghetti sauce, I would slot that into the menu twice in the month and ensure that I make enough in one batch to not only cover serving it twice in the month but also twice in the following month.   Same would apply with a soup…. I would ensure that there were enough prepared for dinner twice that month or one dinner and two lunches, again I would likely make enough to cover a meal or two for the following month as well.

Where do I find the time to make meals in advance?  It really does not take a lot more effort to cook a meal in bulk than it does to cook it for one dinner.   A few more minutes chopping perhaps but other than that, it does not cost any negligible time and in the long run, you will gain time back into your life having the meals already prepared.

Using Weekly Flyers.    

Weekly flyers can be a blessing or a curse.   If you use them to purchase items your family uses and needs, they are a blessing.  If they are hanging around becoming clutter or you purchase items you do not need and will not use, then they are obviously a curse.

When using flyers, I would recommend stapling a list to the front of each flyer indicating what you wish to purchase from each particular store.   Take the flyer to the store with you so you have the price and the package size and then leave the flyer at the store so you do not have the paper clutter to deal with later.    If there is an item on sale that you use often, like peanut butter or butter, stock up when it is on sale and then do not buy more until the stock is almost depleted.   Do not buy more than you have storage space.  

Our family loves butter and it is usually quite expensive.   Our freezer often holds 6-10 pounds of butter at a time.  Right now, our butter stash has been depleted since butter has not been on sale for a while.   We do the same with meat and buy in bulk when it's on sale.   I then check my freezer when preparing my menu each month and plan around what's in the freezer and what is on sale that week.   It is a rare week that we buy meat that is not on sale.

Having a deep freeze saves you money.  

Buying in bulk when items are on sale and freezing homemade meals in advance is a major factor in having well planned healthy menus ready for your family.

A few tips from our family to yours when menu planning

• Plan left over night the evening before garage pick up.   Haul everything out and serve a wide variety to clear out the fridge

• Serve an egg dish once a week to save dollars.   Omelets, Frittatas, Quiche are great ways to use up left over vegetables and meats as well.

• Plan a pasta dish one night per week

• Plan a fish dish one night per week

•  Make one, freeze one.   It takes no extra time to double each recipe.   Make a meal for dinner and freeze one for later in the month.

If you would like a copy of our free monthly menu planner, please email us and put Free Menu Planner in the subject line, we would be happy to send one out to you.

Adventures in Organizing can help you with your menu planning, household management, home filing systems and time management systems.    

Sign up for our Minute-By-Minute program today!   For just $5.00 per week you will have your own customized organizing program.  

The Organizing Olympics, Day 10: Fridge Wrestling

Fridge Wrestling is a difficult event.  Your opponent is a mighty one, as soon as you think you have victory, you are tackled by a nasty container found at the back of the fridge.

Wrestling involves, strength and stamina.   You are going to wrestle the lids of some strong smelling containers filled with nasty science experiments.   The shelves will require wrestling, and a plunge onto the mats (also known as the sink and hot soapy water).    

The rules of this event are as follows:

1.       Keep “like” items together (fruits, veggies, leftovers, eggs)
2.       Expired food gets tossed
3.       Food you will not consume gets tossed
4.       Clean the shelves

Set your timer for a 15 minute training session and we begin with one shelf.

Pull everything off the shelf and make some quick decisions.  

·       

• How old is it? Can't remember when you cooked something - Toss

• Will it be eaten?  -  Donate if not

• Is this the best shelf in the fridge for this item?

Go!    

Sort items into categories on the counter and make your decisions.    

Wash your shelf and only put back what will be stored on that shelf.

Training camp is over; it is time to head into the main event. 

You are strong, you are mighty, you can win this match!

Use your timer to ensure you take a break and to keep yourself focused and moving.

You win double gold, if you label the shelves in the fridge so everyone know where to put items back.  Pick one day per week to maintain the fridge...the day before garbage pick up would be an excellent choice.

Some examples could be:   Jams,  Eggs, Milk, Dairy (yogurt, sour cream, Labneh),  Left Overs.

Follow our full six week plan at LVSonline

The Organizing Olympics, Day 9: Pantry Polo

Today's event will be.....The Pantry Polo

This event is a team sport and you will be the goal keeper aka Keeper of the Pantry .    Polo  involves, swimming and treading water – we are no longer going to tread water as we take Pantry Polo to a whole new level

The rules of this event are as follows:

1.       Keep “like” items together (canned veggies with veggies, crackers with crackers, soups with soups)
2.       Expired food gets tossed
3.       Food you will not consume gets donated to the food bank or a soup kitchen
4.       Clean the shelves

Set your timer for a 15 minute training session and we begin with one shelf.

Pull everything off the shelf and make some quick decisions.  

·       

•   How old is it? Expired  - Toss

• Do you like it?

• Will it be eaten?  -  Donate if not

• Is this the best shelf in the pantry for this item?

Go!    

Sort items into categories on the counter and make your decisions.    

Clean the shelf and only put back what will be stored on that shelf.

Training camp is over; it is time to head into the main event. 

Remember, no treading water in this Pantry Polo.

Use your timer to ensure you take a break and to keep yourself focused and moving.

Shoot for the goal and win Gold

If you need help getting your home and pantry in order, sign up for our Minute By Minute Organizing Program.  It is just $5.00 per week!!!