Ten O'Clock Rule

Know what you are going to have for dinner before 10:00 p.m the night before, or 10:00 a.m. the day of.

It is 9:16 a.m., meat loaf tonight with mashed potatoes, a family member had some teeth pulled, needs soft foods. Crock pot meal tomorrow, I will be out in the afternoon, traveling afar to get dense food for the family.

It helps to know a day or two in advance what I will be making so I can take meat out of the freezer and soak any grains if necessary.

I don't necessarily menu plan, with four teenagers I never know how many people will be home on a given night. I like the Pantry Principle, always having on hand the things I regularly use. Another thing I do is Make Two or Three. If I make Lasagne, I always make two and freeze one. I don't buy shredded cheese, I shred my own, and I freeze the extra to have on hand for pizza. This is a great time of year to double things, I miss my upright freezer, now I have two chest freezers. It is easier to freeze and keep track of casserole dishes in an upright.