You've gotten the kids dressed for school, taken care of the family pet, completed a list of chores, gone to work, gone to class, finished errands, and then settled the kids back home again. Even just a few of these tasks can make for whirlwind day. But afterwards, can you handle making a meal for your family?
Though responsibilities may keep you on your feet, it's still important to take the time to make a meal at the end of the day (and at the beginning and middle of the day for some of you!)
Tonight, tell us how you manage making a meal after a busy day.
Tell us…
- How far ahead do you plan your meals?
- Do you usually cook from scratch?
- Do have leftovers during the week, or do you freeze your food for a later date?
- How long does it take you to prepare dinner? Are there any shortcuts you can take?
- Is cooking an added stress, or do you enjoy it?
- Does the entire family pitch in, and if so, how?
- What advice could you give another people who say, I have no time to make a meal!
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Comments: 239
In case I don't make it back... we cook ahead on the weekends and save some leftovers in fridge and some in freezer to make for quicker easier meals throughout week!
Do you usually cook from scratch? majority of the time
Do have leftovers during the week, or do you freeze your food for a later date? during the week
How long does it take you to prepare dinner? Are there any shortcuts you can take? 20 minutes or less depends on whatI make whicle the food is cooking make the salads and let the helpers help by setting the table!
Is cooking an added stress, or do you enjoy it? I enjoy it but dont do it regularely my mom does lol!
Does the entire family pitch in, and if so, how? yes someone makes sald another perosn setsthe table ...
What advice could you give another people who say, I have no time to make a meal! prpepare it the day before or that mroning and take the tije to enjoy it a lot of people say cooking relaxes them!
Not very! I did when I was home full time but since working I don't have time to invest.
Do you usually cook from scratch?
Sometimes. Tonight we are having honey teriyaki basted pork.
Do have leftovers during the week, or do you freeze your food for a later date?
We do leftovers during the week. I usually cook two nights, then we have two days' worth of leftovers so there's enough for us all.
How long does it take you to prepare dinner? Are there any shortcuts you can take?
I start cooking no later than 5p.m. or else I don't have enough time. I try to pull out any frozen meat I'll need that morning or the night before. Sometimes I'll cook something after the kids have gone to bed, and just re-heat it the next night so it's ready. It usually takes an hour for whatever I make to cook, and then when the main item is done, I heat up a can or bag of veggies to go with it.
Is cooking an added stress, or do you enjoy it?
Depends on the situation! I do love to cook. I considered going to culinary school for a long while. The problem is a) not having the money to buy the ingredients I'd like to try for special dishes and b) not having enough time -- the bigger problem -- to make something fresh and healthy.
Does the entire family pitch in, and if so, how?
Sometimes. The kids LOVE to have eggs for dinner, and they each take turns cracking the eggs into the pan, stirring them, etc. I try to get them in to help if I can.
What advice could you give another people who say, I have no time to make a meal!
We end up using some convenience foods. I try to keep things on hand that the kids can prepare themselves in a pinch, if the baby won't stop fussing one night but everyone else still needs a decent meal. Try a bagged salad, a frozen pizza, and some frozen garlic bread. Toss, bake and slice and you've got a full meal for everyone.
* Do you usually cook from scratch? I cook from scratch every night.
* Do have leftovers during the week, or do you freeze your food for a later date? Both. Matt sometimes takes leftovers in his lunch and I do freeze a few things for family to try.
* How long does it take you to prepare dinner? Are there any shortcuts you can take? Sometimes it takes me minutes (pasta), and sometimes hours (homemade sauces, breads). I take very few shortcuts. Shortcuts don't taste as good :)
* Is cooking an added stress, or do you enjoy it? I still enjoy it. We'll be in trouble when I can't do it anymore without too much pain or stress.
* Does the entire family pitch in, and if so, how? No. I stay home, so Matt no longer helps with the dishes as he used to. Sometimes I think I would rather go back to work than load up one more load of dishes!
* What advice could you give another people who say, I have no time to make a meal! Yes you do! Google "minute meals" or "meals in minutes". Or call me. I bet I have an idea or two for you!
One of my favorite weekly meal plans is to make a good-sized pot roast with carrots, onions and potatoes on Sunday. Serve it again on Monday. It's always better the second day. Then, split the roast and veggies into two containers. Drain some of the juice and freeze it to use for future soup starter.
Take one half of the roast and veggies to make beef stew: Cut up the meat into small cubes, roll in flour and add cornstarch to the juice and season to taste.
For second half, dice meat and veggies, add more veggies as desired and serve over rice or noodles.
Leftovers can be combined with the frozen juice in a dutch oven to make soup.
All of these meals can be kept warm or reheated for family members who get home late due to sports or other activities.
Yes, I have food allergies so we have to cook from scratch.
To answer the first question of this topic. If I was the main cook in our house, I'd prepare a weekly menu, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
My wife is the main cook though, she usually asks me what I want for dinner when I arrive from work.
when i do we have a leftover night to use them up
The kids helped, as well.
It had carrots, white potatoes, creamed of mushrooms and chicken sauce, snap peas, red potatoes and broccoli.
The kids snapped the beans. My oldest daughter pealed the carrots. Her brother helped her clean up the peels.
It was alot of fun. We also had cornbread to go with it.
Meat loaf makes delicious sandwiches with some 1,000 island dressing and cheese. It serves several meals.
Do you usually cook from scratch? For the most part. We have some packaged foods, but I don't really consider them 'meals'. That's what we have when the whole family isn't home.
Do have leftovers during the week, or do you freeze your food for a later date? I work from home so I usually eat leftovers for lunch. Sometimes we have them for dinner as a 'leftover night'
How long does it take you to prepare dinner? Working from home is nice. I can cook soups and stews that take hours to cook since I'm here all day anyway.
Are there any shortcuts you can take? Not really... Sometimes I buy pre-marinated meat.
Is cooking an added stress, or do you enjoy it? If I have time, I really enjoy it. When I don't have time, we just go out or bring dinner in.
Does the entire family pitch in, and if so, how? Not really - wish they did more!
What advice could you give another people who say, I have no time to make a meal! Cook on the weekends or when you have time and freeze some stuff for the week.
Most of what I made tonight was used with raw vegetables.
The kids loved it. They had seconds and everything. Whenever that happens, I know they really enjoyed it.
Most leftovers are eaten the next day for lunch, right away. Nothing gets away too often.
Jan, I like the idea of recycling food. For example, cooking chicken breasts on Sunday and serving it as different dishes on Monday and Tuesday.
It usually takes a couple of hours to prepare dinner. Any shortcuts involve getting the kids involved, like tonight to peel the vegetables.
I still use my stock pot or dutch oven. I tried doing a pot roast, but the meat looked gray.
I enjoy eating, and especially enjoy making something new like tonight, that the family enjoys. My wife is out and about so, we will see if I passed the acid test when she get back in the next 1/2 hour or so.
* Do you usually cook from scratch? not always
* Do have leftovers during the week, or do you freeze your food for a later date? leftovers are for lunch
* How long does it take you to prepare dinner? Are there any shortcuts you can take?
depends on what is for dinner, sometimes 15 minutes sometimes hours
* Is cooking an added stress, or do you enjoy it? I rather baked. hate cooking unless it is something new
* Does the entire family pitch in, and if so, how? my husband does most of the cooking, I end up cleaning up, unless I make the daughter do it! Lol
* What advice could you give another people who say, I have no time to make a meal! find a guy like my husband! Lol.
Whenever possible. I knew that I wanted to participate in this chat tonight, so I knew I was going to have to recruit my help if that was going to happen. Mostly it's either me and the kids or my wife and the kids making dinner, or lunch and breakfast on my days off.
Unless I am cooking something special....about 20 minutes.
* Do you usually cook from scratch?
Frequently enough, but they are usually simple recipes. I save complexity for special occasions.
* Do have leftovers during the week, or do you freeze your food for a later date?
I definitely do not freeze food, and I rarely have leftovers. I have a nasty habit of forgetting about them, so I try to only make what will be eaten.
* How long does it take you to prepare dinner? Are there any shortcuts you can take?
Dinner usually takes 15-20 minutes. Some shortcuts....utilizing soup in all kinds of nifty ways!
* Is cooking an added stress, or do you enjoy it?
I enjoy cooking, but I can see how it would easily become an added stress.
* Does the entire family pitch in, and if so, how?
My husband is great!
* What advice could you give another people who say, I have no time to make a meal!
Making a meal doesn't have to mean 5 course, 5 star! Pick recipes with low prep times that just have to bake or simmer. While your food is cooking you can be busy with other things!
Jan S., Mar 11, 2009,
I see that the "Hungry Girl" cookbook utilizes cake mixes in many different interesting ways! There are a lot of nifty ideas in her book, but too much of it is devoted to unnecessary food.
Order a cookbook entitled Meals in under 5 minutes. Everyone has 5 minutes to spare.
kimberly g., Mar 11, 2009, 8:18pm EDT
Those little oven bags that you can slide a roast in with potatoes and carrots are awfully neat too! I love them for lots of different recipes. I think I usually use Reynolds. I see that they have a microwave bag now that is supposed to do the same thing, but I have never used it.
(aren't I awful ???)
Otherwise - who me, balance ??? ha ha ha ha ha HA !!!
so what good do you fix for dinner that don't take too much time?