9 Must-Have Kitchen Tools to Make Cooking and Meal Prep Easier

We all know that cooking your food at home is so much healthier than ordering take-out. But sometimes it seems easier on us that we can just swing through the drive thru in less time than it takes us to shop for food, get everything out, prepare the food, cook the food, serve the food, and then clean up everything afterwards! But it doesn't have to be this way. 

I have found that the times I am wishing for take-out is when it is 5:00pm and I have no plan for dinner and everything seems to take a million times longer than it really does. Some of the things that I have found that have really helped me combat the "what's for dinner" question is 1. having a plan, 2. doing some meal prep ahead of time, and 3. having several tools in my kitchen that help me get dinner on the table in less time. Having good knives, enough mixing bowls, and proper storage containers has been a total game changer in me actually wanting to spend time in my kitchen. My time is valuable and having things in my kitchen to make my job of homemaker easier is so worth it. I am less irritated and overwhelmed because I like the things that I'm using in my kitchen, and everything is in good working order so I can actually enjoy cooking meals for my family.

New Blog Redesign and a Gift for You

Welcome to the new Emma Marie Designs! The blog got a new redesign last week and I wanted to show you around today. First things first - Emma Marie Designs, Inspiration for the Everyday. I truly hope that each and every time you come to this little corner of the web you will be inspired and encouraged somehow. I want to give you inspiration and motivation as you are involved in your day to day activities. Whether that is at your house, with your children, or working at your job - wherever you are!

Dining Room Design Board

Rug - Mirror - Black & White Fabric - Silver Platters - Floral Fabric - Lamp

Last spring, the dining room got updated with new paint and flooring. I hung some pretty curtains and started a plate wall and then stopped. Now it just needs some color added and one or two more things to make it go from so-so to drop dead gorgeous! The inspiration for the entire room came from this floral fabric. With it, I'll make a couple of pillows for the corner chairs and put this gorgeous pink rug on the floor- love, love, love! I just love that pink rug! I think it'll be a showstopper for sure and really be the thing that pulls everything together.

Meal Prep for the Week Ahead

One thing I like to do each Sunday and/or Monday that saves me time is to do a simple meal prep. If you haven't heard of it before, meal prep is taking an hour or two once a week to get some food ready for the upcoming week. It can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. Some people put together every.single.thing that they are going to eat and store it in the fridge. Others make several things that can be prepared many ways for the week. And still others prep 4-6 things. I fall in the last group. I've tried several things and what works for me is to prep a handful of things putting the focus on breakfast and snacks. I don't like to make everything for the week in advance because 1) We have too many leftovers that go to waste 2) I like to have my food fresh instead of re-heated the 1st time I eat it 3) I actually enjoy cooking (most days) and it's easy to turn on the rice cooker, steam veggies, or put something in the crockpot. That's why I only prep a handful of items. I also pre-plan my meals for 1-2 weeks at a time and make sure I've got all the ingredients needed. Breakfast seems to be the hardest time of the day to get a decent meal on the table for some reason and that is why I like to do a little bit of breakfast preparation ahead of time.