Hello, I’m Mamington, a working mom of three.
Everyday, working parents agonize about what they will feed their family. Breakfast is pretty much the same menu everyday. Lunch thankfully gets served at school. And then comes dinner… oh what to do with dinner. It’s not like we have downtime after work, so no we can’t spend an hour on meal prep. We need something quick, easy and filling.
I have thought about giving up home cooked meals and buying take-out everyday. But when I eat out frequently, I just simply do not feel healthy. Taking 3 children to a restaurant was not easy either. And so I finally reached my cooking motto: NUTRITIOUS AND QUICK. I have a newfound joy in quick and creative cooking using smart kitchenware and ready to cook ingredients. I am still searching for new tricks, but let me show you some examples of my recent cooking stunts below.
・A small touch to pre packaged foods: I used to be against pre packaged foods because I thought they were not tasty or they had unhealthy additives. But these days, pre packaged foods are quite delicious! No shame in eating pre packaged foods! But I also find self-satisfaction in making dinners look like I cooked them (LOL). So I add a small touch to pre packaged foods to make the dinner look and taste home cooked. Penne Bolognese is my childrens’ favorite, but this dish takes time to prepare. So I dump ground beef, onions and pre packaged tomato sauce in a pan and leave it on the stove. After about 20 mins, I have myself a very taste Bolognese sauce and all I have to do is mix penne into the pan ♡
・Ready to cook veggies: I have always been obsessed with providing my children with fresh vegetables (I still am), but cutting and cooking fresh vegetables everyday can be a burden. On busy days, I realized that some vegetables is better than none. So I buy ready to cook vegetables to save cutting time. Of course I do not rely on these every day and I enjoy preparing fresh vegetables when I have the time, but when I feel like I do not have the time, my hands are on the VEGGIE BAGS!
・Pans with dividers: I do not have time to stand around to flip and prepare a perfectly cooked omelet, but with creative kitchenware like the frying pan with dividers, I do not have to stand around waiting for eggs to cook. All I have to do is mix up a few eggs, pour oil and eggs into the pan and wait. I do not even have to flip the eggs, not even once. Wait 5 mins and I have a few heart shaped omelets for the family.
・Sides in jars: These are popular in JApan. I personally like the brand Momoya which has an incredible line of jarred products to add vegetables and fish flavors to rice balls, add spices to stir fries, or simply add garlic to steak or soup or whatever else you are having. The kids love these too!
・Steam 2 things with 1 pot: I love kitchenware and I love Fissler. I use steamers religiously and these steamers can be so helpful because I can cook 2 things at once! I believe in anything that helps me to be efficient.
・And last but not least, sashimi: Raw fish are healthy and pretty. They are raw so obviously I do not have to cook them. And because they are raw and must be fresh, they are discounted from late afternoon to the evenings because they have to sell everything on the same day in the supermarket. All I have to do is place them nicely on a plate. How friendly to working parents who have no time for meal prep!
What are your creative cooking hacks?😊