Weekday breakfasts are not my favorite meal to prepare. My freezer and pantry are stocked with frozen pancakes, waffles, pop tarts and cereal; I’m definitely guilty of serving processed breakfast foods. This is the place where my entire family could use a makeover, and what better time to put it in place than during the fall and a new school year? My youngest child just started attending preschool two days per week, and my older one is taking the bus to school for the first time. It’s a new routine for the entire family, so why not shake things up for breakfast? This fall I promise to serve a healthier, heartier breakfast at least two mornings per week.

Unless you count Sunday brunch at noon, complete with champagne, I’ve never been much of a breakfast person; my own Mom struggled to get me to eat much of anything in the morning before school. The items I prepare for my kids simply do not appeal to me, but if I were making Egg Mock Muffins for my daughter, I’d definitely scarf one up, too. Sausage Egg Muffins take a little bit more work ahead of time. You can make the entire mixture the night before and refrigerate it so that all you need to do in the morning is scoop, bake, and make toast. Try swapping out the sausage for turkey sausage, meatless sausage crumbles, bacon, or ham. This is also a great recipe for weekend guests, as is the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Make Ahead Muffin Melts.

Speaking of setting up the night before, have you ever tried making a muffin batter in the evening? You can scoop and bake in the morning. This method works pretty well with Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, although I wait until the morning to stir in my chocolate chips. I’m looking forward to trying this method with Apple Muffins on a school morning once our carload of apples is picked at the orchard. Try popping one of these freshly baked treats into lunch boxes for snack or the midday meal. What’s better than a freshly baked muffin?

My kids both like yogurt, and as most Moms already know, serving food in a visually appealing way somehow makes it taste better to everyone. A container of yogurt with fruit on the side is fine, but when you change that up to Blueberry Orange Parfaits served in a clear vessel (even a clear plastic cup) then you have exponentially increased the likelihood that they’ll gobble it up. I just feel much better about sending them off to start their days when I know their tanks are filled with good fuel.

This summer we did a lot of experimenting with fresh fruit smoothies. Stocking the freezer and fridge with frozen fruit and assorted juices and dairy thickeners make this a quick, simple option that can even be carried out to the bus stop if necessary.

I don’t see any reason why Mama’s Mini Cinnis can’t be prepared the night before. Cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and pop them in a preheated oven in the morning.

On Wednesdays and Fridays, I don’t have to pack lunch for my son, and I won’t be rushing my daughter off to preschool. On those slightly more leisurely mornings, I could try French Toast Bites for everyone. Or, this basic homemade baking mix can be stored in the pantry for up to three months. I can customize it for pancakes, doughnuts, muffins, or coffeecake on a morning when I have a little more time, or make our Sunday morning pancakes a little easier.

When the weather cools down, everyone at my house likes oatmeal. There are a lot of ways to prepare it, from instant packets to stovetop stirring, but my favorite by far is Overnight Oatmeal. Talk about an easy morning! Vary this one by using raisins, cranberries, dried blueberries, or nuts. Or make it plain and serve all the goodies on the side.

With a little planning and resolve, I know we can do better than Kellogg’s and Eggo for our weekday breakfasts.

Read more by Robin Horrigan

Robin Horrigan writes the column Cooking from the Carpool Lane. She lives on Boston’s south shore and is a stay at home Mom to Ryan, seven, and Maegan, three. Her fascination with cooking sprouted from watching Julia Child cook on a little black and white TV; Robin helped her Mom in the kitchen until she was old enough to ask Santa for her very own copy of The Joy of Cooking. She experiments with all kinds of cooking and baking, from quick weeknight dinners and easy cookies to long simmering weekend stews and complicated, fancy desserts. Ryan thinks if his Mom will ever be famous, it will be “for her awesome cookies.” Her friends say it will be for the cocktails. Either way, if she’s not doing volunteer work or shopping for shoes, you’ll probably find her in the kitchen.

This fall I won’t give in (as much). Dining out too frequently is bad for our budget, bad for our waistlines, and it sets a bad example for our kids. Perhaps planning some restaurant-style dishes will help me keep my eye on the ball: healthful meals together at home that incorporate more fruits and vegetables, and encouraging my kids to try new foods. A little web surfing uncovered all kinds of delicious “restaurant style” recipes that will inspire me to stay with it for the nights when my schedule is getting the best of me.

Planning and prep work my key strategies. Some TV chefs make it look easy to pull it all together quickly, chopping alongside a hot pan and tossing things in… and that works when I really have a half hour to myself without interruption. But often I am answering homework questions or assisting in some sort of art project at the kitchen island while cooking at the same time. My attention is absolutely divided. And so I need to choose recipes that can be made ahead, even if that only means chopping the veggies earlier in the day, which is a great strategy for one of our favorite restaurant dishes: Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

Homemade pizza is actually faster than calling for delivery–even a “fancy” pie such as The Pioneer Woman’s version of California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ Chicken Pizza. (I make mine with store bought pizza dough on a weeknight, or even a pre-baked pizza shell such as Boboli.)

My husband and daughter love Coconut Shrimp with those mysteriously tasty dipping sauces. I was shocked to discover they are simple to make at home. We buy bags of shrimp peeled, deveined, and frozen at our wholesale club for a fraction of the grocery store cost. Having frozen shrimp on hand is also a terrific strategy when I’m not inspired to do any more than boil pasta and open a jar of marinara sauce. Add a dash of crushed red pepper and some shrimp and we have a simple seafood fra diavolo over pasta. Sounds fancy pants, right?

Look at your schedule for the week and think logically about timing your meals. Be sure to read through any new recipes thoroughly to avoid nasty surprises. (What? I was supposed to marinate the chicken overnight?) Any tasks that can be done ahead–making pizza dough, marinades or stir fry sauces–make the rush hour so much less… rushed. Often I fill a pasta pot with water in the afternoon, or set out a cutting board and pantry ingredients on the counter just before I dash out to school pick up and karate. This accomplishes two things: first, the water has a chance to come to room temperature, which will make it boil faster when it’s time to cook. Did you ever notice that Rachael Ray’s pots and pans are already set out for her on the stove, and that whatever she needs in her pantry is right in front? This is not an accident, but hers is also not a real home kitchen. Set out your ingredients ahead of time, and you’ll be much less likely to throw in the towel when they’re staring you in the face. If I know the veggies are already chopped and the chicken is defrosted and sliced, then I am more than halfway to Chicken Fajitas.

Try this restaurant knockoff for Broccoli-Cheddar Soup, paired with fresh bread and a simple salad. Rachael Ray’s Phunky Pho is definitely faux, but it is still delicious and comforting and maybe the perfect meal when you feel a pox on your house. Er, I mean, if anyone is coming down with a cold. Staying in for date night? Serve Fried Mozzarella Steaks with Crispy Salami Salad with a glass of red wine and you will not regret giving the babysitter a night off.

Do you love potato skins with sour cream? Me, too. But you can bake them at home for a fraction of the cost and calories. Even better, you can bake four extra potatoes in the beginning step so that a few nights later you are way ahead of the game when starting this ultra-creamy and comforting Baked Potato Soup. In a similar fashion, Pork & Pinto Bean Nachos are a busy mom’s best friend. While you’re preparing one dish, you can do double duty by roasting a second pork tenderloin for another meal later in the week (or even freeze it). Have a vegetarian in the family? Just modify a second smaller tray of nachos without the meat.

In New England, sandwiches known as “the pilgrim” or “the Thanksgiving wrap” are popular at delis, cafes, and casual dining restaurants. But you don’t need a professional kitchen or Thanksgiving leftovers to create this savory comfort dish. Try Thanksgiving in a Sandwich… nothing could be more simple, and the ingredients can be modified for the pickiest eaters. Another New England restaurant menu favorite is baked or broiled white fish “en casserole.” Roasted Cod with Lemon Parsley Crumbs is a quick and healthy entree; add a steamed veggie and microwave “baked” potato and you’re done.

This fall, keep everyone cozy at home and keep more Benjamins in your wallet by planning and preparing a few simple restaurant-style meals for the rush hour.

Read more by Robin Horrigan

Robin Horrigan writes the column Cooking from the Carpool Lane. She lives on Boston’s south shore and is a stay at home Mom to Ryan, seven, and Maegan, three. Her fascination with cooking sprouted from watching Julia Child cook on a little black and white TV; Robin helped her Mom in the kitchen until she was old enough to ask Santa for her very own copy of The Joy of Cooking. She experiments with all kinds of cooking and baking, from quick weeknight dinners and easy cookies to long simmering weekend stews and complicated, fancy desserts. Ryan thinks if his Mom will ever be famous, it will be “for her awesome cookies.” Her friends say it will be for the cocktails. Either way, if she’s not doing volunteer work or shopping for shoes, you’ll probably find her in the kitchen.

Photo by WordRidden

Appetizers are to entrees as dating is to marriage. You can have an awful lot of fun before committing to one specific dish.

So it’s ironic that as a married mother of two, I’m finding entrees are all but off the table when creating a menu. Dinner parties are often reduced to inviting other families over for takeout, and hoping none of the kids has a meltdown before dessert is done.

But appetizers—usually homemade—are always on the menu. Over the last few years, I’ve gathered numerous recipes for fast and delicious spreads and appetizers.

Dips and spreads are one of the easiest ways to stave off hunger while waiting for the main course. (Or in my case lately, while waiting for the takeout guy to arrive.) The recipes below are centered around ingredients that you can stash in your pantry or fridge, so it’s easy to whip up a couple of these starters, then relax and chat with your guests.

So don’t let a busy lifestyle interfere with hosting a dinner party. Open a bottle of wine. Serve lots of apps. Chat with your friends… and wait for the takeout guy. No one will mind. Really.

Branch out and try more complicated appetizers—you’ll soon become as big an aficionado as I am. See you by the catering station.

That was the usual routine in our house.

Under my roof there are two working parents and three active kids (one with food allergies, which made finding recipes often tricky), for a total of five hungry bodies. Preparing for dinner–from thinking about what we wanted to eat to making a shopping list to getting to the grocery store to starting to chop the vegetables–was never easy. The “process” was disorganized and disconnected.

When you love to eat and you want to cook a delicious, healthy meal for your family but you’re short on time, you need a solution. We were in desperate need of a more efficient meal planning, preparation, shopping, and cooking process from start to finish.

That, in short, is how Plummelo was born.

I’m not only the founder, but I’m also a daily user. Not to mock the Hair Club for Men slogan, but Plummelo fixed just about all of our former problems in meal planning.

Here are a few of the major hurdles my wife and I were encountering (pre-Plummelo):

Old problem: My recipes are scattered. Some in a recipe box, some in the pages of an old magazine, some in miscellaneous computer files, some in my head. If I found a recipe online, I had trouble finding it again. New solution: My recipes are all in one place. Not only are they categorized, tagged, and searchable, but I can rate the ones we love and delete the ones we don’t.

Old problem: The hardest part is figuring out what to cook this week. New solution: I can quickly browse my recipes, look at what other people on Plummelo are cooking, and get new ideas.

Old problems: Making a shopping list from my recipes takes too long. New solution: Now I don’t even have to write out the shopping list. I can drag and drop my recipes for the week into My Plans and Plummelo automatically populates a grocery list for me. My wife can hit “Email Shopping List” and it comes to my iPhone and I can pick up the groceries on my way home! (Note: iPhone app to come in 2010!)

There is so much more Plummelo will be doing to help connect more of your cooking world and keep your kitchen life organized.

Give Plummelo a try this week.