What's For Dinner????
Find a Conversation
| Tue, 03-08-2005 - 2:55pm |
One of the hardest things for me about being a mom, period, is cooking something that is both healthy AND that the boys will eat for dinner every single night - in a REALLY abbreviated time window. And I'm doing it solo once again - as TT is rarely home during the week before - well - 11:00. LOL!
Get off at five, rush to pick up Alex, rush to pick up Jojo, walk into the door at around 5:45 - 6:45 if it's a tennis night. We need to have completed an hour of homework, have eaten dinner sitting down together at the table, bathed, played and snuggled, all by 8:00 - when the boys crawl into bed with mom and books for 30 minutes of reading before it's lights out.
This past 2 weeks, I've been preparing at least 2 crock pot meals a week - which has been a HUGE help - and I'll continue to do.
But, I think we all agree we are tired of spagetti, ham and cheese sandwhiches and soup, I won't do Hamburger Helper or Tuna Helper. What do YOU do?
And don't tell me McDonalds or Panda Express! LOL!

Yum! Panda express sounds GREAT and I am stuffed from lunch. ;)
Min, I have the same problem. Constantly.
We do breakfast once a week usually. Um.....(long delay as I am drawing a serious blank)
I have a favorite "one pot meal" that I do often that both Jas and Ty enjoy. Takes me 10 minutes to get it into a pot and it's done 30 minutes later. (cut up potatos, beef sausage/kielbasa (whaver you call it)green beans, and sauerkraut all cooked together)
Hamburger over noodles. (much like a hamburger helper, only w/out the salt and preservatives) and veggies on the side.
I do make fried rice occasionally. Usually with just the stir fry vegs I've got in the freezer, sometimes with chicken tossed in. But I cheat and use a seasoning packet, which is LOADED with salt and such.
Salad with a baked potato bar.
HUGE salad with breaded chicken strips (from the oven) on top. (they LOVE that one. Like a restaurant salad)
I don't like making dinner. I LOVE to cook, but don't like making dinner. LOL
I prepare certain dishes ahead of time, like lasagna, or chicken drumsticks, enchilada's or tacos, pork chops for an evening. I cook huge from friday to sunday, so often their is leftover pot roast or chicken, meatloaf. Fry up or boil potatoes with some vege's. I have to cook a big meal every night, but sometimes I do try to cook on quick time. Things that only take 15-30 minutes tops. Never ever do I cook junk. No TV dinners or mac and cheese. My kids are on a strict diet, due to their ADS, so I have to abide by healthy fresh food, no preservatives, or additives. I go to the butcher to make sure the mean is made right then and their for me, or the dark bread is freshly baked everyday. It's shopping after work everyday, but it's very important to me and even if I wanted it, I couldn't get it.
Once a month, it's a homemade pizza though.
I SO
I make a lot of things in batches and freeze them:
Beans and rice - I cook big batches of beans in the crock pot and then freeze in zip lock bags for all sorts of thing
Healthy Lasagna - this I make in a HUGE pan and refrigerate - then the next day I cut in blocks and freeze them
Taco Salad
Spaghetti with pasta sauce and salad
Stir fry with rice (frozen veggies, rice in rice cooker, frozen cooked and peeled shrimp)
Pasta with fresh veggies, garlic, parmesan
Baked fish with baked potato (can use chicken)
or buy a rotisserie chicken -serve with mashed/baked potato and salad one night
THEN use leftover for arroz con pollo or salad the next night
Baked sweet potato and salad
Lentils and rice
All kinds of soups
Oven fried potatoes and chicken
I hope this helps.
I like to stir fry vegetables with chicken or beef. You can buy the meat already cut up, of course, or just slice it up yourself. Chop up some peppers and/or onions/ and/or mushrooms or any vegetables you like. Or just throw in a bag of frozen veg. Heat up some heart healthy canola or olive oil and you're all set. It can be quick and easy. If you want an italian taste you can do olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Fresh herbs for those who are into that. For a chinese type dish you can use sesame oil instead. It's flexible. It's saved me many a night since I'm not a real creative cooking type.
Amy
Very good. I like all of your sauce/finishing ideas.
I have even mixed a stir fry over raw (washed) spinach noodles for a stir fry salad. And if I am out of chicken or shrimp, I use egg whites or nuts.
I would also like to add that the kids are more apt to eat this, and other dishes, if they help in some way with the preparation. I know that is hard on hectic nights - but maybe it can be introduced on a less busy night.
The rice cooker is a great cooking tool - I use that for rice, lentils, arroz con pollo (chicken with rice).
I just remember - we make home-made pizza quite a bit - I make the dough from scratch. But what I do is to make a triple batch and prebake the crusts. 2 of the crusts go into the freezer for later use - and I keep one to finish with sauce, veggies and just a smidge of cheese.