Save Time In The Kitchen With Some Preparation

If you find your family constantly as asking “what is for dinner?” and you feel like pulling your hair out then it is time for a change.  With a little preparation you can save a lot of time in the kitchen.  Two of the best tools you can have in the kitchen are a crockpot and a freezer.  I know you are thinking wow those are totally opposite tools but they really can compliment each other.

First you need to get a nice size crockpot for your family. I highly recommend the Rival 6.5 Quart Slow Cooker with Bonus Little Dipper Slow Cooker.  For a family the size of mine (five of us including three teen boys) the large crockpot is a must.  I also love that this one comes with a free bonus little dipper which is good for so many things including dips, sauces and even warming canning flats.

Think of your crockpot as a mini oven that cooks at a slower pace.  There are some great points to this like a tough cut of meat will tenderize with the slow cooking.  If you are a beginner to crockpot cooking or you just need some fresh ideas you definitely want to check out Crockpot Cooking Made Simple by Susanne Myers of HillbillyHousewife.com.  You can get a sampling of her crockpot recipes at her website but the cookbook is a much better compilation of her recipes and tips.

So at this point I suppose you are wondering how your freezer compliments your crockpot.  Well if you have one of those mornings where you can’t seem to get supper in the crockpot quick enough because one of the kids caused a crisis before school and work then you will be thankful when you have a crockpot meal awaiting in the freezer.  Just grab, toss in the crockpot and set to cook.  The smell will be wonderful when you arrive home from work and your evening will be a breeze.  Doesn’t that sound relaxing?

Susanne can help you with some freezer cooking ideas also.  Isn’t she just brilliant?  Check out her Freezer Cooking Made Simple ebook.  After learning what freezes well and how to appropriately preserve food for the freezer try to match what can cook easily in the crockpot.  You can now prepare and plan some emergency from the freezer to the crockpot meals.  It will be like having your own convenience foods without the preservatives and junky ingredients.

Make sure when you freeze your meals to put them in some appropriate containers to avoid freezer burn.  Buying some Ziploc Quart Freezer Bags in bulk might be the option for you if you have limited storage in your kitchen.  If you want to stay on the greener side go for Arrow Plastics 30 Piece Freezer Storage Container Set.  It stacks nicely and is a frugal option.

Using your crockpot and freezer can be a huge time saver in the kitchen.  Take time to learn how to get the most out of these kitchen appliances.