“Mama, I want a cwackoo, please!”
Telling a hungry four-year-old to hang on a little longer
while Mama is working is a lot like telling the tide to “stay out there for a
bit.” It’s a fine workout for your jaws, but hardly effective. This is where
the magic of prior planning comes in handy.
Pulling two or three apple slices from a container in the
fridge, I hand them off to Junior and commence digging. In the freezer, I find
a package of chicken, precooked and shredded by yours truly earlier in the
week. I grab that and a bag of frozen peas. The pantry, which is French for aging bookshelf that sags against one wall
of the kitchen, yields a box of whole-wheat pasta.
While the pasta water boils, I thaw the chicken and peas in
the microwave. In about twenty minutes, I’ll have a steaming pot of macaroni,
dressed in a light sour cream and mild cheddar sauce, and spruced up with the
chicken and peas. Maybe a shake or two of garlic powder and pepper. Junior is
happy, the dishes are minimal, and everybody goes back to their evening
routine.
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| Photos courtesy of stock.xchng |
Finding time to cook can be a challenge, especially if you
try to do everything all at once. Here are a few handy tips to keep the fuss low
when appetites are high.
- Do prep work on a slow day. Portion out meats and veggies into serving sizes, packaging them in freezer- and refrigerator-safe reusable containers. Precook wherever possible, and consider labeling packages with the name of the meal and the date to be served.
- Keep staples well-stocked. If you use a lot of tomato sauce, keep plenty on hand. Same thing goes for, well, pretty much anything. If anybody wants to comment on the sixteen cans of green beans in the cupboard, tell ‘em they won’t get dessert unless they stop being nosy.
- Plan meals in advance. Even two or three day’s warning will give you an idea of how long you’ll be in the kitchen, and let you plan the rest of your day accordingly.
- Be fearless with leftovers. I don’t mean that you should spring Cole Slaw Parmesan on your unsuspecting family, but do try to think outside the TupperMaid. Leftover mashed potatoes and ham? Add some milk and an extra potato or two, and you've got the beginnings of a tasty soup.
Still casting about for ideas? How about one hundred meal
ideas? PBS Parents columnist and Tasty Kitchen contributor Alice Currah has put
together a book that’ll give you that and much more. Savory Sweet Life: 100 Simply Delicious Meals for Every Family Occasion
is a prize for home cooks and for one of our creative blog followers. Leave a
comment describing your great go-to family meal idea. An esteemed panel of
culinary experts, which is really just plain ol’ me in disguise, will choose a
favorite. The contributor of said favorite will receive their own copy of Savory Sweet Life, plus gloating
privileges. So!
My pickles love dinners made in the slow cooker, and Mommy likes set-it-and-forget-it meals. Their current favorite is pulled pork. Add cole slaw and you're done. This, of course, requires advanced planning as you mentioned, Audrey. Thanks for making me laugh this morning and always.
ReplyDeleteI feel so enlightened today- I never knew what pantry meant, and now I know!! We cook everything from scratch, and our favorite quick meal is a thick veggie soup, biscuits and cheese.
ReplyDeleteI'm hardly boy scout material, but "be prepared" is essential when it comes to preparing meals, even when it is just oneself, and the only other voices coming at you are from inside your own head. Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! We still struggle with making good food. I just made an awesome turkey soup that will last for a few days. Its cheap, tastes great, and is very healthy.
ReplyDeleteI always seem to have leftover noodles and one of my fave uses is a stir-fry of bulk Italian sausage, sliced cabbage, and fat noodles - season it all with soy sauce and a bit of sriracha. Adapt with other Asian flavors as you wish. I sometimes add oyster sauce. Hubbo always adds garlic and ginger. Super fast and it makes a big batch. Would love a copy of Alice's book! Yum, yum, yum!
ReplyDeleteI am becoming a four star master slow cooker chef - slowly. I've had some very, very horrible attempts (where we've then ordered emergency pizza), but now I have an ever-growing list of tried and true recipes - that EVERYONE in my house will eat. Except for Pink and Floyd. They are strict vegans.
ReplyDeleteWith enough sriracha, any meal becomes exciting. I use it in all sorts of unconventional ways: in wild rice casseroles, leftover roasted veggies, and any sort of soup.
ReplyDeleteI take heart at your suggestion to be fearless with leftovers, Audrey! I am sort of a "frankenmeal" fan. By the end of the week, I'll patch dinner together out of bits and pieces from meals I mede earlier that week. Of course, I'll eat any crazy frankenmeal that I cook; however, I must admit, some concoctions are more well-received by the rest of my household than others. ;)
ReplyDeleteI've had to get creative with my leftovers when cooking and eating for one! Definitely a fan of frankenmeals!
DeleteSomehow I seem to end up with lots of random leftovers, so I often will just gather it all on the counter and create soup. I'll add either chicken broth or water and bouillon. This goes over especially well in the winter or on rainy days.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Sarah. Homemade is especially good! Another fave for me is "rooster eggs". Hard-boiled eggs cut in half, with a dab of butter and a good squirt of sriracha. Terrific breakfast during allergy season!
ReplyDeleteOk, I hate to ask, but what is sriracha?
ReplyDeleteHot chili sauce with lots of garlic. Asian restaurants often have tall bottles of it on the tables.
ReplyDeleteAh, so it has flavor. My kids are actively opposed to flavor.
ReplyDeleteWe do well on prep and leftovers, but the planning doesn't always happen ahead of time. Well, I say "we" but I don't do the cooking in my home so I will be passing this along as a simple suggestion. :-)
ReplyDeleteI can hear my tummy grumbling already! It was just a bag of frozen peas, some precooked chicken, and whole wheat pasta, but it sure sounded delicious! For me, Sundays are the slowest day and the perfect day to precook some fish and poultry, portion some veggies, and freeze some meals for the rest of the week. It really fights the craving for the drive through on your way home and unhealthy eating. Plus, you find yourself in a much more stress free state of mind ! I love the wisdom and humor, Audrey! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAs a single person, I let me stomach be my guide. My stomach is in the moment, planning is not the way I have lived my life, yet I eat healthy.And I love love love left-overs. Thanks for sharing, great post Audrey!
ReplyDelete