Seriously, where DOES the time go? Are the missing hours in the same place as all the missing socks?
Drop offs, pick ups, slow cooking, meals from scratch, cleaning, peeling toddlers off your face, picking up toys... *DRAWS BREATH*
Sometimes it feels like there just aren't enough hours in the day. And that's if you don't also have a full-time job to add into the mix.
Saving time in the kitchen is a great way to make the most of your evening. After all, who wants to miss out on cuddles and stories, slaving over the cooker?
Not I, reader. Not I.
With this in mind, here are my all-time top 5 kitchen time-savers - you'll thank you later.
1. Meal plan
Taking ten minutes on a Sunday evening to check your presses and see what you have/need, makes everything easier. Knowing what you have means you'll use what you have, and you'll save money on the shopping. And having a plan frees up some mental energy for the other 6,788 things you have to think about.
2. Get your groceries delivered
An absolute no-brainer. Not only will it save you the trip, you'll order more strategically and probably save money. And the Tesco delivery men are so damn friendly. In pandemic times, it's the nearest thing to a friend calling over.
3. Batch cook
Curries, pies, soups, chilli, Bolognese
— all perfect freezable dishes. I realise this stuff doesn't cook itself, but spending half a day stocking up the freezer, once a month or so, is truly the greatest gift to future you.
4. Get organised!
Having an organised kitchen is the first step to speeding up meal prep. If you're lacking motivation in this department, I highly recommend watching an episode or two of
Get Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix - you'll be ordering Perspex storage, clearing 'prime real estate' spots in the kitchen and assigning space for 'overstock' before you know it.
5. Use a meal delivery service
If you're seriously strapped for time, and you can afford it, using a meal delivery service is a great way to take the pressure off without resorting to constant takeaways. Try
Eatto, for tasty frozen dishes or a service like
DropChef, which delivers the exact ingredients you need to cook meals yourself, minus the brain power, shopping or food waste.
