As you've probably already discovered, cooking ahead requires planning and thinking ahead. I failed miserably in this department until I discovered some handy kitchen routines.

After Breakfast...

• Bake bread. For sourdough, you would have gotten the process started yesterday. This morning, you'll be kneading the dough, then 2 hours later, you'll divide the dough into loaves and place on pans. In 2 more hours, you'll pop them in the oven, ready to be enjoyed for lunch. For breads using sprouted or soaked grains, you'll just simply follow the recipe and should have bread ready for lunch as well. Time required: 20 minutes now, then 5 minutes later.
• Start stock. Fill your stockpot with bones and filtered water, plus whatever other ingredients are called for in your recipe. Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer all day. Time required: 5 minutes now.
• Check supper ingredients. Have you taken frozen foods out of the freezer? Do you have all the ingredients you'll need to make dinner? Do you need to put anything into the slow cooker? Any other prep jobs needed? Time required: 5 minutes.

• Check sourdough and/or sprouting grains. This is a good time to prepare your sourdough starter for tomorrow's bread. If you're sprouting grains, be sure to check them. Time required: 5 minutes
• Water your house plants and herbs. Time required: 5 minutes
• Check your kombucha (or any other long-term projects you have going, such as pickles, sauerkraut, etc.) Time required: 5-15 minutes
• Bake healthy cookies. Time required: 15 minutes

• Begin sprouting grain, if you need to start this. Time required: 2 minutes
• Soak oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow, and if you're soaking any grains for bread, start that, too. Time required: 2 minutes
• Check the freezer for any food you'll need tomorrow, such as meat, stock, butter, milk, cream, cheese, etc. Time required: 2 minutes
• Making cookies tomorrow? Start soaking flour. Need nuts? Soak those, too. Beans? You got it! Time required: 2 minutes
• Decide what you'll eat for lunch tomorrow. Time required: 1 minute
• Finish up the stock you started this morning. Time required: 15 minutes
• Check your week's menu for any other prep jobs you should be doing for the next 2 or 3 days. Time required: varies

>> Download a handy daily checklist to hang on your refrigerator. (PDF File, Size 22 KB)

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