What time is dinner?

How many times have you tried to put a meal together, only to have the meat or the rolls not ready? I think the hardest part of cooking is getting all the parts of the meal ready at the same time. I spent years figuring out how to do this, and it isn't really that hard!

Here are some hints to make sure that Sunday meal is ready to eat when everything is hot:

1. Know what you're cooking. It sounds simplistic, but I don't know how many times I've been in the middle of a meal, only to realize I didn't have the rolls ready to go in the oven, or the dessert hadn't been started. It can be overwhelming when you're the person in charge of a complete meal restaurants make look easy. For any meal, especially a holiday meal when you're making many dishes and family and friends are coming over, make sure you know what you're cooking. For a holiday meal I write it down so I can visually see how many vegetables I'm making, but also so I can make sure I don't forget the rolls and desserts. This way you have a working knowledge of all the dishes you're planning on serving. I taught for 16 years and have found in both education and cooking, planning is the first step to a quality outcome.
2. Read the recipe through to the end. Again, you would assume most people would do this before they have chosen a dish to make. There have been many times when I didn't finish reading a recipe, when right at the bottom it says "marinate overnight" or "chill for 6 hours". ARG! These fine print details can put a serious crimp in your meal. If any meat needs marinating or dessert needs extended chilling, make these preparations the day before your planned meal. In my cookbook, I've listed the entire length of time, from beginning to end, of each dish at the bottom of each recipe, so you can quickly scan and see if it's something you have time to make.
3. Check for ingredients. Nothing is more devastating than to be in the middle of a recipe, only to realize you don't have any flour, almond extract, or oil. It has happened numerous times to me(and sometimes still does!), and when I lived in the country is was like being up a creek without a paddle. I say that, but I lived across from my dad and often used his pantry like a customer would a CVS. I would take what I needed and head home. If you don't have your dad's availability as I did, or someone hanging around waiting for you to send them to a convenience store, you are going to be very mad at yourself. You thought you had plenty of baking powder, but what you had was extra baking soda. Get each recipe together and check pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and spice rack for all necessary ingredients. If you do, you will send me blessings for the forethought. And I thank you in advance.
4. Prioritize each dish. If you have a list of all the dishes you want to make, number them in order of what to make first. Normally, meat takes the longest and is the first on the list to start cooking. But not always. When making steaks and potatoes, you definitely want to start the potatoes before putting the steaks on the grill. Potatoes take about 45 minutes to an hour to cook, steaks about 30. I have made uncooked potatoes, and it makes no one happy, especially me. Somethings can be made in advance, especially if you have several dishes that require the oven at different temperatures. Decide what can be made ahead and microwaved right before serving. This way one dish isn't over cooked or cold. When making a traditional Southern meal, the potatoes should be mashed in the same pot it was boiled in, and returned to the same hot section of the stove, covered, to remain warm until the rest of the meal is made.  For the fried(fill in the blank: chicken, steak, pork,) it can be removed to a plate and covered with foil after the potatoes are mashed. The last item to be cooked would be the gravy. The meat and the potatoes can be reheated, but you want the gravy to be hot and fresh, ready to go.
5. Hot now, cold earlier. Our lives are filled with stress, and cooking doesn't have to be lumped in that mix. When planning on a cold dessert or salad, make those either the day before or hours before. That way when it's time to sit down and eat, you can pull those out of the refrigerator and be set. Just don't forget them! I've done that, too, but a list will always keep you in check. You should be spending the majority of your time right before eating working on the hot dishes. It's nice if you have help in the kitchen because someone else could be putting together the salad, but if you're on your own, like most moms or single people, get the cold dishes out the way early, and it will save you time and unnecessary frustration.

I hope this has been helpful. Like I said, these are the things I had to figure out the hard way, but I don't think anyone should have to go through the fire and get and burned. Home cooking should be easy and you should not be wishing for takeout. Enjoy your home while eating a meal you enjoyed making. 

As always, any questions or comments are welcome.

No fear cooking!