Meal Assembly Recipes

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“While we think it’s really fast to go through the drive through, by the time we get from point A to point B and wait in line and get home, you may not really be saving that much time,” Jones said, adding the only savings may be the anguish of thinking about and preparing a meal.

Keeping the basics at hand is key in being able to put together a quick meal. Payne recommended an assortment of staples, including seasoning and spices, like basil, oregano and jars of chopped garlic, olive oil, canned chicken and beef stock, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, rice and pasta, tomato paste and canned tomatoes, bread crumbs, mayonnaise and Italian salad dressing, which also can be used as a marinade.

Jones advises advance preparation. She buys packs of ground beef and browns it, freezing it in one-pound portions so it’s at the ready for tacos, spaghetti sauce and other uses. Pasta can be cooked in advance, tossed with a little oil and put in the refrigerator.

Cooking: At full speed

Don’t forget, school is back and session it’s going to be a busy time from now until we hit that first break for Thanksgiving. Practices and concerts are going to be the norm and time is going to be short. It’s best to plan ahead, make a little extra you can use through the week and make your trips to the grocery store as specific as possible.

School is back in session and so, too, is the dinnertime rush.

During the summer there are cookouts and potlucks and picnics and vacations, ways to avoid or at least break up the nightly drudgery of dinner.

With the start of the school year starts the rush of homework, projects, soccer practice, piano lessons and PTA. Somewhere amid all the readjustments, the evening family meal can fall through the cracks.

“My mom taught me eons ago that to make a list and a menu before you go to the grocery store will save you six gillion dollars,” Youngblood says. “Even if you don’t clip coupons, you look at what’s on sale and you plan your menu around what’s there. You save money and you prepare ahead and you have an idea what you need to do for the week.”

The rush is on

I have never seen their home in a state of disarray. Everything is neat and tidy, and tastefully decorated. People are always welcome to stop by, and I know they don’t do any last-minute clean-up to prepare for guests. The amazing thing is that these guys have a newborn and a first-grader, and jobs to boot. I tell you, the lady has some mad homemaking skills.

I decided to find out her secrets.

The Advantages of Once a Week Cooking