I recently discovered Perry’s Plate (man, there are so many good food blogs out there!) and I really liked this post, and thought you guys would too.  Not only is there a tasty looking recipe for Roasted Vegetable Polenta Lasagnas, she also gives some great hints about how to actually manage to cook ‘fancy’ meals when you have small children running around.  Some really great tips, many of which I’ve employed myself!  An excerpt:

Natalie says:

“I get asked a lot, “how do you make such ‘fancy’ things with two toddlers at home?” Well, this is the perfect opportunity to tell you some of my secrets.

Secret #1: I don’t make things like this every night. Most weeknights (especially if my husband comes home late) I either reheat leftovers or pull something together from whatever is in the fridge — in 30 minutes tops. A couple days a week I plan for something nicer.

Secret #2: Most of the time I don’t spend a huge block of time in the kitchen. Unless my husband is home, I can’t. My kids would destroy the living room, then they’d be whining on my legs or making each other cry. And I would lose my mind.

Most recipes can be broken down into steps that don’t necessarily have to be done right after each other. Especially special condiments, sauces, or chopping vegetables, which seems to take the longest during meal preparation. If I’ve planned ahead (huge help), then I can find 10 minutes lulls here and there during the day (and sometimes the night before) to chop vegetables and do whatever prep that doesn’t rely too much on timing. ….”

Read the rest of her tips on cooking well with small children about, and get the recipe!

Have you been featured on Foodwhirl? Show your pride with a FEATURED button…

Hey, we don’t want to you miss anything, so we’d love you to get our RSS Feed.. or if that’s not your thing, follow us on Facebook or Twitter!