Even though Sunday is technically the start of the week, Monday always feels like the real start to me. It’s the day when the piles distributed around the house over the weekend are picked up. I’m back to vacuuming and doing dishes (because somehow there’s never time on Saturday or Sunday). And if I’m on top of my game, Mondays are also a day to work in the kitchen and prepare food for this week and often the next too.
Prep days don’t always happen. In these years of having small children underfoot, this goes without saying. Plans and intentions are no match for kids being sick, babies refusing to naps, appointments that pop up, or any number of other tasks that come with having young kids at home.
But today turned out to be an excellent prep day– full of baking, cooking, freezing, crockpotting, and, of course, plenty of dirty dishes.
I’ve been asked before about what I typically prep on days like today so I planned at the start to make notes and take pictures of the process. Keep reading to see what was made, how it will be used, what kind of time it all took, what my kids did while I was busy in the kitchen, and when I wanted to pull my hair out (but reached for the dark chocolate stash instead).
Prep Day– Food Prepared
These are the foods that were prepared today. Some items are foods I like to always have on hand, and some are treats or occasional foods.
- 1 whole roasted chicken
- 32 cups chicken broth (made from 4 chicken carcasses I had stored in the freezer until ready; and tomatoes, garlic, onions and celery that were wilted or needing to be used asap)
- 12 cups spaghetti sauce
- chocolate graham crackers
- crockpot yogurt
- 2 loaves sandwich bread
- 5 C salsa
Prepped Food– A Simple Meal Plan
I do not have a meal plan carved out for each of the items I prepped today. Instead, I have a general idea how each will or can be used to make healthy meals for my family.
- roast chicken: pizza, soup, sandwiches, chicken pot pie
- chicken broth: mushroom risotto with roasted Brussel sprouts, soups
- spaghetti sauce: pasta and meatballs, lasagna, sauce for a simple pizza
- chocolate graham crackers: snacks with peanut butter, maybe as a crust for a cheesecake
- yogurt: smoothies, ranch dressing, served with chocolate granola and berries for breakfast or a snack
- sandwich bread: pb&j’s, simple grilled cheeses, fancy grilled cheeses, toast with eggs
- salsa: tacos, lunch nachos, cheesy chicken and salsa soup, snacks
Prep Day– How Long Did It Take???
This is what everyone really wants to know. Because surely I was chained to the stove all day.
Well, not quite. Think of it more like one of those ankle bracelets you have to wear on parole and less like a chain tethering me to the kitchen. Hahaha. Just kidding. Sort of.
Many of the foods I prepped today require little hands on time. Roasting a chicken takes five minutes to start and then it’s just in the oven for an hour. Then done. Same with the chicken broth. The bones and vegetables have been simmering in my crockpots with little attention needed from me.
Below is a breakdown of what the day looked like, schedule-wise. I got a lot done today, but there were also meals eaten with my family at the table and a little over an hour when I rested on the couch during nap time. And, the goal is that today’s work means less to do later this week.
Prep Day- Hour By Hour
7:30- Hear middle child’s blanket rattle. Try to keep sleeping.
7:45- Everyone gets up. Head to the kitchen to make breakfast (smoothies and eggs).
8:30-9:30- Clean house. Start dishwasher. Pick up toys and weekend stuff. Vacuum house. Start a load of laundry.
9:30- Put baby down for nap.
10:00- Realize baby is not going to nap today. Go get her up and change her out of pajamas.
10:05- Bring baby into dining room to play with brothers. Instagram picture to document success of dressing baby.
10:30- Answer children’s clamoring for a snack by gathering them around the island to eat goldfish leftover from Valentines’ Day (thanks CeCe!). Start prep day.
10:30-11:30 Prep Day Part 1: Start roasting chicken (done at 11:30). Start chicken broth (first batch done at 3:30). Make cracker dough in stand mixer and refrigerate. Start spaghetti sauce (bring to a simmer and simmer until after lunch). Make a gallon of unsweetened tea.
11:30-12:00 Make lunch. Make salsa in food processor. Spread tortilla chips on baking sheet. Top with shredded cheese and leftover black beans from refrigerator. Broil. Top with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
12:00-12:30 Eat lunch {nachos} with family.
12:30-1:00 Wash dishes and start second load in dishwasher. Jar spaghetti sauce while the kids play.
1:00-3:30 Naptime/Restime. Put the baby down for her nap. Read a chapter to the boys. Read extra because you’re just as into the story. Go sit on the couch for as long as possible. Read. Hang out with 4 year old when he gets up from resting. Start writing this blog post.
3:30-4:30 Prep Day Part 2: Transfer first batch of chicken broth to jars. Condense bones into one crockpot. Start one more batch. Wash empty crockpot and start heating milk to make yogurt. Roll out chocolate graham crackers and bake. Eat some warm out of the oven with peanut butter and coffee for afternoon snack with eldest and hubby. Niiiiiccccce.
4:30-5:30 Get baby up from afternoon nap. Greet middle child when he stumbles out from nap. Distract his grumpy stupor by pointing out the snow. Feed youngest two children graham crackers and bananas for afternoon snack. Start a Wild Kratts video for my boys. Ask baby why she won’t stop crying. Hold baby and eat dark chocolate from the pantry.
5:30-6:30 Cook Dinner. Decide to make a couple loaves of bread in case we lose power during the “snow storm” (because, milk and bread…duh). Cook mushroom risotto with roasted Brussel sprouts using fresh chicken broth and vegetables that had been hanging out in the refrigerator for a while. Ask hubby to turn on music and end up rocking cooking rock cooking to Me Without You. Think about how great it is to be married to your best friend.
6:30-7:30 Eat Dinner. Wonder why baby is still fussing. Wonder why kids take so long to eat. Realize you are taking just as long. Think about how you’d be faster if you were feeding just one person instead of three.
7:30-8:15 Bedtime Routine. Get kids to clean up toys. Offer a piece of chocolate to whoever finishes first. Brush teeth/change diaper/dress in pajamas/read stories/sing songs/tuck in.
8:15-Whenever Savor the silence. Finish blog post. Watch classic movie with hubby. Add yogurt starter to milk and let sit overnight. Jar final batch of chicken broth.
Prep Day- What About the Kids???
Working in the kitchen to prepare food and make meals is an everyday part of life. A part of life that can be more taxing and stressful some times than others.
I’m in the kitchen often enough, though, that we have generally figured routines that work for us all. I love it when my kids can help me cook but it’s not always practical so there are activities that I encourage them to do when they need help staying occupied while I’m in the kitchen.
So what did my three kids (1 baby and 2 preschoolers) do while I was prepping food?
I started the first part of the prep day when my kids were sitting down at our kitchen island to eat a morning snack. After they finished, they stayed at the island to play with flour. Giving them each no more than a quarter cup of flour and a few kitchen tools (measuring cup, dough scraper, teaspoon, etc) is a great way to keep them occupied and out of trouble. They love it (baby included) and clean up just involves a wet rag and vacuum.
My kids played with flour– scooping it, scraping it, transferring it from one container to another– until lunch.
During the second part of my prep day, my kids watched an episode on Netflix and then occupied themselves with their toys. Jack stayed at the island for a while “cooking” up his own concoction for dinner. I had to break intermittently to help them don costumes, handle discipline issues, give hugs, and so on.
My husband was out of the office while I made dinner so he was able to help play with the kids and hold the baby when she needed attention.
Kitchen Prep Day– Is It Worth It?
Preparing food at home can be a lot of work. It is, of course, usually easier to just pick up packaged food at the store. But, generally, when you make food at home it is either less expensive, healthier, and/or tastier.
No one can make everything and there are always going to be seasons (weeks) that are busier or more demanding than others. Only you can decide what is worth it and what you have time for. The advantage of a prep day is using a concentrated amount of time to get several tasks done at once. The idea of investing a little up front to reap the reward later on.
I didn’t prepare entire meals today, but the food I prepared will make it easier to prepare healthy meals this week and next. So, to me, it’s worth it.
I used to give my kids flour on a regular basis with kitchen tools to keep them busy and gathered around me during kitchen time 🙂 I love it!!
It really is a great way to keep them busy!