Tag Archives | dinner

Reincarnate The Leftover

By on February 21, 2011 in Saving Money

It’s all about making something new and fabulous out of something you already have- especially when it comes to family dinners.

Nobody likes to eat leftovers, and so what we’re often left with is a lot of food to throw out at the end of the week.  In my book, The Organized Cook, I write about my cooking method that I like to call “reincarnating the leftover”.

Here is a perfect example of this time and money saving method when it comes to preparing healthy, delicious meals for your family: my Herb-Roasted Chicken leftovers from the other night are now cleverly disguised as Green Chicken Enchiladas.

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Go Greek This Week

By on February 21, 2011 in Making Dinner

What’s for dinner this week?  Subscribers to The Organized Cook don’t have to worry about what to cook for dinner this week- we’ve done the planning and organization for them?

This is my personal favorite from our menu this week: Greek Pita & Cucumber Sauce with Mediterranean Potatoes…so yummy!  Plus, this meal is so kid-friendly, even my picky eater loves it.

Don’t worry about having leftovers with this potato dish; it’s so tasty, I can’t stop eating them.

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Give Your Family A Little Heart For Dinner

By on February 2, 2011 in Making Dinner

Heart Shaped Dinner

I’m known at home for adding a little quirkiness to daily routines, especially dinner time: playing classic Italian music on pasta nights, serving fortune cookies with Chinese and surprise picnic dinners outside on our back lawn.

I like to think my family enjoys my annual heart-shaped meatloaf.  Why not add a little fun any chance you can get, right?

This year I made a Spinach Turkey Meatloaf; check out this simple recipe for your “heart-shaped dinner”:

Turkey Spinach Meatloaf

Spinach Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

 

My traditional meatloaf recipe is super simple and is part of my Weekly Meal Plan system.  If you’re already a subscriber to The Organized Cook, look forward to this time-saving recipe January 21st.

If you haven’t already subscribed to this valuable tool, sign up now at The Organized Cook and never worry again about what you’re going to make for dinner.  Cut your grocery shopping and dinner preparation time by up to 70%.  Take back the family dinner.

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Survival Guide to Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner for A Large Group

By on November 22, 2010 in Making Dinner

Are you cooking for a large group this Thanksgiving?  Tradition has made my home the gathering spot each year and I love it.  I typically cook for about 20-35 people each Thanksgiving and everyone says, “that must be a lot of work”.  And you know what, they’re right.  Over the years I’ve created a system of planning, shopping and preparation to help ease the workload for the big day.  Not only that, it also frees me up to spend more time with the people I care about.Thanksgiving Menu and display welcome guests as they arrive

Here’s my planning guide to help free up more of my time on Thanksgiving Day.  By doing just one or two things each day for a week leading up to the big day, Thanksgiving dinner is a piece of (pumpkin) pie.

Thanksgiving Planning Menu and Shopping List

I love cooking with herbs and this menu is packed full of them.  This year’s theme is also cranberry…and lot’s of them!  Spilsbury Thanksgiving Menu and Grocery Shopping List; save time by eliminating those last-minute trips to the grocery store for forgotten items!  You may notice that dessert is missing from my list.  I didn’t forget it; rather, whenever a guest asks me, “what can I bring?”, I always answer, “pie”.  Now, it’s gotten to where it’s a contest to see who will bring the most unusual pie.

Spilsbury Thanksgiving Menu

Prepare Ahead

Here are just a few things you can do ahead of time to prepare for Thanksgiving Dinner:

  1. Freeze cranberry ice ring for Sparkling Cranberry Punch
  2. Cook Perfect Cranberry Sauce (this can made a few days and stored for Thanksgiving)
  3. Prepare Mushroom White Wine Sauce and store to pour over steamed fresh green beans
  4. Prepare Herbed Sweet Potato Casserole; this too can be made ahead of time so you will only need to bake it on the big day
  5. Arrange tables and chairs; if your house allows, you will save so much time by planning your seating a day or two in advance
  6. Chop onions, celery and cranberries for stuffing a day or two in advance; store in air-tight container
  7. Decorating your table just a day in advance it will free up a big chunk of time on Thanksgiving
  8. Set out and arrange each serving dish the way you want it to be on Thanksgiving Day; use sticky notes or place cards to label what goes in each dish

Let’s Talk Turkey

Here is a link to a great one-page article that will tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about selecting, thawing and preparing your Thanksgiving Turkey: Sara Moulton’s Turkey Tips

The Organized Cook

Boost your confidence, ease dinner preparation stress and have more time to enjoy your family on Thanksgiving Day through organization and preparation.

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