HollyDay Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 School starts next month and all the year's activities. Monday I get home at 5:30 Tuesday I leave home at 5:30 Thurs I get home at 6:30 Friday I get home at 5:00 Please help me figure out how to cook and serve healthy meals. We are going to get tired of PBJs pretty quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 crockpot! You can cook a roast or BBQ ribs. On Tuesday, have leftovers. You can also cook meat ahead of time and re-heat it, boil some pasta and open a can of veggies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda1951 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I would be dusting off my crockpot. :D Seriously, can you give us more details? Do you want to prepare these meals after you arrive home or before you leave? How long are you out of the house? What time do you want to eat w/your family? Can you put a meal in the oven and let it cook on low while you're gone? Do you have an oven with a built in timer? My crockpot even has a built in timer and will automatically switch to warm after my meal has reached the desired temperature. Here are some ideas based on different scenarios: PREPARE EARLY: soups and homemade bread, various chilis (white and beef), large salads (grill meat ahead of time and place in salad), chicken salad sandwiches, burritos PREPARE in EVENING: pizza (homemade and frozen, or prepare bread dough and let it rise while you're out), burgers (just remember to thaw meat), bean and cheese nachos In each of these cases, I would probably lean towards daily salads for veggies and prepare the salad each day before you leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Your keys are planning, using the crockpot, and making big batches of things and freezing them. There are several cookbooks out there that show how to buy in bulk, and then cook and freeze meals. One thing we like to do is make and freeze burritos. We stuff them w/beans, rice, corn and cheese and either microwave or bake to thaw/heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda1951 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I cut up all veggies, over the weekend and store in see through containers to find easier in the Ice box. There is a book called 5 ingredient meals you might want to look into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staci in MO Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 During soccer season, I often cook "hamburger-based" meals ahead of time and then put them in the crock pot on the "warm" setting. So, tacos, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, dirty rice, etc. Then, it's ready to eat when we get home. I've also recently subscribed to e-mealz.com. For five dollars a month it gives me a shopping list and meal plan. There is usually one crock pot meal and one super fast meal each week. Most of the other meals can be done in an hour or so. It would be hectic getting home and having to launch right into cooking, but if you already had the ingredients on hand and the recipe right in front of you, it would be easier. I am very excited about e-mealz. I've been doing it a couple of months and it has been wonderful. I think it will make this school year run much more smoothly, and it's saving me money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Lilac Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Definitely the crockpot. The library has lots of cookbooks. Here's one of our favorite slow cooker ones- healthy, yummy, and cheap to make.... 16 oz. can pinto beans 16 oz. can navy beans 16 oz. can black beans 16 oz. can kidney beans 1-2 lbs. ground turkey, browned and drained 8 oz. pkg. frozen corn 28 oz. can diced tomatoes 1 c. onion, diced 4-5 stalks celery, diced 2- 1 oz. pkgs. dried ranch salad dressing mix 1 envelope taco seasoning 2 cans chicken broth Drain and rinse all beans- mix all ingredients and cook in slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low. There are lots of variations you can do- use beef or TVP instead of the turkey, use more of one kind of beans and less of another, or add more onion or less celery, etc. Just experiment! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Lilac Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 The other thing I've been doing a lot lately is throwing a bunch of chicken breasts in a pot of boiling broth (or water)- cook till done, drain, refrigerate, then chop into chunks. You can serve the chicken chunks either hot or cold, with a variety of sauces (Ranch, teriyaki, BBQ, etc.) My kids LOVE that! Or you can freeze the chunks and pull them out later to throw in a casserole or make a chicken pot pie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 There have been some other threads around here on this, but I'll tell you what's been helping me. I have been cooking one large dish and freezing 1/2 of it. You know how typically a casserole will make a 9x13? Well that's way too much food for my family, so I have been getting those foil cake pans in 8x8 either round or square, making a normal dish and splitting it in two. This week I made baked ziti, chicken tamale casserole, and chicken spaghetti. i cooked a bunch of chicken in the crock pot with onions and garlic and bouillion one day, chilled it, shredded it off the bone, and had enough for two large casseroles. I have a bunch of potential recipes I am going to do this with so that in the morning I can pull out a casserole either the night before to thaw in the fridge, or at lunch time to thaw on the counter. If they are frozen solid they take too long to bake. In your case you might have to take one day a week and do some batch cooking to fill up the freezer. Our favorite quick meals are: tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs and toast, tuna salad with crackers and fruit, baked potatoes (bake them the night before) with taco toppings, spaghetti, taco soup. I'd also second the idea of using your crock pot. I love to make a gigantic batch of stew or soup or chili or beans, so it's ready for that night with enough to freeze. Also, make batches of rice and pasta you can freeze. I like to get turkey meatballs (already made), make up some brown gravy - add a cup of sour cream - throw in the meatballs - and serve over butter noodles. Super fast and a kid pleaser. I always have a veg, so I keep cans of green beans and tons of frozen veggies I can pull out and microwave quickly. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 My wife and I swore our family would always eat dinner together -- but that was before our son started playing premier-level soccer, throwing our schedules into total chaos. We have used chili, stew, beans, etc., but they get old as a steady diet. So here are my two alternative suggestions: 1) Roast chicken and veggies. No, really, it doesn't take long. Turn on the oven to 500 degrees (yes, 500) as soon as you get home. Butterfly a whole chicken (already thawed, of course), wedge some potatoes and cut some carrots. That takes about 10 minutes, then sprinkle chicken and veggies with oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 50-55 minutes. Fantastic meal within an hour. 2) Gourmet magazine every month has a "quick recipes" section. Many are very tasty, and ready in 30 minutes or so. Check out their website at http://www.epicurious.com for some quick recipes. One or two meals a week like this makes other, simpler meals during the week much more palatable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 School starts next month and all the year's activities.Monday I get home at 5:30 Tuesday I leave home at 5:30 Thurs I get home at 6:30 Friday I get home at 5:00 Please help me figure out how to cook and serve healthy meals. We are going to get tired of PBJs pretty quick! This is the story of my life! All last year we had either Karate or synchronized swimming right at supper time. Toward the end of the year we started having our main meal at lunch time. This really helped. Dh was able to be home for lunch quite often, and if he missed it, at least there was something there for him to reheat when he got home. This year, our schedule is going to be just as bad, so I'm already planning to have our main meal at 1:00, and then put one of my older kids in charge of a smaller meal at supper time (soup, sandwiches, etc.) since I'm always out driving one of the kids. Lori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 More details? Most days I am home until we have to leave. So on Mon, I will be home until 2:45 then we leave for ballet and get back about 5:30. Tues we are home until 5:30 then get back about 8:00 Thurs ballet starts at 5:00 and we are back about 6:30. So, crockpot is a good idea. In the winter that is great for soups, stews, potroasts. Just not sure how to transition. Also, my family gets really tired of crockpot type food. So, I can only do that a couple times a week. Left overs get tiring pretty quick too. PBJs are looking better and better. Honestly, this is stressing me out more than anything else. Yes, the traffic is terrible that time of day. Yes, the ballet folks are rude and miserable to deal with. Yes, homeschool is a big responsibility. But, meal planning!!! That is just too much......:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch at Home Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 More details? Most days I am home until we have to leave. So on Mon, I will be home until 2:45 then we leave for ballet and get back about 5:30. Tues we are home until 5:30 then get back about 8:00 Thurs ballet starts at 5:00 and we are back about 6:30. So, crockpot is a good idea. In the winter that is great for soups, stews, potroasts. Just not sure how to transition. Also, my family gets really tired of crockpot type food. So, I can only do that a couple times a week. Left overs get tiring pretty quick too. PBJs are looking better and better. Honestly, this is stressing me out more than anything else. Yes, the traffic is terrible that time of day. Yes, the ballet folks are rude and miserable to deal with. Yes, homeschool is a big responsibility. But, meal planning!!! That is just too much......:glare: This is doable. I work afternoons and don't get home until 5:30 or 6:00. I generally cook our dinner in the morning and then dh is responsible to heat it up. If he has to be out right before dinner time, we pop the meal in the oven on timed bake to heat it up and then do a frozen vegetable or salad when we get home if needed. I find that most meals heat up well. I tend toward meals with veggies already in them, roast, stews, soups, stir fry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat in GA Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 We have a similar schedule. And after living on drive thrus...my hips bear the evidence...we had to make a change. Some weeks I do a lot of cooking on the weekend - and I have the girls help. And then we just heat things up as left overs. We love breakfast for dinner. And eggs or pancakes are really quick to make. Other nights I have my husband in charge of grilling out. I rarely use the crockpot - I am sure it's an operator error issue...but I just don't care for what I create in there! No matter what it is...it all tastes the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 More details? Most days I am home until we have to leave. So on Mon, I will be home until 2:45 then we leave for ballet and get back about 5:30. Tues we are home until 5:30 then get back about 8:00 Thurs ballet starts at 5:00 and we are back about 6:30. So, crockpot is a good idea. In the winter that is great for soups, stews, potroasts. Just not sure how to transition. Also, my family gets really tired of crockpot type food. So, I can only do that a couple times a week. Left overs get tiring pretty quick too. PBJs are looking better and better. Honestly, this is stressing me out more than anything else. Yes, the traffic is terrible that time of day. Yes, the ballet folks are rude and miserable to deal with. Yes, homeschool is a big responsibility. But, meal planning!!! That is just too much......:glare: The days you leave later (@ 2:45), you could pop a chicken dish in the oven and have your rice cooker going. I'm not sure what kind of foods your family likes, but personally I find the prep work to be the most time consuming task of any meal. If you prep everything for many dishes, the cooking time is minimum: alfredo based pasta dishes with slices of ham and various veggies, chinese food, spaghetti, meatball hoagies, etc. One of my quickest meals is baked tilapia. I usually serve it with a nice bread or rice and a veggie such as steamed broccoli. Do any of these interest you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Crockpot! One of our favorites is this recipe: 1 pkg chicken thighs, deboned (about 6 pieces) 1 green bell pepper, sliced 1 red or orange bell pepper, sliced 1 sweet onion, sliced 1 pkg taco or fajita seasoning about 1/3 cup of chicken broth Throw all above ingredients into pot and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8. Once you get home, shred chicken in pot (there will be a LOT of juice), and serve with warmed tortillas, cheese, and beans of your choice. We call it "burrito night". After one or two nights, you can also make yummy enchiladas with this filling. I just add cheese and roll into warmed corn tortillas, top with green enchilada sauce and more cheese and cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 mins. Yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 One word: crockpot! (Oh, and Desperation Dinners is a good cookbook for 30 minute meals....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) Yes, the crockpot will be your friend with a kinda crazy schedule like that. (No cream of crap soup, though, okay? Just don't go there.) Also, here are some ideas that take 15 or less to whip up. Quesadillas -- use leftover chicken, shred some cheese. This is the fastest real food I can make. Takes 6 minutes to make and cook 3. I can do it faster if someone shreds cheese for me. Thai chicken lettuce wraps -- coat some chicken breast in curry seasoning and a bit of salt. Broil. (ETA: If you pound the chicken breasts flatter, they broil much faster). While the chicken broils prepare a sauce. For 3 people I use: 1/4 c. peanut butter, juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, a sprinkle of cayenne to taste. Then whisk in 1/4 c. hot water. Use more or less water to make the sauce as thin or thick as you like. When the chicken is done, slice it up. Get a cucumber, halve it lengthwise, seed and slice thinly. Serve using romaine lettuce leaves as wraps (or like a taco). Each wrap gets some chicken, some cucumber and some sauce. If you like, add fresh cilantro to the wraps, too. This takes about 15 minutes start to finish. Each person assembles their own wrap. Goes great with a nice quick asian noodle soup on the side. Asian noodle soup -- cooks while you are making the wraps -- chicken broth, very thin egg noodles, handful of julienned carrots, handful of thinly sliced snow peas, bit of grated ginger, splash of soy sauce. Just bring the broth to a boil, throw in everything else and cook until noodles are tender. Frittata -- use your imagination or whatever veggies you have on hand, maybe a bit of ham or sausage if you like. Takes about 10 minutes to chop and cook on the stovetop, another 5 or so in the oven. Serve it with a salad. Edited July 31, 2009 by Audrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherclassicmom Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 If you need some great crockpot recipes one of my favorite cookbooks is Put A Lid On It. They have 7 days of meals, shopping lists and even side dishes to serve. Makes life easy and the crockpot not so boring. Hope that helps a bit. http://www.amazon.com/-Owens-Kimberly-McConnell/dp/1582098689/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249009924&sr=1-3 Amazon has a couple, I'm sure if you google around you will find their website, maybe someone here has more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCoppock Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Is it possible to have a late afternoon healthy snack and then eat dinner later in the evening? We usually don't eat dinner until around 8-8:30 because DS is at swim team. On days when you are not home until 8 make sure you have leftovers to eat. There are tons of quick meals. Tonight I chopped up a half a head of cabbage, about 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables, 1/2lb of ground turkey, and onions and cooked it in a cup of water. I thickened the juice up with flour and served it over rice. It took probably 30-45minutes from start to finsh. There are tons of quick recipes. My advice is to plan out a menu and stick to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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