bbcovert@juno.com

It’s strange that many “home” schoolers have problems with home cooking! One problem is the lack of time. Our time is devoted to managing our home school and driving our kids to extracurricular activities, field trips, and other appointments. Many of us are also active in our place of worship. We may even devote time each month to community service. We have so many projects and responsibilities that we end up standing in front of the freezer or pantry, foraging for something fast to throw together!

The other problem is the grocery budget. Many of us live on one income. Many have large families. We struggle to put together nutritious, inexpensive, yet tasty meals. With the help of my friends, this month we’ll look at ideas to save time and money in the kitchen.

Your biggest time-saver will be planning ahead. If you plan out your menus in advance, you will have the necessary ingredients on hand. You won’t waste time staring into the cabinets or running to the store for a missing item.

Planning ahead is an especially good idea if you’re going to use your crockpot. If you want a crockpot dinner, you’ll need to do your work in the morning! If your children are old enough, you can delegate much of the crockpot meal preparation to them. This gives them a new skill and may also save time in the kitchen.

Two time-savers that don’t necessarily require advance planning are one-skillet meals and microwaveable casseroles. I love one-skillet meals because the meat and vegetables and sometimes even dairy and grains are all mixed into one dish. It saves me time when I don’t have to prepare several side dishes to go with the main dish. It’s easy to substitute items for those you don’t have. For instance, I never have broccoli on hand, but I usually have canned or frozen peas or green beans, so I’ll throw one of those into the skillet to replace any broccoli that the recipe calls for. I didn’t appreciate one-skillet meals when I was a child. Now I know why Mom had the occasional urge to make them! There are also lots of casseroles in the frozen food aisle in the grocery store. Some are quite inexpensive! You can also make your own casseroles and freeze them for eating on those no-time-to-cook days.

The final time-saver is the “quicky meal.” When it’s just you and the kids, you can do simple things like sandwiches. Sandwich spreads can be whipped up the night before if you have time. Lunch meats are an easy option. Soup heated in the microwave is quick, but it really doesn’t take that much longer to heat it on the stove top. You can make mini-pizzas with bagels or English muffins, spaghetti sauce, and cheese. Bake them in a toaster oven or regular oven on 350° for ten minutes. That’s another one that your children will enjoy cooking!

I can offer tips for reducing the food budget that have worked for me and my friends. First, do as much shopping as possible (with a list) at a local grocery outlet or Aldi’s or similar no-frills store. There are real bargains to be had there! Another friend does all her shopping at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Because Wal-Mart advertises that they will match competitors’ prices, you can take sales ads from other stores with you to show the sales clerk. As long as it lists the sale price, Wal-Mart will sell the item for that price. This doesn’t work with “buy one get one free” ads which don’t list a price, but you can still save a bundle if you have the time to search all the ads. You’ll save time and gas as well since you don’t have to travel to all the different stores to get all the different bargains! I have tried this, so I know it works, but you have to be organized. That’s hard for someone like me! (My son got $20 off of a GameBoy this past December by presenting a sales flyer from another store which had run out of the item. Wal-Mart not only honors competitors’ food prices, but also prices for toys and any other item you might want.)

Another tip is to make friends with the butchers in the grocery store. I have a homeschool friend who serves her dogs homemade dog food made from clearance meat. She also does dog foster care for a local charity. She became friends with the butchers and told them why she needed cheap meat. Now when meat products are about to expire, they mark the packages down to “dog food prices.” For instance, three steaks sell for $1.50! They save a huge selection for her - beef, chicken, turkey, pork, bacon, lunch meat, and even lamb. She buys it all, takes when she needs for the dogs and for her family, and distributes the rest to needy families and single mothers. Some items aren’t good for dogs, but she accepts the whole lot so that it can all be put to good use rather than being thrown in the garbage. As long as everything is frozen, it will be good when you thaw it out and cook it.

I have also heard of people dropping into pizza shops just before closing. Sometimes there are pizzas that weren’t delivered due to an error. You could buy it at a reduced rate, or perhaps even receive it free. As with butchers, you may make friends with the manager and explain your situation. I knew of a foster family who received free pizzas on occasion; it was a way for the business to support foster care. You have to be bolder than I am to try it, but it certainly never hurts to ask.

My friend Joyce cuts gas costs by planning ahead and figuring out what she needs for the week (or two weeks) and gets it all at one store. She avoids multiple trips to buy forgotten items (as well as the temptation to add more things to the cart as she passes through the aisles), and she saves time and gas by not going to several different stores looking for bargains.

A young widow shared her ideas for her low-cost meals. She found a bread maker at a thrift shop and makes bread to serve with soup. Of the bread she says, “It’s cheaper if you don’t use a mix; it’s quicker if you use a mix and the timer.” Another family favorite is cheese and crackers night. “I put out assorted sliced cheeses and crackers, apple wedges, and raw veggies on a tray on the coffee table,” she says. “It combines well with board game night.” Other ideas include making chili and adding a can of corn and a can of beans to stretch the meat and add color and fiber.

We want to be good stewards with the money God has given us; however, we should remember that the burden to provide for ourselves and our families is not wholly ours. Jesus promised that our heavenly Father would meet our needs. Matthew 6:31-33 says, “So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

So there you have it. With some advance planning and careful budgeting, as well as with God’s blessing, you can save time and money and present your family with nutritious and enjoyable meals. Don’t stress about the lack of time. As my friend Angie says, “You just do the best you can with what you have. Sometimes that is the crock pot, and sometimes that is fish sticks & tator tots!”

Happy homeschooling!

Copyright 2006 by Brenda B. Covert