Family Meals
So how do you pull it all together on those nights when …one child has scouts, one has lessons or a game, you have a meeting, and everyone needs to eat – really quick! My answer is to mix and match! Jump to the bottom of this page to see how I put it all together with MMC 30-minute menus.
Using different cooking techniques, you can put your dinner on the table quickly every night. Putting your family in the action plan gets the job done a lot quicker and with a whole lot more fun!
This week's method is using Meals To Go. This is a rapidly growing and exciting approach to dinner with so many options for you and your family.
Real Simple Magazine shows you how to 'Fake It with 
Takeout'. Transform meals-to-go food into party-perfect cuisine Whether you’re hosting a formal party or just throwing together snacks for drinks with friends, we’ve got ideas for transforming carryout into crowd-pleasing cuisine.
Here are just a few of your choices:
Restaurants have to-go menus just for you:
At Cracker Barrel, you can actually build your own menu online plus call ahead so it is ready for you to pick up and go.
Applebees will bring your dinner to your car - car side service. Just call your selection ahead. Viola! Dinner is ready to go.
Boston Market has 3-hour delivery and 2-hour pick-up ordering schedules. Dinner just got a whole lot easier!
Macarroni Grill has been a family favorite for years; use their location finder to find the nearest location.
No time to stop at the restaurant - check out Delivery.com. You can order from your favorite restaurant and have it delivered right to your door - free! Delivery.com has provided fast and easy online food ordering from local restaurants and merchants since 1999.
Want to order take-out but don't have the menu? Foodle.com will solve your problem - they are the national restaruant menu and dining guide!
Assembly Line Dinners are gaining popularity for their ease and low cost. You assemble the dinners for your family from the store's prepared items. This approach to puting dinner on the table is popping up everywhere - I'll bet in your home town, too. Check out 
for an article from Orlando, Fl.
Already-prepared dinners work well, too. You order your meals ahead and pick them up already prepared and packaged for you. Local.com will find the stores in your area.
Gourmet shops are now offering food bars so you can make your meal on the way home from work or the game, etc. You can find a store near you using Open List.com .
Grocery stores will have ready-to-serve salads, entrees, and delicious bakery items for you to select for dinner tonight. Don't forget the frozen section for delicious foods, too. Some great stores are Balducci's, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Wegmans, Publix, Kroger, or Food Lion. 
Keep it Healthy - Reader's Digest shares some tips for 'Making Takeout as Healthy as Home Cooking' . If you choose wisely, takeout can be just as healthy as the meals you cook at home - check it out!
Want more information? Here you go....
- Let Good Housekeeping's The Supermarket Diet Book hold your hand, guiding you as you prepare tasty diet-friendly meals! Remember: people who eat at home tend to be thinner than those who eat out often. Even those who don’t feel comfortable in the kitchen can easily make these recipes, which have all been triple-tested in the magazine’s acclaimed kitchens. Most of the recipes take no more than 20 minutes from stove to table!
- Quick Meal Solutions puts the flavor—and the nutrition—back in fast food. From Healthy Sweet & Sour Slaw to Chicken Pesto Panini and Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches, it gives you more than 150 winning recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and healthy snacks. You'll find a tempting selection of ten-minute meals, one-dish dinners, thirty-minute dishes, make-ahead foods, and even speedy and sensational treats for parties and celebrations
- Semi-Homemade by Sandra Lee is for any cook who is looking for "shortcut" strategies. You really can make delicious meals in "minutes." If you are looking for more leisure time, but want to still enjoy home-made meals, this might be for you. Sandra Lee is the premiere authority of Semi-Homemade cooking—a quick and easy method of food preparation where nothing is made from scratch, but everything tastes homemade. Her cooking approach, savvy short-cuts and food and style ideas are a hit!
No time to cook? No Problem!
DineWise has family meals packaged in convenient quantities of four; just click on 'Family Style' to pick your entress and sides.
Mom, dinner does not have to be stressful! You can have our dinner delivered right to your door.
Enjoy chef-prepared meals prepared just for you and delivered nation wide!
You can have your time and meal, too! Let chefs prepare your dinner - great choices so you will be sure to find your family favorites!
Previous mix and match meal methods:
You see, the important thing is not that you fixed the entire meal from scratch but that you have time to eat together as a family!
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I am a firm believer in Meal Planning to save you time and money with meals that fit your busy schedule plus fewer trips to the grocery store!
Meal Mixer is a great program for family meal planning because it gives you menus that fit your style and they even create a grocery list for you! Great home meals that fit your tastes and diet. Check them out at Meal Mixer.
 Let MOM bring your family back to the dinner table! If you are looking for easy meal planning, help with nutrition, and extra recipes, then give them a try. What makes them different from the rest? You get the recipe and shopping list for 2, 4, & 6 servings so you don’t have to do the math. So no matter what size your family, you’re covered! Try My Online Meals.
Save Money on Meals - Only a Few Spots Left!
Menu Planning Central has wonderful news letters to keep you informed and in-tune with the latest tricks and techniques to get your dinner on the table quick and easy! Mom, dinner time does not have to be stressful - take a look at Menu Planning Central.
Got a penny? Trade it for one whole week of menu planning and a juicy report that will teach you how to save hundreds of dollars per week in groceries. Check it out : Dine Without Whine.
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