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Efficient shabbos



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flmommy




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 4:14 pm
I need help....I like having guests but need help so that's Shabbos prep doesn't take over my whole week. Between shopping at 3 different stores, thurs night chopping and dressing prep and cooking on fri it never ends. Not to mention Motzei Shabbos cleanup. I rarely use real dishes and I do use disposable pans sometimes. What can I do so that I'm not making myself crazy. I do make shopping lists but not everything I need can be gotten at the same store. Please share your tips!
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Dev80




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 4:35 pm
bH I've gotten a lot less overwhelmed with shabbos prep.

Some suggestions would be to cut down on the store running, try and stock up for 2 weeks at a time so you're only going to 1 or 2 stores a week. If store 3 only has the brocolli, cholent meat, and special flour you like so get two weeks (or 3 weeks) worth so you're not running there every week.

Cut down on the gourmet food, maybe only experiment one or two new dishes a week, or do one patchka a week so you are doing familiar, easy recipes that take you less time.

Some things can be bought, like dessert and challah, so don't feel bad to fall back on that

Simple sides - (thats similar to point 2...) - greenbeans, grains like rice, couscous, bulgar...,

Lots of hatzlacha to you!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 5:34 pm
Where do you live? Is there one store where you can pick up everything at once?
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amother


 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 5:40 pm
I was overwhelmed for years!

I made a rule ... NO COOKING ON FRIDAY!

I do most of it late Wednesday afternoon/evening- the soup, fish, kugel...

Thursday - chicken, prepare chulent to plug in pot in the morning... 1-2 sides, boil eggs

If I am having company or want challah ... I bake the challah on Tues. and freeze or make a fancy dessert or kuge (for company) and freeze

Thur. night - set the table ..... fill up hot water urn, water pitcher...

no cooking on friday ...... the day is hard enough with kids getting out early, feeding them and bathing them and still keeping the house clean!
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Dolly Welsh




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 5:50 pm
Get food delivered? In some areas you can shop online. Yes, the produce is ok, no problem. Even if it is a little iffy once in a while, look at what you gain in exchange. And the delivery fees and tip are worth it, too.

Electric rice cooker, slow-cooker, pressure cooker. Love the gadgets. Dishwasher. Electric slicer.

Having a big, separate, freezer is useful, I hear. My friend has one in her garage.
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Bruria




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 6:07 pm
Yeah, buy most of the foods ready, why stress yourself out, right?
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 6:15 pm
I have a lot of guests each shabbos. I can't buy challa. I actually find it more time efficient to cook on friday, since I don't have to spend time putting stuff in the fridge and reheating. Also I am very busy during the week but I simply devote friday to shabbos. Most of my recipes are very simple. If I make anything complex like kugel I make a few and freeze.

This is my schedule.

wednesday morning: go shopping for meat, chicken etc

thursday night order fruit and vegetables from supermarket that does online delivery
in winter make challah dough, sometimes dessert

friday morning/afternoon: make dessert, bake challa, grill eggplant, make 1-2 side dishes, make chicken, boil gefilta fish or make chicken soup (never both) make cholent. My cleaning lady makes the green beans and chatzilim and helps peel and chop veggies. I make one salad after shabbos comes in or before lunch on shabbos day. I buy other dips.

Most common side dishes are oven baked rice, roast baby potatoes, roast sweet potatoes and parsnips, mushroom boreka, orzo.

Obviously I only manage since my cleaner comes on friday afternoon so this may not work for you.
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flmommy




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Nov 06 2014, 6:44 pm
Thanks for all the suggestions. Please keep them coming. So far I decided to make one trip a month to the big box store. I can get and freeze all my chicken for the month and buy my paper goods. Not going to go back for produce even though it's probably cheaper. Then I will just go to the other one or two stores. I think I will still cook thurs night and fri because I don't have room to store my soup once it's cooked! Plus I have a cleaning lady once a week and she comes fri afternoon. I have been trying to make salads with out sugar maybe I can figure out some sugar free no chop salads which would help a lot. Chopping takes so long. I can't waste my precious few hours with my cleaning lady asking her to chop. I already make my starch under my chicken (geez I sound pretty lazy). Buying everything prepared would be too expensive as much as we host. I do but some things prepared already like challah and some desserts. I wish my kids liked to bake. I will look into grocery delivery but I don't think we have that in my little OOT town.
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