Back to school is such a hectic time. I can’t believe it’s right around the corner! There are so many things to consider when you have students of any age heading back to school or campus. Clothes, Supplies, Textbooks, the list goes on and on! We tackled many of those topics on last night’s Back to School on a Budget episode of Frugal Coast2Coast.
But that isn’t all there is to think about when heading back to school. The beginning of the academic year brings big changes to a family’s schedule. The kids have to get up earlier to head out the door for the bus. There are sports practices and games, extracurricular activities, scouts, even PTA meetings start filling up the evenings. Don’t even get me started on the homework and projects. . . . . .
One of the first thing to fall apart when schedules get hectic is family dinner. It can just seem that there is no time.
No time to prepare a hot healthy meal.
No time to eat it.
You rush in the door then right back out again for one of a million things and grabbing that fat laden burger at your local drive through begins to sound like the only option.
It doesn’t have to be.
You all know I am a big advocate of family dinner. Huge.  I think that the time a family spends around the table together is extremely important. It’s a time where parents and children can bond. Where they learn, through the parent’s example, social skills and manners. Where families have discussions that are important not only because of the topics discussed, but because they teach children that they can and should talk to their parents and that they will be listened to.
Nestle asked me to participate in their Back to School Basics campaign helping families stay on top of the school year. They want to talk about how food is an important part of the back to school rush. So how can you make dinner happen? How can you get a meal on the table amongst all the chaos?
Of course I have some thoughts to share~you all know me, I’m never at a loss for ideas! Here are my top 4 tips for getting a meal on the table in a hurry:
#1-Use your crockpot.
I love the crockpot. I could sing odes to it. Throw dinner in the crockpot in the morning and it is hot and ready when you get home. You can even toss it together the night before, stick the crock pot liner in the fridge and then pull it out in the morning!
#2-Precook and freeze your meats
Thawing & cooking the meat portion of your meal is the most time intensive part. If you have cooked ground beef or cubed/shredded chicken frozen in meal sized portions you have dozens of quick and easy meals at your fingertips. Check out my article on avoiding the drive thru trap for some specific recipes!
#3-Have a few “Go To” meals
Everyone should have a couple of desperate dinners that they can pull out on a rushed night. Mac ‘n Cheese w/hotdogs. Scrambled eggs. Spaghetti with jarred sauce. Any one of these can be cooked and on the table in a hurry.
#4-Keep frozen meals on hand.
I like to cook from scratch~you all know that. I like not only knowing that I have provided for my family, but also the quality of the food they are eating. But let’s face it~there isn’t always time. There is nothing wrong with falling back on some frozen meals! These days you can buy some very healthy options. With all the traveling & conferences I’ve attended lately I have picked up some Stouffer’s family sized frozen meals. Lasagna, Beef Stroganoff, and Chicken Alfredo are some of our favorite. While these meals are more expensive than cooking and freezing a meal yourself, they are still much cheaper (and more healthy) that your typical grease burger and fries!
So now on to the exciting part~the giveaway!
How would you like a $500 Walmart Gift Card to help cover your back to school expenses, courtesy of Nestle?
Note: I am trying something a little different this time. You will have TWO posts that you can enter on, both this post on making dinner happen and one early next week on lunchbox after school snack ideas.
This giveaway runs from Wed August 5th to midnight EST on Friday August 14th.
To enter:Â Leave a comment with your best tip or recipe for “Making Dinner Happen” on a busy school night.
Want some additional entries?
Here you go:
-Head on over to Nestle Family and tell me what your favorite recipe/idea is from their “Family Food” section.
-Subscribe to Frugal Upstate via either RSS or Email.
-Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post.
-Subscribe to the Frugal Coast2Coast joint newsletter/show reminders.
Good luck, and keep an eye out for another opportunity to enter next week!
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I use Barilla Plus pasta for quick dinners. It’s got protein, fiber and omega 3 so even though it’s more expensive than regular pasta, I can make a fast meatless dish I feel good about giving to my family. Add some veggies and maybe low-fat cheese and dinner’s done! I also start boiling water if I get home from a busy day and don’t know what to make for dinner. Almost anything I would make uses water, and having it ready makes it faster once I decide on pasta, rice, etc.
I put together salads ahead of time- As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I cut up all my veggies and put salads in individual tupperware containers. I eat them for lunch, but for dinner all I have to do is put them in bowls so I don’t have to make a salad!
The Swirled Mint Ice Cream Bars look yummy!!
Reader subscriber!
Tweeted- http://twitter.com/joannagiveaway/status/3291971727
I’ve found that the key when times are busy is to plan ahead. That way, you don’t have to think about what to do, you just need to do it. Plus, if you plan ahead, you can do a lot of the prep ahead of time too.
Thank you for the giveaway!
Over at the Nestle Family site, I like the tips on planning a cookie decorating party. It sounds like fun!
I subscribe in Google Reader
And I tweeted the giveaway: http://twitter.com/CFOblog/status/3292745779
A quick family favorite dinner is spaghetti. I always have pre-browned ground beef in the freezer and use canned spaghetti sauce. Makes a quick meal that the whole family loves. Thank you for the awesome giveaway.
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
I am a subscriber to Frugal Upstate. Thanks!
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
My crockpot is like a family member. My family favorite is cooking a roast with potatoes and carrots. The next night we will have “french dip” sandwiches with the leftovers and if we are lucky enough to have more left overs I will add the chopped up meat to spaghetti sauce(and hamburger) for a final meal. This way I have stretched out our grocery budget and had very easy to make yummy meals for our family.
From the Nestle Family Food site, I would love to try the Shrimp and Potato Balls. Sounds very appetizing. Thank you again for the awesome giveaway.
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
Subscribed to Frugal Coast2Coast joint newsletter/show reminders.
What works best for us is to double recipes.
Eat one & freeze the other.
Wow then a ready meal to defrost!
My fave, makes me drool!
Swirled Mint Ice Cream Bars!
My sis loves mint ice cream.
I might make these for her bday.
RSS subscriber.
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/JalapenoMama/status/3295860709
My favorite thing to do when pressed for time (besides Chinese takeout) is breakfast for dinner. Pancakes from the freezer, bacon, eggs. Everybody loves breakfast, and it doesn’t take long to make!
Choco-holic Cake sounds awesome!
Email subscriber.
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/Spoodles/statuses/3298910043
I subscribed to the Frugal Coast2Coast joint newsletter/show reminders.
I don’t leave the house in the morning until I have a plan for dinner. That way I can take out what I need from the freezer and know what I need at the store without rushing at dinnertime.
The Nestle Chiller sounds delish!!
I’m a subscriber.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/3302494927
I’ve subscribed to FrugalCoast2Coast.
I like Stouffers frozen lasagnas – they are microwavable – can’t beat that! Pasta is a big one with us – it doesn’t take long to make and if you throw some garlic bread in the oven while the noodles cook, it works out quick & easy!
I also like to buy ingredients that I can get a few meals out of. Oh and always have cream of chicken soups on hand LOL! I can make a lot of different casseroles with that!
My favorite idea from their website is the Hippity Hoppity Bunny Lunch! I really think my little girl would love that! She is a picky eater so anything that makes it more fun is perfect!
I subscribe by email!
I subscribed to your Frugal Coast2Coast reminders!
Tweeted this Giveaway!
http://twitter.com/Kelliebug/status/3302740152
I have a lot of quick recipes I go to on a busy school night….each takes under 15 minutes of prep time, maybe 20-30 min of time to simmer…easy and fast! Our faves are spaghetti with meat sauce, chicken tortilla soup, taco and burrito bar (build them as you like it!), and even either shake and bake pork chops with roasted oven potatoes or pork chops browned and simmered in mushroom soup with onions and fresh mushrooms added, served with veggies and egg noodles. yum!
the swirled mint ice cream bars look amazing! Yum!
I subscribed in google reader.
I subscribed to frugal coast 2 coast.
I try and make dinner ahead of time by preparing it the night before. The next day its easy to pop in the oven and have it ready in time for supper.
I also make sure I have plenty of frozen meals stocked in the freezer for easy preparation and for the nights I don’t feel like cooking over a stove.
I like the looks of the Ravioli Lasagna and plan on trying to make it!
I subscribe via google reader.
I subscribed to the Frugal Coast2Coast newsletter.
My best after school snack idea is to have cut up fruit, and small sandwiches cut in shapes (like those “presses” you can buy). It is easy for mom, as it can be done ahead of time, and the kids enjoy it as well!
I am trying to delete my first entry. I can’t see how…but I would like to change my comment to:
My best “Making Dinner Happen” idea is to do all of the prep work in the morning, and start dinner early in the afternoon. This works well for dishes like stew, crock pot recipes or other dishes that you can start early in the day and slow cook. This way you have time for the kids when they come home and no stress at dinner time!
I tweeted about your giveaway!
http://twitter.com/EightyMPHMom/status/3315212391
I subscribed to the Frugal Coast2Coast Joint Newsletter!
My favorite recipe from the Family Food Section is Mom’s Special Breakfast – it looks wonderful!
I have subscribed to Frugal Upstate via RSS feed!
My tip is to cook a lot over the weekend and freeze the leftovers. That way there’s always something in case of a time crunch during the week. Thanks!
I try to plan ahead and prepare as much ahead of time as I can. I also use the crock pot to prepare part of the meal.
I would love to try the Super Candy Bar Cookie Pops to make as an after school treat!! Looks yummy!!