Picture this?  Ladies you know what I'm talking about, you've had a busy day, errands to run, washing to do, the house to clean and then as well a lot of us work outside the home or run a business from home. The day goes by so quickly, before you know it the kids are home from school. Arghhhh what to do for dinner?

Most times a bit of pressure is felt, because after the kids settle in, the million dollar question is asked "what's for dinner mum?" And of course you haven't planned anything. The kids are ravenous and you better believe that your husband will be looking forward to dinner as well.
As a nurturing parent you really wish to cook nutritional, delicious meals for your family with the added bonus of not having repeated the same meal within a week.

How often have you wished you could cook those delicious meals you taste in the restaurants that you can barely afford to take the whole family too. Wouldn't life be great if it took you 30 minutes to create a nutritional, delicious meal for your family knowing full well that your family is going to love your meals and devour the whole lot with no complaints whatsoever?
A dream you think?
Actually no, with a bit of advanced planning it can be a reality.

To start with you need a great selection of family favorite recipes. Even professional Chef's use recipes. Have a folder or recipe box to keep your recipes in and keep it in the kitchen so that they are easily accessible.
There are going to be dishes that are more popular with your family than others, make a note of this, I use a big red asterisk so I know at a glance that's a winner.

Be realistic about your cooking skills, if you can barely make 2 minute noodles then its highly unlikely you can make beef wellington. All is not lost though; you can improve your skills and work up to that wonderful dish. Collect recipes that are easy to follow and have ingredients you are familiar with; many times recipes can be difficult because the country of origin is alien to us.

Stock basic essential pantry items in your cupboards, most recipes have the base ingredients. These can include, flour, sugar, butter, eggs, oil, beef or chicken stock, favorite seasonings, cheese, onions and a good selection of vegetables. Then you only need purchase the main ingredient or cut of meat.
A handy tip is to cook a little extra, if you're having a roast the leftover meat can be used for school lunch sandwiches the next day. As well as, left over vegetables can be made into a soup or a casserole. Think ahead, it will save you time and money. With planning and organization you can have nutritious and delicious meals for your family.


About the Author: Marsher Smiman is a qualified Chef of 20 years, a wife, mother and business owner.
To try some family favorites go to
http://www.secretsofarestaurantchefsite.com