Do you feel like kitchen work is never-ending at your home? As a homeschool mom, it can sometimes feel like we will never escape the confines of the kitchen right? I don’t know about you but my kiddos expect three FULL meals a day. When I add in clean-up time for each of those meals it suddenly becomes overwhelming. However, there are a few things I have learned to make my kitchen time a little easier, and at least bearable. So here are my top 10 kitchen tips for busy moms.
Kitchen Tip #1 – Find some good kitchen tools
One essential part of kitchen ease is having a good set of tools to work with. What do I mean by tools? Things that are easy to clean, and save you time! My number one recommendation would be an Instant Pot! Now I know that money can be tight as a busy mom, but do the best you can. I have sold my old things to buy something more efficient or even asked for kitchen gadgets for my birthday. Anything that saves me time is a plus in my book!
Kitchen Tip #2 – Do some prep work
Prep work is essential to saving you time during your busy week. Wash and chop veggies or make snack bags. If you are feeling extra ambitious prep some meat or freezer meals for the week. Any work you can complete on the weekend will be less you will have to juggle during your busy homeschool day.
Kitchen Tip #3 – Have a meal plan
Meal plans are amazing little things. They will help you avoid the last minute “what’s for dinner” rush that inevitably leads to the drive-thru dinner. It also saves me money by reducing waste and allowing me to shop the sales for the week. If you need a meal plan template be sure to subscribe to my email to receive a free printable one now.
Kitchen Tip #4 – Leftovers (or re-dos)
When designing your meal plan be sure that you include days for leftovers or redos as I call them. What’s a redo? It’s something that you cooked once but made into a separate meal for later. For example, I will cook pinto beans one day and then turn them into chili or refried beans later in the week. Redos allow me to stay away from processed food but still cut down on my kitchen time.
Kitchen Tip #5 – Try a theme night
Stuck on what to put in your meal plan? Try a theme night! You can make Mondays Mexican Mondays, or have Taco Tuesdays. How about pizza on Friday. Theme nights make meal planning easier and also let everyone know what to expect each week. Plus I just feel like they add an element of fun to dinnertime.
Kitchen Tip #6 – Organize your pantry and cabinets
Yeah, this one sort of stinks, but it’s a HUGE time saver. I find that an organized pantry saves me time, as well as money. It can be as simple as putting commonly used items up front or putting cups where they are easily accessible. Think about what is costing you the most time and focus on that.
Kitchen Tip #7 – Keep a running list of favorites
In my meal plan printable I include lists of favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If I have this list it takes a lot of headache out of meal planning. I at least have a few guaranteed successes every week. Make sure you get the whole family involved here.
Kitchen Tip #8 – Keep it simple
Easy skillet meals, crockpot meals, and anything Instant Pot can be your best friend. I always feel like there’s a time and a place for a big nice dinner. However, it’s never on a Monday after a long day of school, or on a day when I’ve been out of the house all day long. Plan some quick and easy meals for your week. Trust me, you will thank me!
(Related Reading: 30 Instant Pot Recipes)
Kitchen Tip #9 – Delegate
Now, this may not be possible if you have younger children, but if your kiddos are getting older put them to work! There’s no reason that mom should be chained to the kitchen while everyone else gets a free pass. At our house, my oldest usually fixes breakfast or lunch. Then everyone pitches in to help with dinner dishes. Even the youngest children can dry dishes or put away silverware. Not only does it help you out, but it also gets them used to being in the kitchen. Let’s face it they are going to have to learn eventually.
(Related Reading: 5 Easy Lunches Kids Can Cook)
Kitchen Tip #10 – Keep it clean
Have you noticed how much easier it is to work in a clean kitchen? On top of that have you noticed how a kitchen mess can quickly accumulate to be out of control? The goal is to NEVER let it get to out of control status. We quickly clean up after every meal and then do a thorough clean after dinner. We make sure the counters are cleared, the floors are swept, and the dishes all dealt with. It makes my mornings so much more pleasant not to have to deal with an enormous stack of dishes.
So there you have it, my time-saving kitchen hacks for the homeschool mom. Do you have anything to add? If so be sure to comment below! Don’t forget that you can also follow me on Facebook or Pinterest.
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