It may come as no surprise to you, but I love to cook. I also love to spend time with my family and friends and sometimes these two things get in the way of each other. That’s why I try to spend a little time each week planning meals that will come together simply and easily.

Sometimes the prep work centers on things that my family eats a lot of- like flank steak. We probably eat it once a week. I buy Certified Angus Beef brand flank steak becuase I believe in buying the best quality ingredients that I can for my family. They’re lean and flavorful and perfect off the grill for fajitas – and for stir frys, too.

To save time and money, I buy several steaks at once. I’ll put one or two in a freezer bag filled with our favorite marinade and then pop them in the freezer. The night before I plan to cook them, I just toss the steak in the freezer bag in the fridge to marinate while it defrosts. I’ll take time to thinly slice a couple more steaks into thin strips and freeze them in meal size packages for ready in an instant stir fry suppers, too. Slice it thinly across the grain. Spending just a few moments each week doing some prep work for future meals will free you up to spend time doing some of the other things you love to do, too.

Check out the recipe for Beef Tostadas plus more beef recipes, and cooking tips at CertifiedAngusBeef.com

As I’m eating my oatmeal (with diced apple, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon- yum!) I realize that many people think of breakfast as a purely optional meal.