Instructions: I like homemade food. I keep meaning to cook some, but often dont have the time or energy - especially when Im just coming home from work.

There is a solution. Cook on the weekend, and make enough to have leftovers.

This is my best strategy for cutting down on the time it takes to prepare weekday dinners.

The dishes dont have to be complicated. I usually make simple food, like two roast chickens, a pot of soup, and a frittata. When Im done, I have the basics of three meals. On Sunday night, we have a roast chicken with salad and bread.

On Tuesday, we have soup with frittata sandwiches. On Wednesday, we have chicken tacos with tortillas, salsa, shredded lettuce, and cheese.

Get the idea? Once I put in a few hours on Sunday, hardly any additional preparation and cooking are required for the next few meals.

This system requires a little planning. First, visualize three complete meals for the weekday ahead. Meats work well because you can use leftovers in eggs, pastas, sandwiches, and main-dish salads. If youre thinking about vegetables, plan to make double. You can reheat leftovers for another meal or toss them into pasta and omelets.

After youve thought it through, make a list of the ingredients of each meal.

Put all the fruits and vegetables in one category, so you can zip through the grocery store more quickly.

Then, go shopping at an off time, like Friday night after dinner or early Saturday morning. Itll reduce your stress. The worst time to go is right after work, when everyone is figuring out what to make for dinner.

By the time Sunday afternoon rolls around, youre ready. Youre not tired from work, you arent starving, youre not trying to get a meal on the table in 20 minutes, and you have put aside two hours to enjoy yourself.

Blast some music on the stereo or listen to an audio book, and within a few hours, youll be done cooking. Here are some ideas for what you might make:

o Roast a turkey breast. Use leftovers to make a Waldorf salad, sandwiches, or wraps.

o Make polenta. Pat leftovers into a pan. Slice and fry another day.

o Make extra pasta, then use the cold pasta for a pasta salad.

o Boil a few eggs. Theyre good when diced over fresh vegetables, and sauced with balsamic vinegar.

While youre waiting for food to finish cooking, get a few more things ready for instant meals and snacks. Clean lettuce and tear it into bite-sized pieces.

Put it back in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, accompanied by a paper towel.

Now its ready for salad.

If you like to munch on fresh vegetables, prepare bite-sized pieces of carrots, celery, jicama, and radishes and put them in a bowl of water in the fridge.

Dont forget to use up the actual leftovers. And congratulations if you manage to get two more meals out of each dish.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.