On Mondays, I typically stop at the grocery store on the way home from taking the boys to school. This Monday, for perhaps the first time ever, I somehow didn't have my purse with me, so I couldn't go shopping. When I got home I spent some time planning out a shopping list (most often, I shop by memory). At that point I realized every single school night this week we have some activity - baseball or hockey - and, realistically, I just couldn't make that fish with sorrel recipe from
Canal House I've been wanting to try. I'd love to hear about how you manage dinner on nights when you need to eat in a hurry or even in the car. Abbott doesn't like chicken, Cal doesn't like pasta. Our 'on the go' meals seem to rotate between veggie burgers, frozen halibut (fish & chips style) from whole foods (quick to bake and eat, very portable), quiches and casseroles, sometimes deli meals. I, for one, am tired of all of them.
On Mondays, I typically stop at the grocery store on the way home from taking the boys to school. This Monday, for perhaps the first time ever, I somehow didn't have my purse with me, so I couldn't go shopping. When I got home I spent some time planning out a shopping list (most often, I shop by memory). At that point I realized every single school night this week we have some activity - baseball or hockey - and, realistically, I just couldn't make that fish with sorrel recipe from Canal House I've been wanting to try. I'd love to hear about how you manage dinner on nights when you need to eat in a hurry or even in the car. Abbott doesn't like chicken, Cal doesn't like pasta. Our 'on the go' meals seem to rotate between veggie burgers, frozen halibut (fish & chips style) from whole foods (quick to bake and eat, very portable), quiches and casseroles, sometimes deli meals. I, for one, am tired of all of them.
16 comments:
I like wraps on those kind of nights or breakfast burritos. Baggies of veggies and fruit and a sandwich, boring but quick. Have a wonderful day!
When I worked in town, I'd call the deli and put a pre order in... now I work in a pub, I just have to speak to the chefs really nicely!
Pasta. I know, not very imaginative, but when in Italy ...
My boys will usually eat dinner when they get home from school at 3:30. It is the only way I've made things work with the crazy schedules of 4 children. This way I know they get something healthy and hot. They will usually have cereal or yogurt before bed on those nights. Gook Luck - it's always tricky.
Francesca: Cal doesn't like pasta (the horror!), so I try not to have it more than once a week. Everyone else loves it.
I work during the day and don't get home until one hour before practices. I use my crock pot!:) There are some great sites A Year of Slow Cooking from Stephanie is good and I've gotten some good recipes.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Bean burritos and/or quesadillas are a favorite at our house. They can be pretty easy to make on rushed nights, but they can also be really complex and interesting---think of all those farmer's market greens that can be layered on.
When my kids were little and days were so busy, I turned to two sets of cookbooks. One set was called Make It Now, Bake It Later and the other set was the yearly series of Pillsbury Bake Off books! I had a huge selection and finally, after copying all my favorites out, gave the entire thing to my daughter in law. She loves them. Amazon has the Bake it now books, all in one book: http://www.amazon.com/complete-make-now-bake-later-make-aheads/dp/0671450824/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273768329&sr=1-2
Breakfast for dinner! The kids love it. Pancakes or waffles (perhaps, ahem, the kind from a box), a scrambled egg, and if I'm particularly with it, a fruit smoothie.
My other fail-proof dinner is a frittata. 6 eggs, half a cup of cheese, and whatever else you have in the fridge. Bacon and greens is really good.
Many foods, we buy fresh, some we are growing, but some I make sure we always have on hand. If we don't have beans and tortillas on hand (for a quick burrito), we are in trouble!
Nicola
Lecia,
We love to have our meals together and to be honest it is the one thing my boys love - about me and our home is dinner time! I try to have a weekly menu, along with a back-up plan for easy things on hand. The frozen pizza from Trader Joe's is always easy - they have lots of varieties- Also, we love having omelettes, or thai food, sushi (easy to make rolls at home) taco's, soups, and grilled paninis. We like to do them on the grill.
Salmon - too.
pve
Back in the day when we had kids at home I would plan out the week's dinners in advance (there were 5 kids) then shop for the ingredients. We would have a soup night, a casserole night, a kid's choice night, a pasta night (I know there is a non-pasta eater at your house), meatloaf, stuffed twice baked potatos, etc. You get the idea. This way you can consult your activity calendar and plan your meals accordingly and take in a fun picnic basket maybe. xoxo
thank you all for the great suggestions! I knew I could count on you for great ideas :)
Ahhh, meal preparation...sometimes I just dread it. I always try to make things that will stretch over two dinners because I don't like having to cook something new every single night. What fits the bill around here are things like soups and stews with crusty breads and salad. Lotsa turkey burgers, chicken, and lasagna is a always a big hit. Good luck, I know how you feel!
This "Chicken Parmesan" is the quickest in-a-fix meal I know how to make, and it is usually a hit with both young and more "mature" eaters. Open a jar of your favorite prepared marinara. Pour a little into the bottom of a baking pan. Place some frozen, breaded Morning Star or Boca "chik'n" patties in the baking dish. Bake according to directions on package, stopping about halfway through to top chicken with more marinara, and then thick slices of good mozzarella (or the pre-shredded stuff if you're REALLY in a hurry!). The cheese should be nice and bubbly by the time the chik'n patty is done cooking. I then serve on top of pasta (which your son could skip). I also steam green beans or spinach in the microwave as a side item. It tastes better than it sounds, and the only thing quicker is ramen noodles : ) My husband and I ate this a lot in college a lot, and are looking forward to serving it on t-ball practice nights when our son is old enough to play!
I know crock pot has been mentioned but I just wanted to say that MarthaStewart.com has really good and easy crock pot recipes. She also has a bunch of freezer-friendly recipes that are fantastic, if you ever have a spare day to cook and stockpile meals. One of my favorites is the sausage and bean casserole.
http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/freezer-friendly-foods
Tacos are the standard go-to meal around here. We've also been doing a lot of Indian food. If you have some kind of meat handy (I usually use chicken or shrimp), there are SO many good premade sauces out there that make dinner a snap. Along with prepackage naan and a side of rice--my kids surprisingly love it.
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