If you make the majority of your meals from scratch, then likely you have gotten used to spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Which is awesome! But it can also be exhausting. Especially when you already have a packed schedule. That is why I am going to share with you my best tip to save time when cooking from scratch. I call it “doubling up”.
(if you are looking for the printable, just scroll on down!)
So, here is the basic idea: always “double up” your time in the kitchen.
What I mean is, if you are making breakfast, don’t just make breakfast. Think ahead: what else can you get going? Do you need to get some ground meat out to thaw for dinner? Maybe make a batch of muffins for a quick snack later? Start something going in the crock pot? I find myself in the kitchen a lot during the day, but I make a point to use the double up principle during the times I am preparing our three main meals. That way, three times a day I am looking ahead. This allows me to have prepared food on hand and save time.
Here is how this may work on an average day (I am actually using my day today as an example) :
7:30 am
As I am preparing a breakfast of sourdough dutch babies, I am also straining out yogurt that was solidifying in the refrigerator. I also feed my sourdough starter.
11:30 am
As I am making lunch (burritos made with leftover taco filling put into sprouted tortillas), I also straining out my kefir for smoothies. During this time I make a batch of hard boiled eggs in the instant pot. We’ll use the eggs in egg salad tomorrow or I may just stick them in a bowl in the fridge for an easy-to-grab snack.
3:00 pm
As I make afternoon snack (my kids have to have their 3:00 kefir smoothie fix!), I am putting a chicken in the oven to roast and starting rice in my rice cooker.
5:30 pm
As I prepare the vegetable side and whip up a teriyaki sauce to go with dinner, I also start some sourdough bread that will ferment overnight and I will bake it tomorrow.
8:00 pm
After dinner, I will remove the excess meat from the chicken (I chop it up to use for a meal tomorrow) and use the bones and skin to start a stock in my crock pot. I simmer it on low for 24 hours. During this time I also prep the coffee for the morning and whip up the batter for sourdough sheet pan pancakes in the morning.
I have made the printable below to help remind myself of things to work on while I’m in the kitchen. Once you print it out, tape it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet and add whatever other items you may find yourself needing to do to double up your time.
What I can be doing in the kitchen Right Now
Use this list as a guideline to always be doubling up your time in the kitchen! That way, you will always have wholesome, from-scratch food on hand for your family and you will save time...
Happy cooking!
Instructions
You are already in the kitchen making a meal, you could also do any of the following:
- feed sourdough starter
- strain kefir and add fresh milk to the grains
- make a batch of hard boiled eggs
- make a batch of granola
- get meat out of the freezer to thaw
- prep a whole chicken or stick it in the oven or crock pot
- make sweet tea for your next batch of kombucha
- start sourdough or yeast bread dough (or rolls, buns, tortillas, pasta dough, etc)
- make homemade ranch or hummus and cut up some veggies
- start a batch of beans soaking
- start a batch of yogurt
- prep some fruit for easy snacks
- use leftover bones to start stock
- make sourdough crackers
- make a pie crust (or 2!) and stick it in the fridge
- put some meat in a marinade
- prep vegetables to roast later
- make a batch of protein balls, muffins, or granola bars for snacks
- make elderberry syrup
- start lard rendering in the crockpot
- start sauerkraut or another vegetable ferment
- make ice cream and stick it in the freezer to enjoy later
- brown a roast in a dutch oven, then pop it in the slow cooker or oven
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
Notes
Use the extra lines to write in your own ideas of tasks you can work on while in the kitchen.
aboringhome.com
Leave a Reply