How do you handle dinner

[Tiffylv]

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[JustCallMeMommy]

I usually cook more than we need and take the leftovers for my own lunches. I'm always a little disappointed when I realize I have cooked a 2 serving meal and won't have leftovers, like tonight's quesadillas.

My problem is getting through fresh salads and veggies before they go bad.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

when I used to work 10 hr days, here's what I did...

Crockpot meals! My favorite...turkey legs or turkey wings seasoned well, then add a Lipton onion soup pack. Cover with water. Slow cook them for 10 hrs. My crockpot automatically switches to warm after the set time is up. Put them on before you leave for work. When you come home, your home will smell like you've been slaving over a stove all day! Steam some veggies real quick. Whip up some mashed potatoes or some rice and Voila, you're ready to eat 10 minutes after you walk in the door!

Another thing that worked for me...season some chicken breasts before you go to work and put them in ziplock bags in the fridge. When you come home, throw two on the George Foreman grill for about 10 minutes while you steam some veggies and or whip up some mashed potatoes or rice and...voila, dinner in 10 minutes!

 

[Tiffylv]

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[englanddg]

Crockpot all the way!

I make 3 meals a week (when I'm not specialty cooking) and those get put into these (or similar)

The rest of the days it's microwave time based off the leftovers!

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

Yeah...I just don't tend to eat like that most of the time. I tend to snack through the day. I don't get much time to eat lunch either. Normally I will make a smoothie (I brought a nutri ninja into work) or have something like raw veggies and cheese and crackers. I don't have a problem going through veggies haha.

I wish I could send leftovers for my son but he won't eat anything cold and can't microwave anything. He's in daycare full time right now for summer and they feed him breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack which is a load off haha.



Crockpot is a good idea. Sounds like I need a new one that shuts itself off, we are generally out of the house 12 hours per day during the week. Are you able to make small enough quantities that you eat it all at once, or will you/your kids eat it multiple times?

Yes, you can make the crockpot meals as big or small as you'd like. For example, you can cook just one or two turkey legs at a time. I got my crockpot from Kroger (grocery store) a few years ago for only $19.99. I love that thing! The meat falls off the bones. Mmmm

 

[MsMamaBear]

I second the Crockpot. I try to cook all of our meals in it! What is left over, I leave it for dinner the next night or take it in my lunch. Depending on the meal, my daughter will eat more or less. Most times we eat chicken/meatloaf and veggies, so no elaborate recipes til the weekend or the summer. (I'm a teacher, so now I actually have time to really enjoy cooking.)

 

[TTMom]

I'm a HORRIBLY picky eater, but I'm lucky that my son will eat just about anything! I tend to 'batch' cook on Sunday afternoons and have invested in one of those vacuum sealers; with the aid of some dollar store plates, I can make up a big batch of the stuff he likes and vacuum it sealed on a plate and toss it in the freezer.

That way it's just like having a microwave dinner - but I feel better knowing that the ingredients are a bit fresher and things that would normally go bad if I was cooking them as needed last a bit longer.

 

[Tiffylv]

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[GeraldineW]

If you want to send hot leftovers when school resumes pick up a thermos brand 10 oz Funtainer Food Jar. Pour hot water in the thermos, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Micro/heat up leftovers. Empty water out of funtainer, put in food, close and send to school. The food will stay warm until lunchtime.

I agree with the crockpot and your way of making two big meals on the weekends. You may also do well with making a big or double recipe and sticking half in the freezer. Use half immediately and then in a week or two or even three or four, thaw the other half.

Other strategies are to have a few quick and simple recipes on hand and to keep the ingredients stocked so that you can quickly make them some evenings after work. My go to fast recipe is whole wheat tortilla in a fry pan, with black beans, cheese, salsa and then add what is available/leftover and have quick yummy quesadilla. Another is pasta with chicken and broccoli. I boil the past and the broccoli together. I sauté the chicken while the water is boiling. Add in some diced tomatoes or sauce and you have a fairly quick dinner.

Baked potatoes can be made in the crockpot and you can have stuffed baked potatoes one night, cut up a few potatoes for breakfast potatoes for one morning, mash a few, etc.

Even if you don’t meal plan if you have a few go to recipes that are quick and simple and keep the non perishables on hand you should be able to make a few easy meals on the fly. And, there is always the delivery/take out menus!

 

[Tiffylv]

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[GeraldineW]

It's been a long time since I've used a thermos....if I put food In at around 5:15am (I work very early unfortunately) how warm would it be at, say 11:30, 6 hours later? My son has temperature issues with his food (autism), maybe I will give it a few test runs this summer. Thanks for the suggestion!

I have frozen food before but never reheat it because I'm really at a loss. Do you thaw it first? How long does it take and how do you reheat it? I don't have a mom I can go to with these questions if you can't tell hahaha.

Tiffylv, the thermos is supposed to stay warm for 8 hours, I think. You might want to buy a thermos and experiment on a weekend so that if it doesn’t work you are home and can still fix a meal your son will eat.

The frozen food you can either take it out the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator and just reheat on the stove, oven or micro at dinner time. Or, you can use the micro to defrost and then heat and serve.

I have found that if I google questions, or go to ehow, I can get a lot of answers to questions.

 

[MataHari22]

Crockpot is a good idea. Sounds like I need a new one that shuts itself off, we are generally out of the house 12 hours per day during the week. Are you able to make small enough quantities that you eat it all at once, or will you/your kids eat it multiple times?

I have had to learn to cook for one after many years of cooking for two. I love using my crockpot and they even make very small models. Perfect for two people. I think I paid $9 for it at Target.

 

[kalynn]

I'm generally not a fan of left overs, so I have a similar problem. I make too much, put it in the fridge, and then eventually throw it away.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

I make a lot of soups and stews in my crock pot. (Ratatouille in the crock pot is amazing!) I make enough to freeze half and then have a dinner and a lunch the next day. Then when I am in a pinch I can just take something out of the freezer to reheat.

 

[GeraldineW]

I'm generally not a fan of left overs, so I have a similar problem. I make too much, put it in the fridge, and then eventually throw it away.

I have the same problem when I overcook but not enough to consider it another full meal. Mostly though I cook intentionally making extra for the freezer.

I put ½ in the freezer and don’t really see it as “left overs” I consider it bulk cooking/freezer meals. I can wait several weeks before using it so its not like I’m eating/serving the same meal day after day and it makes some nights easier by not having to cook from scratch. Also, you can consider mixing things up so that your freezer meal is a bit different from the one you ate the night you cooked. For example, if you cook turkey chili you can serve it with rice and cornbread for your cooking night and in a few weeks when you take out the freezer part you could choose to make pasta and have chili mac.

 

[jennasmommyinMS]

It's just my 13-year-old and me, so I do lots of freezer cooking. For example, whenever ground beef goes on sale, I'll buy a couple of big packs, brown it, then put it into zipper bags in meal-size servings for us. I do the same thing with chicken, but I'll cook a crock pot full at a time, then shred it all with my mixer. With freezer bags of just these two items, I'm able to throw together any recipe that calls for browned ground beef or cooked chicken.

Another thing I do is to make various things in my crock pot. For example (again), I'll make this recipe: http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2008/11/southern-creamy-butter-beans-large-lima.html#axzz3g6GzUIzp
What we don't eat, I'll portion it out into these: http://www.amazon.com/Reditainer-Ex...1437089335&sr=1-1&keywords=freezer+containers
Then I'll drop those into my deep freezer and save them for those nights when we're really busy, or take a container with me to work for lunch.