If you usually are the one to cook dinner for the family. . .

[Pegasus]

but you had a dinner event one evening, would you still prepare a full meal for your spouse and kids before you left?

 

I lead a small Girl Scout troop and we held our end-of-year celebration at a restaurant last night. Both of the other moms that attended first cooked a full meal for their spouse and teens before they came to the restaurant. I thought it was odd but maybe I'm the odd one!

 

Pegasus

 

Edited to clarify: The moms came with just 1 child (their DD that was a Girl Scout). The spouse and other children did not come. The poll is asking how the spouse and other children would be fed.

Edited May 18, 2011 by Pegasus

[Garga]

Can't speak for other families, but my dh used to spend every afternoon after school watching Julia Child.

 

I normally cook (because I'm the one who is home), but when I'm not there, he can handle dinner by himself.

 

And even if he wasn't a gourmet chef wannabe, he could boil water and serve spaghetti.

 

I know a woman (in her 60's), who isn't "allowed" to leave for events until she has both cooked for her dh AND sat with him while he eats it. No, he doesn't abuse her, but they have a very traditional marriage. I don't understand it At All.

[LauraGB]

Oh, how I would love to say that no, I don't make a dinner if I'm not going to be home. However, the truth of the matter is that they would all share the contents of a box of macaroni and cheese if I wasn't home to make a reasonable meal.

 

So, my answer is yes, I would make something (or at least, most of something) ahead of time. But that is not to say I think I should *need* to. It just Is.

[julesmama3]

Depends on what time I was going out. If it was later, like after 7:30 I'd cook something.

 

If it were earlier I'd ask my hubby if he would care if they ate out. He wouldn't care.

[silliness7]

However, the truth of the matter is that they would all share the contents of a box of macaroni and cheese if I wasn't home to make a reasonable meal.

 

.

 

What's not reasonable about a box of mac and cheese? If they're lucky I'll throw some cut-up hotdog in it before I walk out the door. :lol:

[Crissy]

I generally cook a full dinner before I go out.

Recently my teen and his friends were the only ones that were going to be home at the dinner hour. That evening I ordered pizza to be delivered at a specific time and left cash for a tip.

 

Now that I typed that out, I realize I need to let my guys be more self sufficient. :D

 

ETA: I was thinking of cooking for my kids, since when I go out it's usually with my husband. If my husband is home with the boys and I go out alone (once ever other year or so) I don't cook for them.

Edited May 18, 2011 by Crissy

[Jennifer in MI]

It depends on so many things - timing, how many were invited, how much was served, etc, etc. etc.

 

I have 2 teenaged boys. If they were invited to something like this, I'd assume that it wouldn't really fill them up and I'd feed them beforehand. Really - these boys can eat a horse and not be full.

 

I'd probably wait to eat at the event. But, I'd definitely feed most of my family beforehand so there'd be enough food for the rest of your guests!!!!

[Garga]

Mmmm. I want some mac and cheese....

[KristinaBreece]

DH would cook fish sticks, french fries, and Kraft Mac n Cheese. So I wouldn't give him that chance. This is all highly hypothetical for me, though. So far, I can count on one hand the number of times I've gone anywhere except for regularly scheduled MWF morning photography classes since DD was born. And both times, my DC stayed with my mom, my aunts, or my MIL. DH... not so hot with the individual care of the under 3 set. Now that DS is a little older, he takes or keeps him one-on-one on a regular basis, and will take DD to places that are short, fixed outings. (Yes to the grocery store without Mom, no to the park without Mom. Definite no to keeping/taking them both at the same time.)

 

I know how screwy that sounds. It sounds just as bad in my head and, in reality, it sucks. But we both know each other's strengths and weaknesses. If he had to care for the kids regularly while they're small, they might not all survive the experience. :tongue_smilie:

[Mrs Mungo]

Other: I have done both. Last week I went out to a very similar dinner. I pit a roast in the crockpot that morning. But, when middle dd and I were gone Monday I left them with plenty of food in the house to fend for themselves.

[tabrizia]

I actually voted for DH, not me, since I don't cook dinner it is one of the things he does. However, if he is going to be late coming home from work or is going out instead, he won't cook dinner. If I was in charge of dinner normally I won't either. Really a box or mac and cheese one night isn't going to kill my family, and generally if the person in charge doesn't feel like cooking there are leftover in the fridge or we always have black beans, corn and taco shells to quickly make tacos.

[QueenCat]

It depends.... my husband likes to cook but M-F doesn't have time since he either has Scouts or school work to do at night. I try to have leftovers from the day before. Or start something that he can finish quickly. Or order pizza. If it's the weekend or between semesters, he'll choose to cook.

[LauraGB]

What's not reasonable about a box of mac and cheese? If they're lucky I'll throw some cut-up hotdog in it before I walk out the door. :lol:

 

:lol: In our case, it wouldn't be just dh and the two kids. Dh would try to divide that little box between 6 people. He might get jiggy and add some applesauce cups or something, but it would still be a pathetic excuse for dinner no matter what.

 

Now, when everyone is gone and I make that box of mac n' cheese for myself, add some pepper and peas...mmmmm, dinner :D

[In the Rain]

My dh is a great cook! If I go out, he'll cook dinner. The meals he prepares look and smell so good that I usually wish I were staying home to eat. :lol:

[Jenny in Florida]

I voted "no," but it's kind of a combination of "I'd prep something for them to heat up" and "no."

 

My son has classes and rehearsals a few nights a week. Usually, on those nights, I prepare something that my husband can heat up quickly or eat cold for his dinner while we're not home.

 

It's pretty rare that I leave my husband and a teen at home and go out on my own. When I do that, they usually fend for themselves. My son likes to cook (even if it's nothing more exciting that heating up something frozen). So, I leave him to do it on those nights.

 

If it's my husband and daughter, then I might prep something for them. Neither of them like to cook and will generally just skip the meal entirely if I don't plan ahead for them.

 

However, under none of these circumstances do I plan and cook a full meal. It's usually something pretty simple (supplies for sandwiches, quesadilla to be microwaved, noodles or salads to be eaten cold, baked potatoes with fixings, etc.).

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I have done all three, so I voted other. Depends how much time I have to prepare, or how much energy I have before leaving.

 

Tonight, I left at 4:30 to go see Temple Grandin, and I did make burgers and mashed potatoes before I left so that DH could just dish the stuff out.

[QueenCat]

Tonight, I left at 4:30 to go see Temple Grandin, and I did make burgers and mashed potatoes before I left so that DH could just dish the stuff out.

 

Thread hijack.... I've had the pleasure of hearing her speak before. She's awesome to listen to in person. Have her dvd on it's way to my house for tomorrow night's viewing.

[Diana B]

It doesn't happen often, but I would plan the meal and have it mostly going or easy to throw together (depending on what time I had to leave).

 

My DH DOES NOT COOK - so if I want them to eat anything other than toast, I have to have it going. He can follow directions fairly well - but he's just as likely not to.

 

I think the weekend I was gone to a women's retreat they relied on friends the whole time. Friday night was a potluck/Bible Study - I had the food we were to bring ready. Cold cereal for breakfast and than they got invited to someone's house Saturday night.

 

Yeah - I'll do the planning and cooking if I have to. :)

[Susann]

Last year, I had one night a week that I was regularly gone. My dds (16 & 18 at the time) would plan and make dinner together. It seemed to make for a great bonding time between them and they still laugh at some of their concoctions.:tongue_smilie:

[6packofun]

There's nothing wrong with a boxed dinner once in a while. lol I buy *more* lunch type items than we need for actual lunches to accomodate busy nights or the rare times when I won't be home to make dinner so that everyone can fix their own thing. Sometimes dd will make spaghetti for everyone, though.

[TN Mama]

Leftovers! My husband is perfectly capable of fixing a meal. He's actually more comfortable in the kitchen than I am, although I do 90% of the cooking. I'd probably have leftovers available, but he may choose to do his own thing.

[DawnM]

Usually we have enough leftovers to prep something.

 

I did go out this past week one night and they ordered pizza.

 

DH is perfectly capable of preparing a meal, however, even I have had the boys eat cereal before! ;-)

 

Dawn

[Denise in Florida]

It would just be dh and dd17. They SHOULD be able to survive on their own. :lol:

 

Of course, the last time I left them to make dinner I got a phone call asking if the plastic tub and the counter was for them? Uh, no, it clearly says 'meal worms' on the side, I'm pretty sure I got it for the chickens. He though maybe I had put something else in the tub. No, I do not reuse meal worm tubs to store people food.

 

After that, he declared he was too confused to find anything to eat so they went out to dinner. hummmph

[happypamama]

Depends. My DH is a decent cook, so they wouldn't go out/order in. Sometimes I'll start something ahead of time, and sometimes I'll deliberately plan something that DH likes to cook. Last night, I had a meeting, so I put a pork roast in the oven and started a vegetable cooking, and I told DH what other options were available for sides, so that he could pick something. Other nights, I've left pork chops or burgers that DH just cooks whenever he's ready. He doesn't really care either way. (I'm not a huge pork fan, but DH and the kids are, so I will often leave those for nights when I am gone. And, actually, even if I'm here, he does the burgers because he's better at getting them done just the way everyone likes than I am.)

[CalicoKat]

A crock pot meal is what I usually prepare. That way I feed them but don't get stuck in the kitchen right up until I have to leave.

[HappyCrazyMama]

Leftovers! My husband is perfectly capable of fixing a meal. He's actually more comfortable in the kitchen than I am, although I do 90% of the cooking. I'd probably have leftovers available, but he may choose to do his own thing.

This. :)

[AnthemLights]

No ordering out since we live so far out of town, but dh would either warm up leftovers or make something. In the summer: grilling hamburgers. In the winter it would probably be a quick eggs, bacon and toast. Or maybe pancakes. He is good at breakfast stuff.

[mazakaal]

I voted 'other' because I would cook something really simple meal (pasta with jarred sauce or something similar) before I went out. I wouldn't make a big meal, mostly because if I go to a lot of effort to make a nice meal, I want to be able to enjoy eating it. :D

 

eta: If I had to leave very early, dh would make something basic for the kids. Last week I took ds to a tae kwon do grading and had to leave at 5pm, so dh made bacon and eggs for the other kids.

Edited May 18, 2011 by MeganP

[Peela]

It's different every time. My family all eat at various times, sometimes make food for themselves, sometimes I make it. There would be no fixed answer...it would vary too much. Since my family are so fussy I frequently just make what I feel like making, when I feel like making it, and leave them to fend for themselves the rest of the time.

[Crimson Wife]

I'd probably feed the kids early before I left and DH would re-heat the leftovers at the normal time. His idea of "cooking" would be zapping some TV dinner or frozen pizza. Whenever I take the kids to visit relatives by myself (I typically go for 2-3 weeks at a time while he can usually only take a 5-day weekend), I come home to a recycling bin full of boxes & trays :rolleyes:

[kolamum]

Normally, even if a teen is in to babysit or my mil, I still fix something and they just eat it when they want even if they have to reheat.

 

That said.. sometimes I simply provide sandwiches with all the fixing.. otherwise it's usually pasta of some sort.

 

If my children were teens and capable of cooking I'd leave them to it but make sure they had what they needed on hand. I couldn't rely on take-out because my spouse doesn't drive and even if he did we only have one car so if I was using it he'd not be capable of going out.

[iquilt]

I will ask DH what he prefers, either a crockpot meal that I can do that morning or eating out. He loves to cook but during the week he is very tired and would prefer not to come home to three hungry kids and meal prep. It is not unusual for him to put in a 12 hour day before coming home, so if I can get him to come home early so that I can go out I do my best to make his evening with the kids enjoyable. On weekends, however, he does a lot of the meal planning and cooking because he does enjoy it when he is not tired.

[mom31257]

I voted other because we have not set thing that we do. It depends on what we have in the house to eat. I went to a mom's meeting this week and left a pot of chili on the stove. Last month, they went to Subway.

 

I will say that they rarely cook when I'm gone, but will if it's something relatively easy.

[JudoMom]

I almost always do. I usually cook, but if for some reason that doesn't work out, I'll plan an easy meal and let them know specifically what to make.

 

It's not that dh & the boys can't figure something out, it's that dh really dislikes thinking about and/or planning food. So leaving them with something to eat is a nice thing I can do for him to make his life a bit easier. Just like he almost always fills up the gas tank in the van for me (I strongly dislike doing that).

Edited May 18, 2011 by JudoMom

[Luckymama]

If I'm the one going out, I'll either gather the items necessary to make a meal OR tell dh/the kids to forage for themselves. Each member of the family is capable of cooking at least one decent food item---even dd11 can make from-scratch macaroni and cheese.

[2squared]

I make sure food is available when I'm gone during a meal. If I don't, dh takes the kids out. He is very capable of cooking, but he gets overwhelmed quickly with the many dc who suddenly declare themselves starving to death, and of course, it's a lot of work to feed our young crowd.

 

I get annoyed when he takes them out because it's expensive, and I do all the work to feed them - every day, three meals - why can't he do it sometimes to? But, it all really backfires on me b/c I prepare/organize the meal and then I inevitably find all the clean up waiting for me when I get home. :glare:

[unsinkable]

What's not reasonable about a box of mac and cheese? If they're lucky I'll throw some cut-up hotdog in it before I walk out the door. :lol:

 

Because the WTM food police frown on it. :lol:

[Hoggirl]

If I have plans for a girls' evening out, I plan leftovers for that night. Then hubby or ds only has to reheat in the microwave.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

I chose "other" because all three of those choices would be acceptable in our home. It would depend on what kind of day we had, what time I was going out, and how tired my DH was when he got home.

[Princess Peach]

I picked "other" simply because I could have chosen any of the above choices. I would probably fix something quick. However, I could make a casserole and expect him to cook it when he got home. Or he may just order a pizza!

[GoVanGogh]

DH and DS love pizza and I can't eat it. They would be upset if I cooked, because they would automatically assume it was a free pass for them to go for pizza without me.

[Jayne J]

Dh would fix something with no nutritional value to serve the dc. And I am fine with that. Any time I can weasel out of planning, cooking and cleaning up dinner I take advantage of it.

[elise1mds]

I picked Other. It depends. If my event is last-minute or later in the evening, then I'll usually fix something. If it's something that I've had planned or it's earlier in the evening, then I make DH manage. Either way I have to have the 20 minute talk with the kids about how it's not okay to flip out on Daddy because Mommy is gone :p

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

DH is totally capable of making dinner, but I would probably either plan to have a leftover night or make something before going out. If it was on the weekend I might leave it up to dh, but during the week he gets home too late to make dinner.

[KristinaBreece]

The only problem I would have with the boxed menu my DH would prep himself is that my kids won't like it, and he's likely to make them eat it. He's a clean your plate or else kind of guy. Our kids are great eaters-- they just much prefer chicken, rice & veggies to what he would think of as "normal" kid stuff. He thinks my goal is to raise anti-establishment neo-hippies. (Really.)

[Stratford]

I work two evenings a week (Fri and Sat) so DH is in charge of dinner those nights. However, I do the grocery shopping/meal planning, so I usually have something planned for those nights. (Usually something simple.:tongue_smilie:) That said, he is free to make that or not. Sometimes he does something else, sometimes they go out. Occasionally I will make dinner for them and leave it in the fridge, but only if I'm feeling really generous and have some extra time.

[BatmansWife]

I'd either have some leftovers from the night before that they can heat up themselves, or I'd have some frozen pizzas in the freezer for them to bake themselves. They'd be fine with either.

[The Girls' Mom]

I marked no, but that's not always the case. Sometimes I will throw something in the crock pot they can eat. But usually, since all four of them know how to cook, no. They can fend for themselves quite well.

[ocelotmom]

50/50. It's entirely possible I'd put together something in the crock pot earlier in the day, but if not, DH is at least as good a cook as me, and was the primary cook for the first few years we were together.

 

ETA: I hate it when my response ends up being nearly identical to the response directly above it when I didn't read through the whole thread before posting!

 

Someone else mentioned working. When I'm working, someone else will be in charge of dinner on those nights.

Edited May 18, 2011 by ocelotmom

[amey311]

Chiming in with the "other" vote where all the previous choices were acceptable. Often it depends on what those left at home will be doing and when. When I was leaving at 5 for a mom's night out, and DH and the boys had left just before me to go to hockey practice, then sometimes I left stuff in a crockpot and sometimes he took them out after. On that kind of night (getting home close to 7 with everyone very hungry), it would be unkind for me to say "here are things you can cook when you get home." And to be honest, DH simply wouldn't cook. Why would he?

 

Other times it's a night to make food I don't like and that DH will cook. I've made it a policy to not make wings (I don't want to learn about the fryer - I know how to do everything else in the kitchen). So, some nights DH will make wings with cheesy garlic sauce. Ew.

 

So, it depends on everyone else's schedules.

 

Oh, and once a month I have a meeting (often at a restaurant) that starts at 7. Since we typically eat around 530 or 6, I usually eat with the family. THen I get dessert at the restaurant - a much cheaper bill :)