Cook in bulk. Life is hectic, and the last thing you want to do after a long day of work is slave over a hot stove. Designate Sunday as the day you prepare a week's worth of food. Cook stews, soups and casseroles in batch. Then during the week simply warm up the dishes, and you'll have dinner on the table in no time. Also, an added convenience is that you can freeze these meals for a later date. By cooking ahead of time, you'll take pressure off yourself and you'll be less likely to rely on fattening fast food and takeout when it comes to getting dinner on the table. You can use your Sundays to trim meats for grilling and prepare marinades to drizzle over the meat the day before you're ready to serve them. Chop the vegetables that you'd like to serve as side dishes, and combine them in salads.