- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Family meals are wearing me down - any suggestions?
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:19 pm
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:19 pm
Seems like ever since we had our second kid and my wife went back to work, the afternoons and evenings of the workweek are overwhelming when it comes to keeping up with the house, cooking, and kids. I’d like to figure out a way to come up with health, fast, and absurdly simple meals that can alleviate our afternoons.
We often cook for two days. So Sunday’s dinner is always Monday’s dinner. Tuesday and Wednesday are together and Thursday and Friday. This helps some but honestly, even leftover night becomes a chore because there are still a shitload of dishes to clean between our plates, utensils, cookware/Tupperware/Pyrex, and glasses plus a full, clean dishwasher from the day before that needs unloading. There’s also usually some leftover kitchenware from breakfast and getting ready that morning. Add in the Tupperware, utensils, and miscellaneous items from our three lunchboxes plus my infant’s bottles, and you’ve got yourself about 30-40 minutes of work just to keep the kitchen from being disgusting. That doesn’t mean spotless and presentable just not a college boy’s pigsty. Throw in making lunches and bottles for the next day, and there’s an hour of precious time devoted to cleaning every day of the week. Forget about valuable time with the kids. By the time dinner is prepped, eaten, and cleaned, it’s about time for kid baths and bedtime routines.
It feels like we’re doing this all wrong and shouldn’t be wrung out like a used towel every night of the week while still looking at a somewhat unkempt house.
What are y’all family people eating during the week to lessen the craziness of it all?
We often cook for two days. So Sunday’s dinner is always Monday’s dinner. Tuesday and Wednesday are together and Thursday and Friday. This helps some but honestly, even leftover night becomes a chore because there are still a shitload of dishes to clean between our plates, utensils, cookware/Tupperware/Pyrex, and glasses plus a full, clean dishwasher from the day before that needs unloading. There’s also usually some leftover kitchenware from breakfast and getting ready that morning. Add in the Tupperware, utensils, and miscellaneous items from our three lunchboxes plus my infant’s bottles, and you’ve got yourself about 30-40 minutes of work just to keep the kitchen from being disgusting. That doesn’t mean spotless and presentable just not a college boy’s pigsty. Throw in making lunches and bottles for the next day, and there’s an hour of precious time devoted to cleaning every day of the week. Forget about valuable time with the kids. By the time dinner is prepped, eaten, and cleaned, it’s about time for kid baths and bedtime routines.
It feels like we’re doing this all wrong and shouldn’t be wrung out like a used towel every night of the week while still looking at a somewhat unkempt house.
What are y’all family people eating during the week to lessen the craziness of it all?
28
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:25 pm to StringedInstruments
red beans and rice
I'll grill chicken breasts,they can make multiple different meals with the chicken.
frozen lasagna
tons of "quick" options
I'll grill chicken breasts,they can make multiple different meals with the chicken.
frozen lasagna
tons of "quick" options
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:36 pm to StringedInstruments
Start using a crockpot. Dinner is ready when you get home and cleanup is fairly easy.
Do more than just Monday meal prep on Sunday. You have most of the day, use it wisely.
Then... just wait until you have multiple kids involved in things during the week when they get older. Crockpots are the only way to survive at our house.
Do more than just Monday meal prep on Sunday. You have most of the day, use it wisely.
Then... just wait until you have multiple kids involved in things during the week when they get older. Crockpots are the only way to survive at our house.
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:40 pm to StringedInstruments
2 isn’t bad. Switch off cooking and washing duties between you and the wife.
As far as food, look to 1 pot meals (chili, soup, etc...) and grilling are your friends.
As far as food, look to 1 pot meals (chili, soup, etc...) and grilling are your friends.
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:44 pm to StringedInstruments
Sunday Meal Prep. Get some good containers to make it easy. Cool big protein and use it for multiple meals.
I’ll smoke a Boston butt and get tacos, enchiladas, and bbq meals. Do a few chickens and the possibilities are endless. Also knocks out your lunches all at once. Tons of recipes and info on web.
Maybe try one of those meal services if you still wanna cook but not worry about shopping
I’ll smoke a Boston butt and get tacos, enchiladas, and bbq meals. Do a few chickens and the possibilities are endless. Also knocks out your lunches all at once. Tons of recipes and info on web.
Maybe try one of those meal services if you still wanna cook but not worry about shopping
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:49 pm to Prosecuted Collins
How far in advance will you meal prep? Also, do you find that leftover day is still about the same in terms of cleanup?
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:55 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
How far in advance will you meal prep?
The serious meal preppers I see online will do through Friday on Sunday. That is kinda pushing it with meat-and-three meals that get weird after so long, but you can still do better than having to cook Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
Assuming you don't do much on Sundays, you have the whole day. With it being warm outside, you could even grill on Sundays and then use some of it for lunches during the week.. and have something going inside while you're doing all that.
For lunches, prep them several days in advance if you can. No reason to wake up and start dirtying the kitchen to make lunch when you could have done it ahead of time while the kitchen was dirty.
quote:
Also, do you find that leftover day is still about the same in terms of cleanup?
I'm really trying to work on eliminating single-use plastics so I hate to suggest this, but paper isn't as bad... Why not use paper plates at night? 4 forks, 3-4 cups, and the container the leftovers were in shouldn't be that much to clean unless I'm missing something.
This post was edited on 4/3/19 at 8:56 pm
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:56 pm to StringedInstruments
Small kids are easy. They also crave less variety. Keep some finger fruit on hand, frozen chicken nuggets, microwave mac and cheese, and cold cuts. Cheese too.
Grown ups can have baked chicken breast in about half an hour ( while you wash bottles.) Knorr makes a gozillion different flavored noodle and rice kits for $1 each. Bag salad. Pork chops are inexpensive and cook fast. For Lenten meals, shrimp make quick meals.
Parenthood is busy early on. Don't be too hard on yourselves. Lunchables, disposable storage containers, and utensils are okay. Save laundry for the weekend. Every now and again, take the kids out and let mama have a nap. Feed them fast food. It wont hurt them, and the kitchen stays clean.
Grown ups can have baked chicken breast in about half an hour ( while you wash bottles.) Knorr makes a gozillion different flavored noodle and rice kits for $1 each. Bag salad. Pork chops are inexpensive and cook fast. For Lenten meals, shrimp make quick meals.
Parenthood is busy early on. Don't be too hard on yourselves. Lunchables, disposable storage containers, and utensils are okay. Save laundry for the weekend. Every now and again, take the kids out and let mama have a nap. Feed them fast food. It wont hurt them, and the kitchen stays clean.
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:57 pm to StringedInstruments
1)unload dishwasher in AM so you can put in breakfast dishes before you leave house. It will be ready to receive dinner dishes.
2)stop trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to dinner. There is nothing wrong with having a set M/T/W/Th night meal rotation. It makes shopping easy, no one has to figure out what to cook, and you can plan it all out in advance. If you get bored easily, make a two or three week rotation.
3)cook IN BULK on Sundays. I’m not talking about leftovers for M & T, I’m talking really big pots of three-bean chili that you portion out and freeze, huge batches of meat sauce for pasta later on...lentil soup, red beans & rice, etc etc. Freezer meals can defrost in the microwave while you do something else
Biggest tip: reframe the stuff you’re doing. Stop viewing it as thankless drudgery. Put on your favorite music & have a kitchen dance party with the kids while doing cleanup, buy your favorite wine and have an evening glass while you knock out the KP duties, sing old church hymns at the top of your lungs, badly. Make a playlist of songs from your junior high days....or show tunes. I used to listen to language tapes & practiced my Italian while folding laundry. Do whatever makes you laugh or engages your mind while you get the scut work done. Switch the attitude from resentful to joyful.
Also, try eating a larger, more protein packed lunch. It’s possible that you’re just hungry and tired in the evenings, which can make things seem harder than they are. Can you squeeze in a quick run, yoga session, or other exercise to clear your mind?
2)stop trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to dinner. There is nothing wrong with having a set M/T/W/Th night meal rotation. It makes shopping easy, no one has to figure out what to cook, and you can plan it all out in advance. If you get bored easily, make a two or three week rotation.
3)cook IN BULK on Sundays. I’m not talking about leftovers for M & T, I’m talking really big pots of three-bean chili that you portion out and freeze, huge batches of meat sauce for pasta later on...lentil soup, red beans & rice, etc etc. Freezer meals can defrost in the microwave while you do something else
Biggest tip: reframe the stuff you’re doing. Stop viewing it as thankless drudgery. Put on your favorite music & have a kitchen dance party with the kids while doing cleanup, buy your favorite wine and have an evening glass while you knock out the KP duties, sing old church hymns at the top of your lungs, badly. Make a playlist of songs from your junior high days....or show tunes. I used to listen to language tapes & practiced my Italian while folding laundry. Do whatever makes you laugh or engages your mind while you get the scut work done. Switch the attitude from resentful to joyful.
Also, try eating a larger, more protein packed lunch. It’s possible that you’re just hungry and tired in the evenings, which can make things seem harder than they are. Can you squeeze in a quick run, yoga session, or other exercise to clear your mind?
Posted on 4/3/19 at 8:59 pm to StringedInstruments
pizza delivery
grocery store rotisserie chicken with one of those mac and cheese that you just microwave for a few minutes
those are 2 of the easiest work week dinners I can think of
grocery store rotisserie chicken with one of those mac and cheese that you just microwave for a few minutes
those are 2 of the easiest work week dinners I can think of
Posted on 4/3/19 at 9:16 pm to StringedInstruments
Circling back to make some specific meal suggestions, mostly involving eggs:
—tuna salad, egg salad: easy as hell, protein packed, minimal prep. Buy your favorite artisanal bread, slice it & put in freezer. You can defrost a few slices in the toaster oven while you mix the tuna salad. A bag of microwave steamed veg, a pat of butter & a sprinkle of parmesan, et voila. Make the sandwiches open-face if you’re reducing carbs. Buy garlic mayo and Dijon mustard if plain tuna salad seems too, well, plain. Eat it with multigrain crackers if toasting bread is too hard.
—shakshuka is damn delicious and easy. Make a big azz batch of the sauce, put it up in 2-cup containers in freezer. Defrost it, slap in a skillet, crack in a couple eggs, put on a lid and cook gently until eggs are as set as you’d like. Eat it out of the pan w/your lovely wife. Fewer dishes to wash.
—Hummus as a sandwich filling, along with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Salad and sandwich all in one. Buy already made hummus and all you need to do is slice the veg. Add feta cheese if you want some zip. Again, minimal cleanup.
—soup, w a side of cheese toast. My fave is tomato basil w/a thick slice of multigrain bread topped w/English cheddar. Boxed soup, canned soup, refrigerated Panera tomato basil from Sam’s, who cares? It’s tasty, easy, and you can heat the soup in the bowls you will eat it out of (in the microwave). Less cleanup, once again.
—hot dogs are delicious. Why not have a hot dog night in your rotation? Takes aboiut 5 minutes under the broiler, or stick the damn things in the microwave. Toast the buns; buy whole wheat buns if you need to feel nutritionally aspirational. Apply condiments, steam some broccoli in the microwave, bake some cauliflower tater tots. That’s dinner.
Unload that dang dishwasher in the AM and all your dirties can go straight into it in the evening....also, someone gets AM KP duty, and the other spouse gets evening KP. Assuming you’re splitting the duties on stuff like laundry & heavier housekeeping. If you’re not, then do the damn dishes and count your blessings that your working wife is scrubbing toilets too. (Scraping together the funds for occasional deep house cleaning can be a blessing as well.)
—tuna salad, egg salad: easy as hell, protein packed, minimal prep. Buy your favorite artisanal bread, slice it & put in freezer. You can defrost a few slices in the toaster oven while you mix the tuna salad. A bag of microwave steamed veg, a pat of butter & a sprinkle of parmesan, et voila. Make the sandwiches open-face if you’re reducing carbs. Buy garlic mayo and Dijon mustard if plain tuna salad seems too, well, plain. Eat it with multigrain crackers if toasting bread is too hard.
—shakshuka is damn delicious and easy. Make a big azz batch of the sauce, put it up in 2-cup containers in freezer. Defrost it, slap in a skillet, crack in a couple eggs, put on a lid and cook gently until eggs are as set as you’d like. Eat it out of the pan w/your lovely wife. Fewer dishes to wash.
—Hummus as a sandwich filling, along with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Salad and sandwich all in one. Buy already made hummus and all you need to do is slice the veg. Add feta cheese if you want some zip. Again, minimal cleanup.
—soup, w a side of cheese toast. My fave is tomato basil w/a thick slice of multigrain bread topped w/English cheddar. Boxed soup, canned soup, refrigerated Panera tomato basil from Sam’s, who cares? It’s tasty, easy, and you can heat the soup in the bowls you will eat it out of (in the microwave). Less cleanup, once again.
—hot dogs are delicious. Why not have a hot dog night in your rotation? Takes aboiut 5 minutes under the broiler, or stick the damn things in the microwave. Toast the buns; buy whole wheat buns if you need to feel nutritionally aspirational. Apply condiments, steam some broccoli in the microwave, bake some cauliflower tater tots. That’s dinner.
Unload that dang dishwasher in the AM and all your dirties can go straight into it in the evening....also, someone gets AM KP duty, and the other spouse gets evening KP. Assuming you’re splitting the duties on stuff like laundry & heavier housekeeping. If you’re not, then do the damn dishes and count your blessings that your working wife is scrubbing toilets too. (Scraping together the funds for occasional deep house cleaning can be a blessing as well.)
Posted on 4/3/19 at 9:19 pm to StringedInstruments
Pasta with butter and sage sauce. The sauce takes less than three minutes. Of course, I make my own pasta so that takes a little more time.
Posted on 4/3/19 at 9:46 pm to StringedInstruments
Pastas can be very versatile and quick. Choice of dry pasta, choice of vegetables, choice of meat, jar of your choice of sauce.
This post was edited on 4/3/19 at 10:19 pm
Posted on 4/3/19 at 9:52 pm to StringedInstruments
Door Dash
Posted on 4/3/19 at 9:58 pm to StringedInstruments
You’re not doing it wrong—welcome to the club. Congratulations on putting family time a priority and eating together each night. You are creating lasting memories your children will cherish.
Posted on 4/3/19 at 10:00 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
Posted on 4/3/19 at 10:32 pm to StringedInstruments
Use paper plates.
Don’t look at it as work. It’s just life and family.
Don’t look at it as work. It’s just life and family.
Posted on 4/3/19 at 11:28 pm to StringedInstruments
Sheet pan meals and aluminum foil help cut down on cleaning and you can cook an entire relatively healthy meal in just the oven
It’s also versatile
I’ve done Greek chicken and fixing
Fajitas and peppers
Salmon and veg
Being able to just chuck the aluminum foil after and not scrub a pan is a huge telief
It’s also versatile
I’ve done Greek chicken and fixing
Fajitas and peppers
Salmon and veg
Being able to just chuck the aluminum foil after and not scrub a pan is a huge telief
This post was edited on 4/3/19 at 11:31 pm
Posted on 4/4/19 at 12:57 am to Martini
Here to second paper plates.
Cleaning up after dinner takes 5 minutes even if you get a bunch of pots and pans dirty.
Cleaning up after dinner takes 5 minutes even if you get a bunch of pots and pans dirty.
Posted on 4/4/19 at 1:13 am to StringedInstruments
Get an Instant Pot. Set it up prior to work, and it’ll be done by the time your home (assume the power doesn’t go out)
We get a majority of our weekly recipes from a website/cooking blog called SkinnyTaste. She has 100s of Instant Pot recipes that are pretty healthy and easy.
We get a majority of our weekly recipes from a website/cooking blog called SkinnyTaste. She has 100s of Instant Pot recipes that are pretty healthy and easy.
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News