The goddess wraps up the ongoing discussion of tips for easier mealtimes with the following valuable advice from readers:
Linda McCulloch of Tucker credits Weight Watchers for teaching her the importance of advance planning to help her stay healthy and fit. McCulloch follows the Boy Scout motto: “Be prepared.”
She swears by having something in the fridge, freezer or pantry that can be made into a meal within 30 minutes. In addition to keeping a well-stocked pantry, she cooks in large quantities, divides dishes into serving portions, then bags, dates and freezes them. She saves even small amounts of leftovers and stretches them out by serving them over baked potatoes or encased in a frittata.
She also multitasks when using her oven. She writes, “Whenever I have a recipe that calls for anything roasted, I add a couple of cookie sheets of vegetables and keep extra in the refrigerator to use as a snack, side dish or component of a main dish."
Connie Fish of Atlanta takes a high-tech approach to keeping organized and turns to the Web for a little extra help. She uses an online menu planning service (she recommends www.e-mealz.com) that sends her a menu and shopping list each week for a small fee.
Susan Stitt of Peachtree City seconds that endorsement, writing, “I've been using the plan for over a year and it has really helped me get organized in the kitchen. It takes care of a week's meal planning, makes shopping a breeze and has saved my family a great deal of money. By shopping only once a week, I don't make several stops to the grocery store each week, and don't make tons of impulse purchases."
Fish also loves her slow cooker, which she estimates has saved her “thousands of hours.” She subscribes to www.crockpot365.blogspot.com, which e-mails a free recipe daily.
For saving money she turns to warehouse shopping. She writes, “While shopping there may not make sense for singles or couples, for my family of five it has been a lifesaver."
She also gives credit to the culinary queen, adding, "When I'm out of ideas (which happens often) you always have something clever and inventive." In this case, the goddess gives all the credit to her dear devotees, who have come through for each other yet again.
Recipe swap
Speaking of coming through for those in need, the goddess asks her dear disciples to take a walk down memory road to see if anyone can help out these readers:
Kelandra P. Williams of Locust Grove is in desperate need of a recipe like her grandmother made for tea cakes -- but not the cookies variety. She is looking for tea cakes that were cut into squares.
Carolyn Landrum of Austell is looking for some childhood favorites from her time at the Church Street School and Russell High School in the 1950s and '60s. She is hoping for recipes for the peanut butter balls and rice pudding served at Church Street and for the chiffon pie at the high school.
Laura Joyce of Marietta is looking for the Chicken Frangelica recipe from the old Lindy's restaurant that was on King's Circle in Peachtree Hills.
And last but not least Van Gaines of Jonesboro is looking for the fried cauliflower recipe from the former Pilgreen's on Lee Street in West End.
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