You Can Cook!!! No Excuses.....

It is so hard for me to believe people when they tell me they hate cooking or they have no time to cook. I cringe at the thought of getting take out every night and having nothing but some shriveled up lemon in your fridge. Not to mention the boat load of money one can spend on take out. And don't get me started with cereal for dinner. I just don't get that. Ladies and Gentleman, I am here to tell you YES! You can successfully make dinner every night. Throw out those take out menus!

Pre-chop and Prep Ahead

Chopping and prepping meals can take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. I try to make cooking as easy as possible and for me that means prepping meals  the night before or even on the weekend. I chop all of the veggies I can,mix dressings and marinate meat. You can even bread meat in advance.By doing this you eliminate a ton of time and when you are ready to cook you just drop everything into a pan. How easy is that?

Pick Meals with Five Ingredients or Less

There is nothing worse than looking at a recipe with a ton of ingredients. Always keep staples in your pantry like flour,oil,lemon and fresh herbs to always have core ingredients on hand. I try to find simple one pot recipes that have five or less ingredients that way I am not overwhelmed. Plus, if you are using fresh ingredients you don't need too many things going on in a dish. I have a few go to sites for 5 Ingredient Recipes. My favorite of course is Rachael Ray. Cooking Light also has some great 5 Ingredient Recipes. 

I Have No Inspiration

Well find some!You have to have some favorite foods. Even if it is take out! I always get inspiration from meals I have had in restaurants. My favorite are usually what I call "Make Your Own Takeout. By making these dishes yourself you control the ingredients like sodium and fat content. Scan cooking magazines,websites or watch the Food Network. I'm sure you will find a chef you will like to hijack some of their recipes. 

But Leanne, I Work All Day!

Yup. I hear ya. Working all day and coming home to slave over the stove feels like torture. If cooking seems like a chore think of some dishes that you really enjoy eating or want to try. Make cooking fun by involving your kids or hubby. My husband and I love cooking together. It gives us something to bond over. I get home between 6-7 pm and I usually don't eat until 8. If you prep ahead, the actual cooking process won't take more than 30 minutes. I swear,you can do this. Be positive! You can do it!