Life On The Go

How I Do It

My job is interesting and so much fun. That's just my humble opinion, but it's kind of true. In an attempt to demystify this little-known profession, I am starting a series called Life On The Go. I hope you will follow along with me to learn more about what I do, how I do it, and why I love it so much. Thanks for being part of my journey!


How do I do it? First of all, I bring it all with me. When I go to my clients' homes to cook, I pack everything I need from trash bags and dish soap to groceries and wooden spoons. This is a peek into the back of my car (before I get the groceries).

From left to right, here is some of what you are seeing:

• caddy with Pam, olive oil, canola oil & thermometers to keep next to the stove
• crate with pans, skillets, and lids
• bucket of cleaning supplies, trash bags, & paper towels
• bag full of really big mixing bowls, smaller prep bowls, and large liquid measuring cups
• 3-tier box that comes apart
• top: cooking utensils, lots of knives, and small tools
• middle: dry pantry items such as spices, grains, vinegar, etc.
• bottom: containers, bags, and boxes to package the food; dish towels, apron
• clip-board with my plans for the day
• binder with my recipes for the week
• sweet little Vera Bradley bag (a gift from a friend!) that holds my cell phone, business cards, pens, and other little items I might need

Hidden from view:

• bag with 2 cutting boards for vegetables, 2 boards for meat, and several sheet trays
• small cooler to transport perishable items
• lots of reusable grocery bags
• really big boxes of plastic wrap and foil

 

 When I arrive at my client's house, I set up several stations for cutting vegetables/meat, washing dishes, packaging food, and even a pantry. The pantry is a combination of the spices, grains and other things I brought with me plus the items I bought at the store that don't need to be refrigerated immediately. Here is a view of my pantry one day:

 

 I try to maximize every bit of space in the kitchen. In the picture below, you will find:

• pantry to the left of the stove
• several dishes cooking at the same time on the stove (and probably something in the oven too!)
• oils, thermometers, and utensils to the right of the stove

 

What's cooking today? There is a Mild Beef Curry simmering on the back burner and the start of a Bell Pepper Pasta Sauce on the front burner. Yummy!

 

Once all of the food is cooked, cooled, packaged, and labeled, it goes into the freezer. Check out all of the foil-wrapped packages - that is the food I am leaving behind for my client. Each box is labeled with the name of the dish, date it is frozen, and heating instructions.

 

  

It's also nice to leave something fresh in the refrigerator. This family will enjoy a spinach salad with strawberries, yellow bell pepper, and homemade poppy seed dressing. It's a great accompaniment to their dinners on a warm summer evening.

 I hope you enjoyed a little look at my day! Please come back to see more about how Dinner On The Go works!

 

Originally published June 19, 2010