Help other moms save time and money in the kitchen....what's your tip?

I don't know if this is what you had in mind or not-I'm pretty new here, but here goes:

I keep a package of 5 or 6 pork chops (you can catch them on sale a lot of times) in the freezer for those unexpected nice dinner company evenings. I thaw them out in the microwave, slap them in a baking dish, dump a half of a bottle of Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce on top of them, and bake them on 350 for about an hour. Serve them with some corn and either rice-a-roni or pasta-roni, and you have a great meal without the panic or trip to the grocery.

1. I use Rachel Ray's tip of having a garbage bowl near by when I'm cooking/baking. Saves steps and time going back and forth to the trash can.

2. If you are going to use measuring cups for Crisco or peanut butter lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray first for easier clean up.

3. Save time and money when you coordinate baking to do it at the same time. (consecutive) For example don't bake muffins in the morning and then wait until the afternoon to bake cookies or a cake. Bake the cake right after the muffins, oven is already hot.

I thought of something else- I have a list on a magnet on the fridge. When I run out of something or the expiration date is passed, I throw it away and add it to my grocery list. That saves extra trips to the store.

oh boy...where to start...

#1 thing I do is always run a sink full of hot sudsy water FIRST-this makes "clean as you go easy"

#2 when I get home from the store I usually chop all my veggies before even putting them away...this cuts down on meal prep through the week.

#3 keep an organized kitchen !!!I keep canned goods together...boxed items etc-cuts down on hunting for ingr and/or buying things that were just hidden in your cupboard.

#4 I keep both kinds of paper plates-paper for chips and sandwiches styrofoam for french toast,pancakes etc (wet type dishes)

#5 I always keep a handful of garbage bags in bottom of trash can-then when I pull and tie off one bag the next bag is right there.

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the last post made me think of the old saying my Grandmother taught me: Clean as you go, the sign of a pro.

Save and refrigerate the juice you drain from canned fruit and use it in place of water when you make jello.

I keep a magnetic list on my fridge, too, so when I run out of something it goes on the list. It is so helpful when I am ready to go to the grocery!

I also kind of do Rachel Ray's garbage bowl, only mine is a habit learned from my Gramma, I use a grocery bag with the handles and sides turned down a bit so it will stand up on it's own and let it sit in the sink and all my garbage goes in it as I prepare/cook then I tie it up and it goes right in the trash. Very handy.

I always keep instant mashed potatoes onhand, they are good for thickening homemade mashed potatoes if you put too much milk in them.

I always clean out the fridge before I go to the grocery, it's just so much easier when I get home to put everything right into the fridge. Same for the cupboards, I straighten them and get them organized so when I get home I can just fill them up.

I always to the garbage bowl thing. it really does save time.
I use onions in just about everything i cook. So i will buy two onions and when i get them home i chop them up and fill up one or two quart size ziploc bags. Fill them up but make sure they are about 1 1/2 inches thick when you smush them down to get out all the air. than went you need onions, you can just hack off the amount you need.

If you are one of those people who buy the bags of onions instead of individual...DO NOT store them near your bags of potatoes-it causes the potatoes to rot faster.

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