Yup. Been getting stressed out relatives with kids emails. People don't understand that kids need a schedule and parents need to stick to the schedule. Parents also need alone time to themselves.. as part of the schedule. Even if they go lock themselves in the car with a book.

Example:

Bake artisan bread from day before.
Breakfast
Cleanup with everyone helping
Make / prep lunch (even if PBJ) and soup. Kids make their own sandwiches.
Prep loaf/loves artisan bread for next day (kids can take turns and put / cut their initial on top of loaf
Prep dinner with everything ready to go for dinner time.
By 10 am start Homework 2 hours
Lunch / clean-up
Physical play time / parent alone time
Homework / reading time - 2 hours
Physical play time
Reading books or art time - learn how to play musical instrument practice
Crafts
Dinner / clean-up / baths
Board games or reading




Baking bread goes a long way to help with mealtimes and much cheaper then buying bread.

Bread recipe - NO KNEADING
if you love those round crusty french bread types of artisian breads, hot out of the oven and you have no time. THIS is a recipe for you!

here is the recipe from the nyt:
[link to www.nytimes.com]
[link to www.nytimes.com]
above is a video on how to make it.

all you will need is a dutch oven (like a big 4 quart metal pot you make stew in)

get a bowl. throw in 3 cups of flour
1 3/4th cup of warm water
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/4th tsp salt

I use a spatula to mix it up or you can mix that all up with your hands. do it fast you don't need to be perfect about it.
cover the bowl with saran wrap!
that's it then.

Let it sit somewhere warmish for around 24 hours. it really doesn't matter too much if it's 18 hours or 23 hours. just somewhere in there. 24 is easy to remember.

The next day, preheat your oven to 450 F. with the pot IN the oven heating with it. This is an important step because when you pour your dough into the pot then it kind of seals it immediately and stops it from sticking.

You may need something else to stop the bread from sticking to the pan. so throw in at the bottom of the pan in a good covered layer some corn meal, or oatmeal, or muesli, or any course type grain you want on your bread. sesame seeds, poppy seeds whatever.

Take the HOT pot out of the oven and with a spatula just get the dough from the bowl (that's been sitting around for a day bubbling with yeasty tasty goodness) in there fast. don't make a big ordeal about it. don't worry if it's shaped funny, it will all even out when it cooks.

Bake it with the lid on for 35 - 40 minutes - turn oven off -
then take lid off and bake another 10 or 15.

That's it. it's should pop straight out of your pot onto the counter to cool!

+++

i have made variations of this recipe where i added cocoa powder and sugar (it's not like a chocolate muffin but more like a biscotti)

i have made a variation where i added raisins, cinnamon and molasses

i have made one where i have throw in in almonds and sesame seeds and dried fruit like figs or dates.
or sometimes just mixed nuts.

i have substituted flour with cream of wheat!
i have done it with a sourdough starter.

you can do 1/2 wheat and half corn flour
or 1/2 wheat and some rye.
anything goes!

just mix it up, let it sit, and bake.
voila.

Soda Bread

Ingredients
170g/6oz self-raising wholemeal flour
170g/6oz plain flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
290ml/½ pint buttermilk

How-to-videos: [link to www.bbc.co.uk (secure)]
Method
Preheat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6.
Tip the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, mixing quickly with a large fork to form a soft dough. (Depending upon the absorbency of the flour, you may need to add a little milk if the dough seems too stiff but it should not be too wet or sticky.)
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
Form into a round and flatten the dough slightly before placing on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Cut a cross on the top and bake for about 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.


No Knead Crusty Rolls

For the water, I just use hot tap water. It’s important to make sure your oven reaches 450° F. (my oven takes 35 minutes). For the overnight method, simply switch to COOL water and let the dough rest overnight on the counter top for 8 to 24 hours. Be sure to aerate your flour before measuring. - Jenny Jones

Prep Time: 5 minutes.   Cook Time: 25 minutes. Total Time: 4 hours.  Makes: 8 rolls

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (320 grams) bread flour or all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant or dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups hot tap water (up to 130° F)
Instructions:
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Stir in water. Mixture will be thick and sticky.
Cover with plastic wrap & let stand on counter top for 3 hours.
After 3 hours (mixture will be puffy and bubbly on top) place dough on a well-floured surface. Using a scraper fold over about 12 times, adding enough flour so it doesn’t stick (about 2 Tbsp).
Using a scraper cut dough into 8 pieces. With floured hands, shape each into a ball by folding and tucking, like making a drawstring bag.
Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet (not wax paper) & cover with a dish towel. Let stand at room temperature for 35 minutes. They will puff up but will not double in size.
As soon as rolls are covered, start preheating oven to 450° F. Oven must be 450° so use an oven thermometer if possible.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. To re-crisp the next day, preheat the oven to 325° F and place the rolls directly on the oven rack for 10-12 minutes.

To Freeze: Once baked & cooled, they freeze beautifully. To re-crisp, place frozen rolls directly on the oven rack in a preheated 325° F oven for 10-12 minutes. They'll be even more crispy than first-baked! 

Variation: To make sesame seed rolls, gently brush rolls just before baking with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.