All right, I've reached a frustration point with the meal issue at my house.
I'm still adjusting to working this many hours, I've been doing it about 2 months now. A few weeks ago, I totally gave up the illusion of cooking at home, and everything we bought at the store was frozen, instant, or beer, lol. Well, that wore off fast. I totally miss cooking from scratch at home, and I'm hating frozen food.
Part of the problem is how we've changed grocery shopping. We're usually totally exhausted when we go and haven't planned out any meals.
I miss cooking at home, even though I cook for a living. So, I'm vowing to work it in a little more, bumping it up on my priority list.
Has anyone else had trouble with this??

Ugh. Yes, especially here in Hawaii where food is so $$$ so I am trying to do as much as possible from scratch. What happens is if I'm good I end up spending the whole weekend chained to the house cooking/baking (plus cleaning, laundry, etc.). If I'm not good and we maybe go to the beach, then I'm scrambling at 6pm to throw together something mid week. Now with soccer from 5-6 twice a week it's really a challenge.

It's hard because not only is it a time pinch, but like you said, you are so tired by the time you get home.

Okay, so not much help! But I feel your pain.

I always try to make beans on the weekend so I can slap them in a tortilla for a quick meal. Also, pasta is such a staple because it's so quick. Either stir fry with veggies (frozen) or with sauce.

I do feel you. Not that it is ideal, but what I've been doing lately is two or so times a week I cook up a quadruple batch of something - for example, right now I have a huge batch of chili verde stewing - which I then freeze. Currently, my freezer is filled with:

cuban black beans (vegan)
curried chickpeas (vegan)
chili verde (beef)
rice and lentil loaf (vegetarian)
beef stroganof (beef)
ground cooked buffalo meat with mixed veggies (to add with whatever, rice or pasta)
black bean, chicken sausage, and corn stew (chicken)
minestronie (beef, in the stock)

then, if I'm able to cook, I cook, but if not, I have plenty of things I could have instead that are reasonably healthy, didn't cost much to make, and I don't have to run out and get something.

I have cooking issues too. I'm finding that I actually do like to cook (I think I "decided" not to like cooking for my ex because he made such a big deal about it) only I'm not a good planner at all. If I had someone to tell me what to make or even just pur random ingredients in front of me ready to be cooked it would be perfect. I love cooking for my SO when he is here on the weekend. He's alway so appreciative as is his oldest girl. The other three kids not so much. The two littles are on a "I don't like" it kick about nearly everything.



If I actually had kids that would eat what I cook other than bean burritos and spaghetti and mac and cheese it would be much easier. Both of my kids and SO's youngest are resistant to trying anything new (7, 6 & 4) even when I know it's something they would like. It makes me not want to cook during the week.

Anyway, I need to come up with a healthy kid friendly menu that doens't have the same things everyotherday. I'd like to eat something besides kid food.

Currently, my freezer is filled with:

cuban black beans (vegan)
curried chickpeas (vegan)
chili verde (beef)
rice and lentil loaf (vegetarian)
beef stroganof (beef)
ground cooked buffalo meat with mixed veggies (to add with whatever, rice or pasta)
black bean, chicken sausage, and corn stew (chicken)
minestronie (beef, in the stock)



Can I come over for dinner? :eat: :D

Can I come over for dinner? :eat: :D

heck yeah, I'm only 4 hours away.

I have this problem too, I just try to stay really organized about meals. The crock pot can help too. If I know whats for dinner sometimes I can get things started in the morning, or at least thaw some meat. I compromise on what is cooking from scratch for me. For example I buy 10 min brown rice, instead of long grain, and frozen veggies. Pretty much all of my dinners are 20 min or 30 min to prepare, any longer than that we end up eating out, b/c I'm too tired to cook. I also keep a frozen lasagna or something around for back-up.

I had thur and fri off - and voila! in the freezer you'll find 3 loaves of ww/sunflower seed/millet bread, 7 meals worth of spaghetti & meatloaves, 4 loaves of ww banana/oatmeal/current bread, and the in fridge fresh batches of yogurt and kefir.

I try to double up or quadruple up on production at least 2x a week. Unfortunately I'm finding that just about when I perfect frozen meals - my kids get weary of them and won't touch them again! So off the menu are ww calzones, ww pizzas, homemade chicken nuggets, and homemade quiche. I hate that!

I get desperate for adult food, too. Tonight I let the boys eat just about whatever they wanted as long as a fruit, a vegie, a dairy, and a whole grain starch were present. After that - movied them and dh and I actually ate grilled tuna, quinoa, a salad, and TALKED. imagine that, talking with your significant other. lol.

Cathleen I need help with the bread. I'm baking bread b/c it is so expensive here, but my bread is so dry after a couple of days. I'm baking 2 loaves to last 2 weeks. One goes in the freezer and one in the fridge. They start off good, but get very dry. Any ideas?

Any good bread recipes? I have some millet and sunflower seed I need to use up.

I'd be delighted to share the bread recipe - but am at work now, will pm you when I get home and kids in bed, etc.

I've only been baking bread for about 6 weeks now - still waiting for a cookbook to help arrive in the mail - but my last batch of bread was awesome! I bake 3 loaves to last 1 week, put 2 in the freezer immediately.

Brooken, what do you do to cook for a living? Restaurant? Please share!

I earned my way through college cooking in restaurants and quit the day I got my Masters degree, swearing never to return. I had gotten so fussy and overly critical about everything related to food - way too uptight and particular to enjoy any of it anymore. Cooking only for pleasure and to eat has brought a lot more balance - and a lot less cussing into my life. Still, I miss those days and having a house full of retaurant customers and the pressue of a busy saturday night on the line.... so please share, so I can live vicariously.

Cathy

Brooken, what do you do to cook for a living? Restaurant? Please share!

I earned my way through college cooking in restaurants and quit the day I got my Masters degree, swearing never to return. I had gotten so fussy and overly critical about everything related to food - way too uptight and particular to enjoy any of it anymore. Cooking only for pleasure and to eat has brought a lot more balance - and a lot less cussing into my life. Still, I miss those days and having a house full of retaurant customers and the pressue of a busy saturday night on the line.... so please share, so I can live vicariously.

Cathy

I'm a baker/cook for a restaurant. Swanky chocolate martini bar with many many desserts on the menu, also a few savory items such as pizzettas and cheese plates.
I do the bread baking (flatbread and foccacia), assist the pastry chef, and make the savory stuff - roasting red peppers, mushrooms, etc. It's a good gig and I'm totally enjoying it. We're only open for dinner so I'm there during the day prepping and my schedule's fairly flexible as long as I get it all done. I do the line once a week (Sundays, which are no big deal) and I'm happier that way. I'm more suited to long, repetitive zen-like tasks like flatbread than a frantic line full of tickets.
I'm trying to learn as much as I can from the pastry chef, so that if I continue, and fall into a career doing it, so be it!

Mammakat, here is the basic recipe I've been using. I use only whole wheat flower and I double the seeds/millet. I'm lousey at measuring and sometimes the dough is quite moist and other times too dry - still not sure if it's me or recipe.

enjoy! We really like it. Not crusty at all - but a good sandwich bread. I've been just making it into round loaves so far, might try something fancier with the batch that is currently rising.

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Breads/wholewheathealth.html