Are You School Ready?

 Even though it;s the steamy days of August it's time to look ahead a few weeks to the new school year? Are you ready for those pre made lunches and dinners on the run? If not , you should be.It'll be chaos in the kitchen if there;s no plan.

Starting any school year can be nerve wracking. It's not just school starting but also soccer season along with continued music and art lessons from the summer. That means quick dinners that are easy to heat up. Should you start making them now? No but you can make up some componies now. Thsi si a great time to use those tomato harvests to make sauces, both for pasta and pizza. Yes you can make a pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes. They're usually Roma tomatoes cooked with olive garlic sauce, sugar , garlic powder and white vinegar. An easy Friday dinner is spaghetti and meatballs or homemade pizzas with a toppings bar. Those tomatoes can also be turned into a delicious homemade salsa using two kinds of tomatoes, namely ROma and any other kind. Fresh onions and jalapenos are also added. Imagine this one fun weeknight supper of brick layer  nachos full of ground beef and bacon along with cheese. You could also freeze zucchini slices or zucchini noodles  - zoodles for dinner later on.This is also true for eggplant slices .Make sure that the zucchini is cooked first and cooled before putting into into the fridge.

What about those older kids heading off to college. Most freshman don;t have kitchens in their dorms so you can get them a microwave. Some schools have what's called a microFridge unit - a small area that contains a fridge, microwave and sometimes a freezer, This does allow students to create nutritious vitamin packed lunches and dinners. Before they head off to college , go food shopping with them. Show them how to create good dinners using healthy and inexpensive veggies and meats. show them how to test for ripeness and what meat cuts offer the best values for the dollar. If the kids are college seniors them they'll probably living in their first off campus apartment. Make sure they have the right gadgets and tools. They should have a good immersion blender for creating soups and sauces. A crockpot is  a must because they can make stews and chilis in the ,morning and have a hot meal when they come home for dinner. Sheet  pans are also ah must have because they can make an easy dinner with all the trimmings just on one pan. These als double as cookie trays if they want to bake.

This is the time to start planning. Make some sauces now. Test your college senior's knowledge on cooking. it'll make for an easy transition into the  new.schhol season