family proud by providing
healthful meals while
spending a little time together to share the events of
the day. Most, however, feel
this is virtually hopeless. Well,
it’s not!
In the last 13 years I have
written five bestselling meal-planning books. I teach that
modern-day meal planning
is key to taking the
weight off your
mind when it
comes to making
dinner, but so is a little trick I came up with
called the “five-minute, night-before dinner
miracle.” Between my books and my show
Fixing Dinner on Food Network Canada
(
www.foodtv.ca), it’s caught on. People in all
situations, even people who hate to cook, suddenly find their dinners coming together.
Believe it or not, a silly five-minute prep
may be just what you need to get back to the
dinner table. Why? Because it takes the task off
your mind, which is 90 percent of the battle!
Here are the five rules for the five-minute
family proud by providing healthful meals while spending a little time to- gether to share the events of the day. Most, however, feel this is virtually hopeless. Well, In the last 13 years I have written five bestselling meal- planning books. I teach that modern-day meal planning is key to taking the weight off your mind when it comes to making dinner, but so is a little trick I came up with called the “five-minute, night-before dinner PHOTODISC ONTINUED FROM PAGE 49
dinner miracle:
1. Brown ground beef, chicken or
lamb and freeze it flat in a zippered
freezer bag; this allows even a child to
accomplish an assembly-only dinner, with
pride, before a parent arrives home.
2. Cut, chop, marinate or boil something
in advance for a child to assemble; you’ve
added to his or her repertoire.
3. Spice a beef or pork roast
that’s large enough to
bake all day in the oven
while you are at work;
you’ve bought yourself peace
of mind, extra meal starters and lunches.
4. Double up on something that is easy
to freeze; you’ve bought yourself an emergency backup.
5. Incorporate a slow cooker into your list of
essential weekday tools; you’ve bought
yourself the tenderest ribs and an array of
fabulous stews and soups in minutes.
Each of the above steps takes no longer
than five minutes to prep.
If someone said to you, all you need to do
is exercise for five minutes and you will be as
fit as can be, wouldn’t you try it? So, try the
dinner miracle:
1. Brown ground beef, chicken or
lamb and freeze it flat in a zippered
freezer bag; this allows even a child to
accomplish an assembly-only dinner, with
pride, before a parent arrives home.
2. Cut, chop, marinate or boil something
in advance for a child to assemble; you’ve
added to his or her repertoire.
3. Spice a beef or pork roast
that’s large enough to
bake all day in the oven
while you are at work;
you’ve bought yourself peace
of mind, extra meal starters and lunches.
4. Double up on something that is easy
to freeze; you’ve bought yourself an emer-
Get the kids involved
• Have kids take out ingredients and
equipment so they learn where
things are.
• Start kids young, giving them mixing
and assembly tasks.
• Kids are more likely to eat a meal
that they make.
• Start kids with easy meals that become
their signature dish.
• The more you praise kids, the more
they will cook.
• Reward the meal maker or helper
by releasing them at cleanup.—SR
five-minute dinner miracle yourself. You may
be shocked to see where it takes your health,
while saving you a bundle and enriching your
family time together. C
Costco member and author Sandi Richard is
an award-winning Food Network Canada
host and repeat guest on the Today show. Her
Web site is
www.cookingfortherushed.com.
The Costco Connection
Costco members will find fine meats,
fresh produce, spices and fixings (plus
slow cookers) for their own five-minute
miracles at their local warehouse.
Freeze now. Fresh later. Ziploc® Fresh Shield™ Freezer Bags deliver great freshness solutions for your bulk purchases, helping you keep your food fresh and delicious.
For fresh ideas, visit www.ziploc.com
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