Sundays in the Kitchen

I used to look at people who do food prep and think 'why would you want to spend the last day of your weekend cooking all afternoon?!' Well let me tell you people, food prep is the most underrated thing. It's wonderful, it saves me so much time during the week, and I am able to eat healthy meals! 
Here are my steps and tips to successful food prep:

1.) Have a Plan- my sister and I go through and pick some recipes we are going to make for the week. Usually they are dinner type meals that can make several servings and are easy to reheat. Make a list of the ingredients you will need for each recipe, along with your other usual grocery store grabs

2.) Time to shop- I love grocery shopping. Whole Foods has become my favorite Sunday hangout, I could walk the isles for a good couple of hours. But anyway, get what you need and don't forget your list! 

3.) Head to the Kitchen- once your shopping is done its time to cook! I like to start by preparing the big meals first. Last week we made a slow cooker stew and a slow cooker chicken recipe (links to both below). I also like to put a couple of salads together that are easy to grab for lunch, cook up some rice and quinoa (you can make these side dishes for just about anything), and cut up some fruits and veggies for snacks (I eat more of them if I can just grab and go!). 

4.) Ease Yourself Into it- if you are anything like me, then the kitchen can be a little bit intimidating. Don't worry about having every single meal for the week prepped, it can get overwhelming, and you can end up with more food than you can really eat. So start by trying to prep one or two meals. Maybe cook up some chicken for a lunch and dinner, or throw together some salad for the week.  Prep to the extent that works best for you and your schedule.

5.) Get creative and try new things- because we prep for the whole week, we eat a lot of the same meals. so for my sister and I, we try to find new recipes and flavors each week. Have fun in the kitchen and experiment.

Last week we tried three all new recipes we ended up loving them all! here are the links to each of the recipes. They are easy to make and may be a good starting point for you:

• Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken: http://www.emilylovesfood.com/2012/11/20/slow-cooker-sesame-chicken/
• Quinoa Egg Bake: http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Quinoa-Egg-Bake-Recipe-26947762
• New Mexican Stew: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-mexican-stew.html

I hope you enjoy! 
Sincerely, 
Kaity