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Let’s Fix Dinner
Random.org came up with #14, and that’s Cathy Kurtz! Please, contact me at Kay@kayotic.nl so I can get the book to you asap!
I’ve just received a great give-away for those of you with children, grand-children or even cousins. I don’t think they sell Stouffer’s in my country, so I’m in no way related to this brand (just for the record). They offered one of my readers a free copy of this incredibly adorable and limited editions book: ‘Let’s Fix Dinner’, with gorgeous illustrations by award-winning artist and children’s author Todd Parr.
Being the mom of a toddler and coming from a huge family for which my mom cooked 7 days a week, this hits close to home. I’m a firm believer in family dinners (whenever possible). Dinner time in my home is sacred. We set the table, tv and phones are off-limits. We eat, talk, laugh and learn about each other’s day while trying to lure the kid into eating something he loved yesterday but dislikes today.
Without dependable housing those important family dinners, that are so normal to me and my family, are simply impossible. Therefore Stouffer’s donates all net profits (100%) from each book sold to support Habitat for Humanity. And I commend them for that.
Aside from that, it’s just an incredibly cute book with gorgeous drawings. I mean, look at it!
To enter:
“How do you manage to get dinner on the table in time despite a busy job or schedule? What’s your game plan?”.
For me, planning my meals ahead works. During the weekend I collect those recipes I want to try the following week and I make a grocery list based on that. It’s not set in stone, but it gives me peace of mind to know what groceries to buy and what to cook for dinner that week. I think I spend less money that way on impulse buying, food items I might not be using at all.
No entries after October 1st and only one entry per person, please!
I try to plan ahead also when it comes to what we are having for the week, or at least a few days. It is always great to make a big dish or pot of something so we have some leftovers for a meal. This way I get some sort of break when it comes to preparing meals.
I try to be flexible. I start my thinking think I will have a certain thing prepared for dinner but if for whatever reasons that doesn`t happen, sometime I just end up throwing whatever is available together and see what comes out (which can sometimes be a rather big failure or sometimes a new instant hit)
Planning ahead and wise uses of leftovers! I’m a big fan of leftovers.
I can leave my job early, so I have some extra time to think about “what’s for dinner?”. I tend to limit the meal to 3 items, meat, veg, and starch, then find what we have in the house, (or pick it up on the way home), and put it together. I experiment and just have fun. I like to include the kids, which also gives mom a break after her long day at work.
I need to plan ahead and do the prep work ahead of time also. Then iI can just put everything together at dinner time
I am no longer able to work due to a traumatic brain injury. I am blessed to be able to stay home with my 21-month-old son. However, as he’s become more active and mobile, I find myself struggling more with headaches and cognitive fatigue. Housework and errands may slip by, but the one priority I’ve made is to make a home-cooked meal every night. As I’ve become more comfortable in the kitchen, I’ve found it to be relaxing, and it makes me feel better about my contribution to our family. I started meal planning about a year ago, and it’s saved me time (no more staring into the pantry every night), money (because we don’t buy impulsively) and headaches (quite literally, because my stress level is down). I love that our son is growing up with the tradition of sitting down as a family each time, connecting, eating well, and hopefully, learning good table manners!
I try to plan ahead. If I do a weekly meal plan, everyone is happy. Unfortunately, if I wing it, the meals are usually less nutritious and not very good.
With my son just starting to eat table foods, I need to get better about planning, so all of us can eat together and eat the same thing. Usually, I cook a big meal 2-3 times a week and the other nights are leftovers or sometimes takeout. I’m not too proud of it, but we only have about an hour with the little guy before his bedtime routine starts; I’m not going to waste it cooking something terribly involved.
Am I still eligible even though I don’t cook every night?
I get to fly by the seat of my pants since we work out of our home and kids aren’t around as much. I usually grill 6 to 8 chicken breasts and then use them throughout the week. If I am going to cook I usually make enough for lots of leftovers.
Dinner is very special for us as my husband eat outside for lunch. I tried to cook with good quantity of vegetables or chicken. Plan ahead and cook before they arrive home. This is possible for me as i stay at home.
I am a SAHM of a 3 year old and a 14 month so I have the opportunity to prepare and start cooking early. I will plan ahead and have a general idea of what I am going to cook that week. I decide the morning of. If it is multi process dinner like the Chicken Roti (YUM!) then I start some steps early so I don’t have to cook everything at once with the kids running around. Cooking dinner is my “me” time. I love sipping a glass of wine and cooking!
I also plan ahead . . . Mondays I get home pretty late, so that’s my husband’s night to cook. On other days, I get home around 5:45 or so, and I try to plan things that won’t take me more than 45 minutes to prepare. I plan a week at a time, and there are definitely at least one or two leftovers nights in there!
I plan ahead with freezer meals for those nights when I am to busy to cook. I also go shopping once a week and make sure I have enough food to prepare a weeks worth of meals.
Planning ahead works when possible. Otherwise we utilize the slow cooker alot in order to have dinner ready right when we get home… that way we can relax and eat before we head out for whatever night event we have. We can spend the time eating and talking rather than cooking! Lastly, we do try to make extra, and freeze leftovers so that once in a while we just eat leftovers – when desperate!
I do the list–decide what to have each night for supper, and then go grocery shopping and buy everything I need. If I didn’t do this, I’d stand in front of the cupboard looking in without a clue what to make! And when I decided on something, I’d be missing half the ingredients I need. I’m always so busy and flustered that I can’t think on my feet; I HAVE to plan ahead.
I’m a big fan of the slow cooker, especially since the weather is starting to cool down quite a bit where I am! Even though I’m only cooking for one right now, making a large quantity in my Crockpot helps me get nutritious lunches, too. I make good use of my freezer.
I’m a SAHM to a 5-year old and 2 1/2-year old twins, graduate student, and wife so organization is the only way things get accomplished in my house! I make a recipe and shopping list each week which cuts down on extraneous spending and unhealthy cooking, and prep as much stuff as I can in advance (i.e. washing all of my leafy veggies and wrapping in paper towels and bagging them up).
I freeze stuff in advance. Like I freeze already-marinated meat, or make big lasagnes or casseroles and freeze half. Then I just take it out the night before to defrost, and heat it up in the oven. It’s great!
I always try to make easy to make but delicious and healthy dishes so I wouldn’t have a hard time making them.So even if I’m busy there would always be a delicious and healthy meal for my 2 year old girl.
I try to do some prep ahead of time (i.e. - early in the week). I also try to make things that I’m truly excited to try.
I live with my mom, so she helps a lot. I plan out the meals, and during the week, she cooks. Pretty good deal, isn’t it? When it does fall on me, I use the crockpot or just quick meals.
I have a weekly menu plan that I try to stick too. I try to include my son (2) in the preparation of the meals so we usually make dinner together. My time saver is using the crockpot and breadmaker to minimise the prep and then we focus on fresh vegetable and salads to go with the main.
I am a SAHM of two so I try and take advantage of nap time to get my prep work done. I will often double a recipe and freeze half. My husband loves to BBQ, so then I just have to do the sides. Working together is a great way to spend the evening!
Dinner doesn’t always get on the table it time, but it eventually gets there. Its perserverence and letting go of perfectionism!
Well I certainly TRY to get dinner on the table every night … but now we have a 6 month old who seems to throw a wrench into my plans almost daily. I live out of my freezer … preparing and freezing meals when I find I have an afternoon free to cook and save.