Imagine if you will, no last minute "panic" trips to the super market to gather ingredients to just to finish the meal you are making.... and no longer giving in to the temptation

to just settle for a quick take out meal of  pizza or burgers.  You can take control, and conquer the chaos in your kitchen".  All it takes is a little time and planning!

To conquer the chaos in your kitchen, you will need to plan ahead!  You will need to set aside a couple of hours where you can really "dive" into your kitchen.

(Tip:  Enlist the help of a friend or your children, make a real party out of it, you will be there a while!)

 

 

Where To Start

 

Start from scratch. Clean out ALL of those cupboards, shelves, racks, pantries, etc.... and before you are done you will want to do the same to your refrigerator and freezer.

 

This is a very important goal in conquering the chaos in your kitchen----You will not get a good grasp on what your kitchen is capable of holding, until it is organized properly.

 

You have VALUABLE storage space in your kitchen that will save you hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill each month if that space is properly stocked and put to good use.

 

 

Kitchens were designed to act as 'mini-supermarkets'. Everything you need to prepare meals for your family to enjoy morning, noon, and night can be at your quick disposal.

 

Once it is setup, you can accommodate quite a number of meals, without having to go to the market every other day!

 

(Or even every week.  My goal is to do one major shopping trip a month, with only weekly trips for fresh produce and perhaps meat that is on sale.)

 

 

 

Once The Cleaning Is Done

 

Now that everything is cleaned and your current supplies are organized, you will need to inventory what you have-----make a list of what you have, and what you need to get.

 

Ideally, you should have at least 2-4 weeks of meals available at your disposal. Why? This will reduce the number of trips to the market and help minimize overspending and impulse buying.

 

You may find it helpful to list foods and meals that you know your family likes (and would) eat. These are the items you will need to stock your kitchen pantry with.

 

Remember, we also use our refrigerator, freezer, root cellar,  and sometimes just shelves in a cool spot like a basement,

to store food for long term usage----all these areas should be considered when you are organizing and taking stock of your pantry.

 

Use these storage spaces to your advantage. Whenever you come across great bargains on items you use often, buy more than one, and store the rest.

But also remember, if you store extra, rotate the oldest to the front and put the new stuff to the back, so that everything gets used before it's pull date.

 

 

 

Planning Your Meals

 

Now that your kitchen has been cleaned and well stocked, it's time to put it to use!

 

Start off just planning one day at a time. Later, as you adjust to this style of living, you'll be able to plan the whole week just by looking at the contents within your kitchen.

And eventually, a whole month of menu's will be at your disposal!  Be creative,  try to steer away from processed foods and use as wholesome ingredients as your food budget will allow.  There are literally hundreds of different combinations that can be made to give you and your family the variety they need. 

 

I make it a habit to ask my husband after each new meal I experiment with, how did he like it, and if he doesn't offer a "that was good dear,

thanks" all by himself----I ask him to rate it on a scale of 1-4, 1 being "never again" and 4 being, "I could eat this weekly".

 

Try keeping a file of new recipes to try out.  You could even make one night of the week "chefs choice" night, just to try out these new recipes on your family.

 

Take the time to think of, search for, and try out some new and healthy recipes. Enlist the help of your children, let them have a turn at coming up with new recipes and helping to

prepare a new meal of their choice, maybe with a little help from Mom, depending on their age.  The whole goal of this exercise is to eliminate unnecessary trips, and excessive

spending at the super market, in addition to creatively using what you have in your kitchen to prepare meals for the week or month.

 

The more times you go to the market, the more chances you have of spending your money on foods you may not need.

 

Organize your kitchen, plan out your meals, stock your storage areas, and as a wise manager of your household, you will see how much money

you can save in your food budget each month that could be used in another area, like debt reduction or maybe even a vacation!.