Finding balance between work and family life is no easy feat! Despite making lists, filling up the family
calendar, and taking notes on your phone, 5:30 to 7 p.m. is always a little crazy. What can you do to make
things a little less stressful?
Plan better and enjoy more quality time as a family
Everyone wants to find the perfect work/life balance . . . especially at dinnertime. It’s
the time of day that often feels like an obstacle course, if not a triathlon. You inevitably turn into an
athlete, trying to wash the potatoes, play doll, pour a glass of juice, and set the table, all at once. You
zigzag your way around the Princess, raising her hands up in despair (because she is starving), and Junior,
who is begging for just one more cracker (no, we’re eating soon!), not to mention the doll that was
just left in your way and, uh oh, the potato rolling around on the floor.
Here are a few simple yet effective ways to make everyday life easier so you can enjoy dinnertime to the
max.
Plan your weekly menu. When you get home in the evening, trying
to make dinner on the fly often comes with a fair share of challenges: the meat you wanted to use is
still frozen, you’re missing a few key ingredients for your chosen recipe, the cooking time is too
long, and you know the whole family will start to get
hangry, etc. So before heading out to the
grocery store, plan your menu for the week so you can be ready for every situation.
Pstt! The
TADA! meal planner, in the IGA app, can help you find quick and easy recipes for the week based
on the specials in the flyer.
Wash and cut your vegetables. Carrots and celery should only
enter the fridge once they have been washed, cut, and soaked in a bowl of water. Keep them on a lower
shelf so your hungry little children can easily get a healthy snack. Have a bit of free time on your
hands? Take the opportunity to prepare vegetable papillotes for the le BBQ (think potatoes, onions,
turnip, bell peppers, asparagus, etc.). Season and flavour them with nut butter, and wrap them in
aluminum foil, and you’ll have a vegetable side ready to accompany a grilled dinner.
Freeze meals and sauces. Having a Bolognese sauce ready is a
great way to turn dinnertime into a (nearly) Zen time. Simply cook your pasta, and dinner is served!
Frozen dishes, such as curry, butter chicken, and broths, can go from the microwave to the table in no
time. You can also opt for a few family-sized ready-to-eat meals, like those from IGA’s
C’est prêt!
line, for those busy week nights.
Use your casserole or slow cooker . . . even in
summer! These wonderful tools are the perfect ally to today’s super-parents, any time of the year.
All you need is a beef roast or ham, some spices, and a few root vegetables, and let the crockpot do the
rest. Plus, when you walk into your home, you’ll be greeted by that mouth-watering smell, and mom
and dad can take comfort in knowing that they can skip the triathlon tonight!
What are some things you do to ensure you have a stress-free dinnertime?