Wednesday is appropriately called Hump day. By the middle of the week I’m looking back and down the list of things that had to get done. I'm still checking things off Monday and Tuesdays “to do” list, but I’m also looking up the hill to Thursday and Friday, wondering if I will get it all done in time to rest for the weekend. So what can you cook when you don’t have time to cook?

This is the day that I usually choose to make a quick and easy meal because every Wednesday evening for my family is booked. I aim for crockpot meals first. My perfect plan for Wednesdays is to get a nice roast going in the crock pot before I sit at my desk and work steadily, until I take a break from that and face the housework. I prefer not to do errands on Wednesdays, they take too long. Pero, my plan usually goes awry just after I send my husband off for his work day. Interruptions are inevitable. Week after week, and year after year, unexpected needs have taught me to plan for and expect the unexpected.  

Keep the Freezer Stocked

 I keep my freezer stocked with frozen foods items for my Hump Day Meal, a rotating cycle, as one is used, another is stored:

-shredded meats: beef, pork, chicken breast

-frozen patties-beef, chicken, fish

-ground meats: beef, turkey or sausage

-homemade sauces: red and green enchilada sauces, spaghetti and alfredo sauces

-frozen tamales

-miscellaneous items-meatballs, hotdogs, frozen potatoes

Sometimes You Have to Improvise

Wednesdays I usually give myself about an hour for prepping, cooking and serving dinner. This past week I planned on putting a pork roast in the crock pot, and whipping up some Mexican rice and a cabbage, cucumber and lemon salad. Well, I forgot to get it out of the freezer the night before. What was I to do?

Pues, thank God for  my Hump Day supply! I pulled the last of my tamales out, but they were not enough to feed my small army of six so I also pulled out some ground turkey and decided to make a small pan of green chile turkey enchiladas. By using a pre-made sauce, and pre-shredded cheese this was a 10 minute process. I dip the tortillas in oil to warm them and fill them with meat, cheese and sauce. Then I roll them tight and top with more sauce and cheese. Somehow on that busy Wednesday, I served two entrees and two sides. Tamales, enchiladas, Mexican rice and cabbage salad, it was just like a Mexican restaurant. 

Don’t let hump day overwhelm you. A little planning ahead, a few shortcuts, and some improvising can save the day(or save the dinner) on the busiest of Wednesdays.