Alice Henneman, MS, RDN; UNL Extension in Lancaster County
When it comes to sleep patterns, "lark" is a term often given to people who like to get up early. An "owl" is someone who likes to stay up late. While a lark may be ready for bed by 10 p.m., an owl may wish the day started at 10 a.m.
What does this have to do with cooking?
Perhaps you're a night owl and can barely drag out of bed in the morning, let alone fix breakfast. Do as much as possible the night before when you have a full tank of energy. For example:
- Mix any frozen juice.
- Set the table, get out the cereal, perhaps measure the coffee.
- Round up any utensils needed for cooking breakfast.
- Unload the dishwasher so it's ready to use the next day.
On the other hand, if you're a lark, your energy tank may already be low by dinnertime. Do some dinner preparations earlier in the day. For example:
- Unload the dishwasher in the morning.
- Measure ingredients needed for the evening meal. Store perishable ones, covered, in the refrigerator. Cover and store nonperishable ones, in your prep area on the kitchen counter.
- Many homemade salad dressings can be mixed in the morning.
- Prepare a dessert for the evening meal.