Time management – Page 3

Sunday dinner table 1.jpg

Happy Monday, friends, and welcome to the beginning of the posts to help get you ready to prepare a Sunday dinner that provides for the needs of your guests, is delicious, and ready in a hurry! Thank you to so many of you who shared your Sunday dinner struggles with me! I’m going to try to help you solve those difficulties as we touch on this subject for the next several Monday’s.

Today I want to lay out the three steps that are crucial for your Sunday meal to be a success. What constitutes success? I believe it’s the three things listed in the previous paragraph – a meal that

meets needs,

is delicious,

and on the table quickly.

But that doesn’t happen all by itself, of course! I need to start by saying, anything that is worth doing, is going to take effort and it’s going to take being intentional. There is work involved, but it’s so worth the efforts! Here are the three crucial things you need to consider so that your Sunday dinner will be a success:

Ponder the needs – That simply means that you must consider what the needs of the day are, your budget and what your guests will need.
1. Is there a time constraint?
2. Do you only have xxx amount of dollars to feed a crowd?
3. Is there a dietary need – ie. Gluten-free?
  Consider whatever needs are necessary – A baby that will need to be fed, a child will need a nap very soon, someone with low-blood sugar will be shaky at this point, etc. Then, considering those needs, you move to #2.
Plan the menu – Considering your needs, you can now pull out this blog’s Recipe page, your Pinterest boards, your cookbooks – whatever will help you find a menu to meet those needs.
Determine how extensive you want the menu for Sunday to be. If you’re not into the routine of fixing a fresh meal for Sunday, I’d encourage you to start with a simple menu – a Taco Soup in the crock pot, some tortilla chips, and a dessert like the pie linked here, or go with something super easy like a purchased Angel food cake and fresh strawberries. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Take baby steps.
My recipe page has a list of 30-Minute meals, but if you wait until you get home from church to even prep those things, you are going to be frustrated, so stay tuned for #3.

sunday-dinner-prep-1
3. Prepare ahead – I can’t tell you how important this step is! As early in the week as possible, start preparing. The earlier you start, the less stressful it will be! Consider doing these things ahead of time:

Prepare the table. Set the table – The family will know that something good is on the way! Even if you can only do it after breakfast on Sunday, do it before you leave for church. If everyone can eat breakfast at the kitchen island, set the table on Saturday night.
Prepare Foods. Make ahead anything that can be made ahead of time!
1. Salad – I love frozen salads for this purpose, also green salads without the dressing can be made the day before.
2. Dessert – If you were serving Angel Food cake and berries, make the sure the berries are washed, sliced and ready ( or thawed from their frozen state) on Saturday night.
3. Vegetables – Peeling potatoes and putting them in water overnight will make them ready for the crock pot. If you’ll need onions, get them sliced and put into a ziplock bag.
4. Dishes and pans – On Saturday night, set out the crock pot you’ll need, or the pan for the roast chicken. Have them out on the counter and ready.
Prepare an hors d’oevre – Make something ahead of time that everyone can snack (lightly) on as soon as you get home. This is especially wise if you have little children that are fussy and need something to eat right away! Make life easier for you and them and make something they can munch on while you get dinner on the table. It could be something as simple as crackers and peanut butter, celery and peanut butter, apple slices, tortilla chips and salsa. Set out little plates and limit the little ones, so they’ll be ready to eat dinner, of course, but this will make them much happier while they wait.

So, there you have it – Ponder the needs, Plan the menu and Prepare ahead. These three steps will get you on your way to Sunday dinner success!

Can I give you a challenge for next Sunday? Do one thing ahead of time – perhaps set the table, or prepare an hors d’oevre, or get the vegetables prepped on Saturday, and see how much smoother Sunday dinner is next week!

Next Monday we’ll talk about some specific meals that are doable for prepping ahead and eating very soon after getting home! This will include Crock Pot entree’s and sides! Be sure to come back so you don’t miss any tips!

Which of these three steps of success is the most difficult for you?

With love from my country kitchen,

Denise Signature 150 px

As I was typing the title – “How I spend My Time Each Day” the word spend struck me. Time is like money – it’s given to us to use wisely. It’s our choice to “spend” it on bubble gum or sirloin.

When my girls were in home school, I’d dream about the day when I’d be able to run to Target and the grocery store alone and without the worry of what I needed to help them with, or what school responsibilities were waiting for me when I returned. I loved being with them, but we spent lots of time together and it was fun to have an hour or so by myself. Now that I’m actually in that place in my life, it seems there’s more to do than ever! I find now that more than ever, it’s really important that I organize my week so I can maximize my time and not waste it on trivial things that don’t matter. This is truly an issue I give to the Lord over and over again.

One important step to spending time time wisely is writing out a plan of what I need to accomplish in my daily planner. That usually happens either the night before or first thing in the morning. I also have my menu written out so I know if the meat needs to be thawed, or something put in the crock pot for supper. I can look ahead and see if I need to get a jump start on something that’s coming up later in the week.

So here’s what a typical day looks like (and remember that interruptions that change what we planned are also of the Lord):

Rise between 6:00 – 6:30. Some days the Lord wakes me earlier and I try to get up when He does. I believe that’s His prompting that I need those early morning hours with Him. Just this week as I read Mark 1, I was reminded that the Lord got up long before it was day just to spend time with His Father. I believe it was in those prayer times that the Lord Jesus got His direction for the day (v. 35). How else would He have known which town to go to, or who needed Him the most? I must follow His example, if I’m to know how to spend my time each day!
Wash face, brush teeth, the FEED THE KITTY!
Head to the laundry room to feed Liza. Pick up the laundry load get it in the washer..
Quiet Time. Bible reading, journaling, Bible memory work and prayer time. (This is usually and hour and half or two hours. It’s such a luxury to have this amount of time – I remember the days when I’d be in prayer and I’d have many knocks on my bedroom door. =) That was fine, but it’s a blessing that my only disturbance now is a kitty wanting attention or my husband bringing me coffee!)
Walk around 8:00. – I walk close to 3 miles
Breakfast
Shower, get dressed for the day. While doing that I’m tossing the clothes in the dryer, then folding them after I’m dressed.
Clean bathroom.
General housecleaning – Each day it’s different tasks, but could include – dusting, wiping down appliances, mopping floor, cleaning glass doors, wiping out oven and fridge, grocery shopping,etc.
Lunch
Write blog post before supper
Work ahead on things coming up – Bible club, speaking engagements, Bible studies, etc.
Prepare supper
Ministry/ time with my husband in evening

I’ll Quickly show you what each day of the week may hold:

Monday – Rest. After a busy week, I try to sleep in a little and catch up on time with my husband.

Tuesday – Normal routine. Work ahead on projects, if possible.

Wednesday – I found that Wednesday is a good day to devote to “others.” Since Wednesday night night we’re planning on being at church, I just make that the day I think about others all day! If someone needs a card, a call a visit, or a meal made, I try to do that on Wednesday – my Others Day.

Thursday – Aside from my normal routines, this is the afternoon I have Bible club with the neighbor children, so I need to get things out and ready for our 4:00 time together

Friday – I try to work ahead for my blog on Friday. I like to keep Sunday media-free, so I do Monday’s post either on Friday or Saturday.

Saturday – Prepare for Sunday. This may include preparing for having company for dinner. I set the tables, prepare the food and also make sure I’m ready with clothes ironed for the morning.

Sunday – This is the Lord’s day. The only work I do is the meal. I nap after dinner and look forward to being back in church Sunday night!

Extra tips:

I keep books I’m reading in a couple places in the house, so when I have a few minutes I can read, rather than waste time on my phone or computer.
I keep my memory verse cards at my fingertips so I can take them with me in the car or around the house and review as I’m driving or working on a project at home.
I try to challenge myself to do little 5 minute projects like clean out a drawer, iron linens, or sweep while I’m on the phone, waiting for the coffee to perk, or waiting to head out the door to an appointment.

I confessed a minute ago that I wrestle with wasting time – mostly with with my phone, and it’s something I give to the Lord, but I seldom ever watch television, unless I’m doing something else while watching. I see the benefits of spending my on sirloin, rather than bubble gum!