In my pre-baby days, I considered myself to be a pretty good cook.  I came up with tasty dishes at a moment’s notice and never burned anything.  Chicken Marsala?  No problem!  Chocolate cheesecake?  Coming right up!  Yep, I was Queen of the Kitchen and proud of it.

As my abdomen swelled with my growing firstborn, I noticed that I had trouble reaching the pots on the back burners of my stove and I tended to spill ingredients as I prepared meals.  I couldn’t wait to give birth so things could return to normal!  I had visions of my infant sleeping peacefully as I prepared our usual fare for dinner.  Of course, I was aware that not every day would be like that.  I just didn’t realize that no day would ever be like that.

After my first child arrived, I was increasingly disturbed by my diminishing culinary abilities.  I burned food.   Often.  I left out ingredients – important ones.  I had difficulty planning meals.  I burned food.  (Oh, did I mention that already?)  Virtually every dish featured a glaring flaw!  Instead of Queen of the Kitchen, I felt like a total failure.  I realized that I would have to make some major changes to get back on track.

I have discovered that it is possible to get back on track with little ones underfoot if you follow a few simple guidelines.  In the coming articles, I’ll share some time-saving tips and recipes to help you get organized while sticking to your budget.  Before you know it, you’ll be back on your throne as Queen of the Kitchen, too!