These few tricks will make it easy to create tasty, healthy and affordable meals in no time. I used to spend hours and even days in the kitchen cooking the perfect meal. This was before becoming a mom. Below are a few items and recipes that I keep on hand so that I don’t have to rely on delivery, take-out or any other type of convenience food that is less healthy and costs more. These recipes can be prepared in advance and frozen. They can be used for many purposes and are on our family’s ‘favorites” list.

Red Sauce. I keep a can with tomatoes in my cupboard and frequently have vegetables (carrots or squashes as well as onion and garlic) in the house. These ingredients can be combined to make a tasty sauce. If you don’t like to cook frequently, make large batches and freeze in smaller quantities.

White Sauce. Make a white sauce by adding butter, flour, milk and some salt. You can also add paprika, garlic powder, or other seasonings to your pasta. Since it’s so easy to make, I recommend that you make this as soon as possible. Mix 4 tablespoons butter into a heavy-bottomed pan on low heat. Stir in 3 Tablespoons flour. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes before adding the flour. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups milk to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir for 5 minutes. Adapted From ‘The New Basics Cook Book.

Pizza. Make large batches of dough using yeast, water and flour. Once you are done, divide it into small balls and either freeze or roll them out. For a quicker thaw, top and bake, you can also bake the dough. Make large pizzas for meals, mini pizzas for snacks. Mix the ingredients with a stand mixer and it will be easy for you to do it yourself. Mix 1 cup warmwater with 1/4 oz activedry yeast. Next, add 1 1/2 cups dried flower. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Slowly add 1 to 1.5 cups flour. The dough should become smooth. Knead the dough for five minutes. After that, place it in an oil bowl, covered with a kitchen cloth, and let it rise until doubled in volume, approximately one hour. Once the dough is rolled out, form it into a circle or rectangle on a floured table. Toss with your favorite toppings. Bake at 400F (or lower depending on how hot it is). This recipe was taken from The New Basics Cook Book.