Another thing I do is cut up most of our food in small pieces when I cook. This way the food cooks faster, which saves me time as well as gas (or electricity if you have an electric stove.
Some examples:
cut potatoes very small if making mashed potatoes
mash up ground beef/turkey when browning, i.e. no large chunks
Bite-sized pieces of veggies. You're just going to cut them before you eat anyway!