Eat at home

[CherylA]

So on board for eating at home again. This year I am adding the challenge of cutting back on eating out at work. I had been doing really well with making almost all our dinners at home, now it's time to carry that over to lunch. I do find that having dinners at least semi planned out really takes a lot of the stress out of my evenings.

So tonight we're having leftover chicken soup, defrosted and warmed bread and a salad

For the next few nights I have to choose from

-Ham and a ham sauce I have frozen, rice, frozen veggies
-manicotti tray frozen serve with a salad and some jar sauce if it's dry
-eggs with hashbrown potatos (bacon onion) maybe some sauteed mushrooms
-a version of salsbury steak, pounded hamburger patties with a mushroom gravy and mashed potatos
-asian chicken stir fry with spagetti in it
-crockpot chili

As long as I defrost the night before none of those should take me more than a half hour to get on the table

 

[figment3258]

Just added more recipes to the index on the first page in case anyone is looking for an idea!

 

[TiffanyK]

Does anyone have any special things they throw into their spaghetti sauce? I am making mine tomorrow and i am always looking for a new flavor to flavor it up more. i normally cook onions and garlic in oil and then brown ground turkey and i put all that into crushed tomato and paste with garlic powder crushed red pepper flakes parsley, salt and pepper, oregano basil and a bay leaf. With just a hit of sugar does anyone put anything else in? Thanks!

Lately, I've been tossing in a dash or two of ground chipotle pepper. It's not enough to really give it heat, but it adds a little something.

 

[charming23]

So far no eating out this month, and yes I know it is only the fourth of the month but that is progress for me. Not even a lunch out.

Last night we had our chocolate chip banana pancakes with sausage and fruit. It realy hit the spot plus we made extra to freeze for quick breakfasts.

Tonight we are having the crock pot pork and sweet potato casserole and it smells amazing. My uncle keeps walking through the kitchen and asking when dinner is.

 

[lillygator]

I notice a lot of you do breakfast for dinners sometimes...how was getting the family on board with that? dh came from a home where you had salad, a full dinner meat potato veggie and dessert. It has taken me some time to adjust him to other things I am not sure how breakfast for dinner would go. I know the kids would like it, they love pancakes, waffles, etc

 

[CherylA]

I notice a lot of you do breakfast for dinners sometimes...how was getting the family on board with that? dh came from a home where you had salad, a full dinner meat potato veggie and dessert. It has taken me some time to adjust him to other things I am not sure how breakfast for dinner would go. I know the kids would like it, they love pancakes, waffles, etc

Try starting with a really hearty breakfast for dinner like steak and eggs. Or go big maybe eggs, bacon, ham, hashbrowns, pancakes and fruit. You get the idea. Go big so no one is hungry, then when he's used to the idea start backing off some of the items

My hubby wasn't super keen on the idea but the addition of a meat seems to help!

 

[charming23]

I notice a lot of you do breakfast for dinners sometimes...how was getting the family on board with that? dh came from a home where you had salad, a full dinner meat potato veggie and dessert. It has taken me some time to adjust him to other things I am not sure how breakfast for dinner would go. I know the kids would like it, they love pancakes, waffles, etc

We love breakfast for dinner around here and even when my dad was alive it was his favorite as well. I think CherylA is right in that adding meat to the meal helps. He came from a family like you husband when he married my mom and loved the idea of breakfast for dinner as long as it was well rounded.

 

[lisam427]

the other posters gave some great advice!!! i love breakfast for dinner. it is something that we do here once a week. it is not only quick and easy for a work night but good on the budget too! we usually have cheese omelets, sausage, oven fried potatoes , toast,and fruit. another favorite is pancakes and sausage. i am looking forward to tomorrow as that is when i am doing breakfast for dinner.

i have been doing good all week with eating at home. monday i didnt order out but instead of cooking i ate at my aunt's for dinner. tonight was Vietnam fried rice !! YUMMY i hope to keep this up all week.

 

[Katy Belle]

Breakfast for dinner....my DH doesn't like it. He is not picky at all. Once I fed him Ramen noodles with cream of mushroom soup and he said, "Thanks Honey, that was good." Such a trooper! But... he doesn't like breakfast for dinner, so I don't do it.

Very occasionally, maybe once a year, I will do bacon,egg, and cheese biscuits, hashbrowns and fruit for dinner and I always give him the option of a sandwich instead.

If DH is out of town on business the kids and I might have scrambled eggs and pancakes.
---
I've been doing great so far! We went out for ice cream after Boy Scouts last night... but other than that no eating out for 6 days! We will probably order pizza Friday night though.

Tonight we had meatloaf, potatoes and roasted veggies. I also made a pot of hamburger, vegetable soup. All 3 boys ate it for after school snacks! but I have enough left for my lunches for a few days and a couple of lunch boxes. I'm happy to be back on track.

 

[frannn]

Last night, I decided to use up some of the things I had bought for holiday meals. I made a cheap, easy, delicious vodka sauce from a recipe I found online. Figure you guys might like to try it. I added garlic and italian seasoning for more flavor, and found it to be a bit less creamy than our favorite pizza place's, so you may want to adjust the ingredients.

Saute a diced onion in 1/2 cup butter until light brown & soft
Add 1 cup vodka, cook for 10 min
Add 2 28oz cans of chopped tomatoes, cook 30 min (med heat)
Add 1 pint cream, cook 30 min (med heat)

That's it! Sooo easy & entire family loved it. I added bread as a side and everyone had seconds, plus there's enough leftover for lunch. I figure if the food taste like the pizza place's, no one would miss going out. BTW, also made ham soup from leftover Xmas Eve dinner. Just diced the ham, added onion, potatoes, milk, seasoning....yummmmm! Not a drop leftover....

 

[CherylA]

I just added to my bread baking blog an easy and awesome recipe for hot dog and hamburger rolls. I never seem to have them in the house when I need them. Now I can bake them!

http://www.learningbread.blogspot.com/

 

[smokeyblue]

Last night, I decided to use up some of the things I had bought for holiday meals. I made a cheap, easy, delicious vodka sauce from a recipe I found online. Figure you guys might like to try it. I added garlic and italian seasoning for more flavor, and found it to be a bit less creamy than our favorite pizza place's, so you may want to adjust the ingredients.

Saute a diced onion in 1/2 cup butter until light brown & soft
Add 1 cup vodka, cook for 10 min
Add 2 28oz cans of chopped tomatoes, cook 30 min (med heat)
Add 1 pint cream, cook 30 min (med heat)

That's it! Sooo easy & entire family loved it. I added bread as a side and everyone had seconds, plus there's enough leftover for lunch. I figure if the food taste like the pizza place's, no one would miss going out. BTW, also made ham soup from leftover Xmas Eve dinner. Just diced the ham, added onion, potatoes, milk, seasoning....yummmmm! Not a drop leftover....

I love Vodka sauce! Never thought of making it myself.

 

[vegasnative]

I notice a lot of you do breakfast for dinners sometimes...how was getting the family on board with that? dh came from a home where you had salad, a full dinner meat potato veggie and dessert. It has taken me some time to adjust him to other things I am not sure how breakfast for dinner would go. I know the kids would like it, they love pancakes, waffles, etc

We all love breakfast night, even DH. I agree with starting hearty by doing steak and eggs, and has browns. He will have his meat and potatoes with that. We usually do it once a week or once every other week for sure. The kids love it & they eat all of it, so it's always a good choice with us. My DH makes huge omelets, you can stuff those things with tons of stuff. Also, we make breakfast burritos too....also a big hit.

 

[charming23]

We caved and had dinner out tonight. We spent the day cleaning out my mom's closet and were too tired to cook. We took advantage of a half-price appetizer night at our favorite bar and both ate for only $18. I had budgeted in $50 worth of eating out this month so it worked.

Tomorrow we are going to my Aunt and Uncle's for dinner.
Friday we will have vegetable beef soup with cheddar garlic biscuits.
Saturday is spaghetti with homemade meatballs and garlic bread
Sunday is pot roast

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I caved. Chinese. But I am baking a banana bread for DH!

 

[lillygator]

we ate at home last night - even though dd had practice until almost 7:30 and we didn;'t get home until 8....and I was so tempted to pull into a restaurant along the way home!!! next practice I will be a little more proactive and have snacks drinks, etc.

 

[CherylA]

I came so close to caving last night. Must have been that kind of night for everyone. But in the end since I had taken out my ham and ham sauce to defrost it actually was less time consuming to eat at home. It would have taken me longer to stop and get take out! So planning ahead totally saved me!

 

[Swimnoid]

I had a number of things that I could do for last night but DH was frustrated at work and wanted to pick up chinese....so he did. It was so yummy! Tonight will be home made pizza.

 

[DawnM]

Last night DH and the boys went out for pizza and a Hockey game, but it was all FREE (paid for by DH's work! ) AND I got a night alone! Even better!

Tonight is baked potato night.

Dawn

 

[figment3258]

We have been using gift cards for lunch which was soo good. tonight for diner a new meatloaf recipe and a red potato new recipe from the food network