A new approach
This week I'm taking a new approach to getting dinner on the table with more frequency. This is spawned by a disgust of just how much fast food we've consumed since school started and our schedules got a little busier. But let's face it-- when I'm up at 5:30, gone by 7:30, and not home again until close to 8 and sometimes later than that, it's hard to plan, prep, and actually COOK something/anything.
While running errands this weekend we also cruised through the bookstore and I picked up a few magazines full of recipes for the crock pot and casseroles. Yeah, I know, every time I think of the crock pot I think of boring, soupy mush, too. But if these recipes turn out as delicious looking as the pictures in this book, then my family might stand a chance at eating something that hasn't recently departed a drive-thru window.
I'm reserving the crock pot meals for the three nights that I work late, hoping that they'll survive their LONG slow simmer until I get home without completely disintegrating. But I've prepared a menu to follow for the entire week, and purchased the necessary ingredients that I didn't have on hand over the weekend. Today I went ahead and got the stuff ready to go into the pot tomorrow morning so that all I have to do in the morning is dump it in and turn it on before walking out the door. I'm hopeful. Maybe even a little too hopeful.
So, do you have any tips and tricks to getting healthy food on the table even on the busiest of nights? And be realistic-- don't go suggesting a big bowl of salad. While that would work for me, I hardly think the boys in this house would find that a suitable replacement for arroz con gandules and thick, juicy chuletas! Do you have a tried and true recipe that you go back to on those nights where you've only got about 10 minutes to get it all together and in the oven? If so, leave it in the comments, or post it on your blog and give me a link. I'll even take a more complicated recipe if I can do most of the prep the night before. I'd offer a prize, but sadly, don't think I have much to give away, unless you're a fan of dustbunnies. :)
Labels: cooking
posted by Mommyleek @ 5:09 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Baked potatoes! They're fast and easy, I just throw one potato in the microwave for 6 minutes and it's perfect. I top it with fat-free sour cream and low-fat shredded cheese, and if I have chili on hand, I throw that on there too. But you can also top it with some sour cream and various herbs (like rosemary). Or any sort of other thing that might possibly sound good.
Well, spaghetti is always at the top of the list for quick dinners. But I have noticed that if I give the hubby a piece of meat to grill I have a few min to make some mac and cheese or something to go with it. Maybe make it a team effort?
Do you get the free Kraft magazine? They have lots of quick and easy recipes and they all have kraft ingredients of course, but at least the stuff is easy to find.
Sounds like a good plan, Angie. I love the crock-pot! Everything from baked potato soup to pork tenderloin w/ veggies (dinner tonight) are great in it. I don't have any recipes in mind at the moment but will go through our book of faves and I'll try to bring some along next time we get together.
When I'm working, I do a lot of pre-cooking. Spend a weekend day cooking stuff, then freezing it separately. At 6:30 in the morning, you take it out of the freezer - get home that evening, pop it in the microwave (or, if you have a handy dandy vacuum sealer, you can pop it into boiling water)
Complete ruination of one weekend day - but it saves the rest of the week ;)
I was going to suggest the same as Erin. Whenever you have time off, cook up a couple of meals and put them in the freezer. Things I've done it with are Enchiladas, Chicken and Rice (any style rice!) Baked Ziti, Lasagna, Breakfast Burritos, etc.
Good luck!
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