Defrazzled Dinners
"Once learnt, this business of cooking was to prove an ever growing burden. It scarcely bears thinking about, the time and labour that man and womankind has devoted to the preparation of dishes that are to melt and vanish in a moment like smoke or a dream, like a shadow, and as a post that hastes by, and the air closes behind them, afterwards no sign where they went is to be found."
~Rose Macaulay
The time between about 4:00pm and 7:00pm is affectionately named “The Arsenic Hour” by a dear friend of mine. It's when everyone is tired and grumpy after a long day, and yet, there is still dinner preparation, eating, and clean-up to be anticipated. Day after day, without a break, moms are faced with a complicated decision at a time of day when no energy is to be had to either make or follow through with the answer to that all-important question, “What's for dinner?”
That one phrase can make a sane woman scream - just ask my family!
The stress of arriving at that time of day unprepared is gargantuan, and needs to be avoided at all costs. Not all of us (ahem) are experts in organization, so we need to find a solution that fits our own lifestyle. Here are some tips - tried and true - to make that time a little easier:
As far as dinner preparation is concerned, try some of these ideas:
- Get a crock-pot or a timed oven, and prepare your meals right after breakfast before you clean the kitchen (this is my favourite tip and the most successful plan for me).
- Make double batches of anything you can, and pop one batch in the freezer.
- Get a bunch of friends together and try the > “Once-A-Month Cooking” system - there are several versions, most of which should be available through your local library.
- Use a menu system like The Dinner Fix: Cooking for the Rushed
and plan your meals one or two weeks in advance. These cookbooks have GREAT ideas for getting the whole family involved as well, and their menu-system is very easy to use. Again, check your library.
- If your kids are older, rotate them through meal planning and making. Make sure the meals they prepare meet certain nutritional standards, though! No one wants to eat hot-dogs every night!
- Gather 5-6 delicious recipes that can be quickly and easily prepared, write them out clearly on cards or sheets of paper with all the steps and ingredients involved, and make sure you always have the necessary ingredients for these recipes on hand. If you have several such recipes ready to go you are more likely to have all the ingredients for at least one of them available to pull together quickly last minute.
As far as coping with a tired, grumpy family is concerned, try these ideas:
- When members get home from school or work or wherever they're coming home from, give them a quiet time in their rooms - no screens (e.g. TV, videos or computer), just quiet reading, playing alone, or simply resting. Help them to “change gear”
- Make sure everyone is clear on exactly what they're responsible for as far as meal preparation is concerned, and that they really do know exactly how to do those tasks - we often assume that everyone understands meal prep as well as we do, and that's not always the case.
- Use the wonders of aromatherapy and music therapy to create a restful, refreshing atmosphere in the home. Turn on a fountain; play soothing music; light an aromatherapy candle like lavender to bring a sense of calm to your home before you get started on dinner preparation.
Rituals like this can create automatic calm at the most stressful time of the day.
Ahhhhh!
Darlene Hull
Darlene Hull is a happily married, Homeschooling mom who is also a speaker, workshop facilitator, writer, and the creator of the Mom-Defrazzler THE resource website for stressed-out moms.
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