Parent Bloggers is hosting another blog blast this weekend, sponsored by Ore-Ida to get the word out about their new Steam n’ Mash potatoes, with the theme of taking shortcuts. This is something I can really get behind, since I rarely resist taking the shortcut. Just ask my high school math teacher – in calculus I found a shortcut for a proof that she had never considered. If it’ll save me time and effort, I’ll find a way to do it.
I’ve written before about my microwave and what a timesaver it is. Not only do I cook frozen meals in it, but it cooks many fresh foods, too. For ears of corn, I wrap each ear in a wet paper towel and cook for 4 minutes. Potatoes also are great when microwaved in a similar manner. (Although be sure to poke holes in whole potatoes – no one wants to clean up the aftermath of an exploding potato.) Even eggs can be cooked in the microwave. I bought a cheap microwave egg cooker and get perfect hard boiled eggs in less time than it would take to get the water boiling on the stove.
My other big cooking shortcut is pre-cooked chicken. We buy it so we can add it to pasta meals, stir-fry, etc. without having to go through the effort of cutting, marinating, and cooking chicken. When we want to add some protein to a dish, simply cook it and during the last minute or two throw in some chicken so the chicken. Of course, you have to decide if the cost is worth the time saved, but using coupons and buying on sale can help offset that cost.
When Cordy was younger, I used to sort her laundry so that each shirt was paired up with a set of pants and folded together. It took a little bit longer than sorting laundry the traditional way, but it saved a lot of time in the mornings if we needed to hurry out the door. Instead of looking for a top and pants that matched, I could pull out an entire outfit that was ready to go. Socks were also always balled up together so I didn’t have to search for a matched pair. With two kids, I gave up on this shortcut, but I think it may be time to bring it back again to keep our mornings running smoothly.
(Oh, and that whole sorting laundry into colors thing? I don’t do it. Throw it all in together and toss in a Color Catcher sheet. My whites still look white.)
What about you? What shortcuts do you take to make life easier? (And if you want to get in on the blog blast, you have until midnight Pacific time.)
