10 tips to help prepare dinner in a flash

Sometimes it seems like moms are super human. They have the powers to be all things to all members of the family. With everything mom has to get done in a day, from breakfast, to car-pooling, to sporting events, and music lessons, she still has to have dinner on the table every night.

To make dinner easier at our house, I have some tips that might help make dinner run smoother at your house, too.

1. Plan meals in advance. If you wait until meal time to decide what to fix you will always feel like you are running behind. You will have to search your freezer and pantry for ingredients at the last minute to fix dinner only to find out you don't have everything you need to prepare anything.
2. Shop for everything you need to make dinner for the work week so you don't have to make another trip to the store. If you already have the ingredients in your freezer and pantry it makes cooking at home easier and less expensive than eating out.
3. Always thaw the meat you plan to cook in the refrigerator. It takes less time to cook if it's not frozen.
4. Use a crock pot. If you cook the meat while you are at work or doing other chores, then all you have to do is fix the side dishes. It takes a lot less time and you still get a wonderful home-cooked meal.
5. Stock things in your pantry and freezer that you use a lot of so you can fix a quick dinner in a pinch.
6. Have a couple of one pot recipes on file for nights you don't feel like cooking a big meal. 
7. Cooking doesn't have to be a chore if you're prepared. Make sure dishes are washed and set out pots and pans, dishes, etc., before you go to work so you're ready to cook when you get home.
8. Use a deep fryer for quicker cooking. It's not just for french fries any more. 
9. Get other members of the family involved in the cooking process. They will ease the pressure and they will be more willing to eat what they helped cook.
10. If you can't buy fresh fruits and veggies for your family, buy frozen. They are much better than canned foods, because they don't have salt and other processing.

Have fun and experiment with things you haven't tried before. You don't know if you like it if you've never tried it.

Samsung Home Appliances and TwitterMoms are giving one blogger who provides suggestions to get dinner ready in a flash, into a random drawing to win a Samsung French Door Refrigerator (RFG297AARS).