Archive | January, 2011

“Been Waiting For This!”

By on January 6, 2011 in Making Dinner

The Organized Cook is no ordinary cookbook.  Here’s what people are saying about this new way to save time and money while creating delicious healthy meals for your family.

“I am in heaven with these meals! They are so easy to adapt for my family, for example, Eric likes angel hair pasta and pork instead of beef. I also have lots of veggies in my freezer I have found ways to add to the dishes! and even freeze some leftovers for later! My favorite is week plan 3, and I just got 4 and I can’t wait!!!! I will not be changing a thing on it! It is so much fun to have someone “spell” out what to make, and I can feel like I am making great things without all the thought!”     -Jennie

“…the family LOVED the complimentary meal plan…. it was a hit and we had a more peaceful/structured dinner hour all week long!!!!”       -Carrie

Tell us what you think of The Organized Cook and win a subscription for you and a friend!

Enter the drawing by posting a comment on our website below during the month of January.  Winner will receive the rest of your annual subscription to this time and money saving system free plus a new annual subscription for a friend!

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The Grocery Store Drive-By Trap

By on January 4, 2011 in Saving Money

The Grocery Store Drive-By Trap

Does it feel like you make last-minute trips to the grocery store for last minute dinner solutions because you didn’t plan ahead? Do you go to the grocery store several times a week or even daily? Did you know that daily trips to the grocery store increase our exposure to impulse buying by 60%! I was amazed at how many moms I’ve spoken with do their grocery shopping almost daily due to lack of planning.

Grocery Store Driveby Trap from The Organized Cook

Don’t fall into the grocery store drive by trap. There’s a better, simpler way.

Let The Organized Cook do the planning for you and grocery shop only once a week.  By using this system, you can feed a family of four to five dinner for less than $100 per week.  That’s less than you’ll spend on one dinner night out.  Now, add the savings you’ll see by reducing your exposure to impulse buying from shopping daily.  Not to mention the time you will save.

Sign up for The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan Subscription and save time, money and the family dinner.

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New Year’s Resolution #1: Eating Out Less

By on January 4, 2011 in Making Dinner

The statistics are out there.  Families who eat dinner at home spend 50% less than families who eat out.

If any of your resolutions this year involve more organization, more savings and less eating out, menu planning is obviously going to be at the top of your list.

Menu Planning, Evolved

The Organized Cook takes menu planning a few steps further.  With this system, menus, grocery shopping lists and meal preparation are organized into a weekly meal plan system designed to save a ton of time and money while also reducing waste.

I didn’t like all of the wasted food I was left with at the end of the week…half an onion, a bag of spinach lettuce, etc.; it all adds up.

So how does The Organized Cook accomplish this?  Menus are organized into an algorithm that first, reuses key ingredients throughout the week.  For example, you may chop an onion to use half in a sauce on Day 1 and store the remaining chopped onion to use in a casserole on Day 4.  Further, you may saute more chicken breasts than you need to use for a Chicken Madeira on Day 2 and store the remaining for a Chicken Curry on Day 5.

So, what you’re doing by using The Organized Cook is not only reusing ingredients, you’re actually reusing your time.  Think about it, with just those examples, you’ve already reduced the time it takes for those two preparation items by half.  Not only that, you’ve reduced the number of knives, cutting boards and saute pans to clean by half.  Now apply that method to reusing your time throughout the entire week and the savings in time just keeps adding up.

Making It Simple

Eating out less is a great resolution to have this year.  Not only for economic reasons, but considering the health factor and statistics on childhood obesity, the reasons keep adding up.

However, I believe it needs to be made simple in order to be achievable.  If a resolution becomes too daunting or overwhelming, it’s easy for it to get thrown out with the Christmas tree.

To help other busy moms keep this resolution, The Organized Cook is extending the introductory offer for the Weekly Meal Plan Subscription through January.  Share your resolution with a friend and help her save time, money and the family dinner.

Bon Appetit!

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Keep Calm and Carry On

By on January 4, 2011 in Busy Mom Living The Dream, Survival Guide for Busy Moms

The time for making resolutions is upon us.

Unfortunately, my head hasn’t stopped whirling from the past couple of months.  It was like the Disneyland tea cup ride.

And while everyone else’s ride may have stopped after Christmas.  I had the one final go around for my five-year old daughter’s birthday which happens to fall on New Year’s Day.

I can sympathize with having a birthday on New Year’s Day, because I too am a New Year’s baby.  Which is why I couldn’t cheat her out of having this special day to herself; after all, it’s not her fault that the big day is just a week after Christmas.  I can really relate to what my mother went through with me growing up.

So, with Christmas wrapping paper still on the floor, I leaped into party planning mode.  “Just make it simple”, I told myself.  “Yeah, right”, my true self answered.  Sure, it may have been easier to phone in a Chuck E Cheese party or something similar, but it’s just not like me to do something so impersonal.  So, keeping in theme with the holidays, I chose (at the very last minute) to have a Sugar Plum Fairy Snowflake birthday party….simple, right?

I got the Nutcracker-themed party idea from my friends at TomKat studio, however, this party was not available to purchase.  No problem, I figured I would just do it myself and began feeling even more confident after I read this text from my friend, Jennie, “Oh the best events r the last minute ones!”.

So, with Michael’s after-Christmas sale on my side, a few bucks bought me a gaggle of all things sparking purple, shimmering pink and glittery silver.  It took me an hour to plan the party (it’s not planned until it’s on paper), an hour to confirm friends (“I know this is so last minute….wasn’t sure if you were in town……birthday party……New Year’s Day”) and an hour to decorate.  Then I was off for a trip to my favorite cupcakery.  Voila!  Now it’s a party.  Plus, I spent less than I would have given that mouse to host a party at his noisy pizza joint. My favorite cupcake stand makes any occasion more elegant and festive; it was one of those victory finds at my HomeGoods store.

Jennie was right.  The party was the best….with a bunch of simple snacks and and some “melted snowflake” punch, we had a great New Year’s Day birthday bash.  And here is what I learned:

1. For melted snowflake punch mix together 2 parts white grape juice with 1 part grape soda and throw in ice cubes made from sparkling sugar and water.

2. For events that are “the best”, mix together close friends, personal touches and a bunch of purple glitter.

3. There’s no easy way to clean up purple glitter.

Now that this ride has stopped I am taking a look around at resolution lists unmade and to-do lists undone.  All I can think to do is grab a pen and paper and Keep Calm and Carry On.

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