... in the spirit of being honest, Ladies, I have not cooked dinner (except for Thanksgiving dinner) in about 4 weeks. Almost a whole month. And since my husband doesn't cook, or says he doesn't know how, we have been eating sandwiches, cans of soup, freezer food, etc. My daughter is 14 months old and I KNOW this is not a good example to her and I feel really guilty for it all the sudden- the fact is our lives are BUSY, insane-o busy. I am under a butt load of stress and I just don't know WHAT to make for dinner at the end of a long day. Something HEALTHY and easy to make.

I need some organization in this aspect of my life, so I'm looking for suggestions in meal planning- how do you do it, how long of a time frame do you plan for (a few days? a week?) Are there good websites that I'm not finding for help in this area?!

I have a feeling this is going to save us buko bucks at the grocery store too...

To be honest with you....I have a hard time doing it as well. I have been eating a ton of lean cuisine...it really helps me with portion control. My daughter is only 6 months right now, but I know what you mean about setting a good example. I am anxious to hear what others have to say.

Easy meals like Lean Cuisine are hard for me because I can't have dairy, or eggs. Or anything with dairy and eggs in them. You'd be surprised how many of those meals have dairy in them and you wouldn't even know it until you read the label! It's frustrating. I'd feel better about having a well-rounded meal like a Lean Cuisine rather than making something up last minute "umm... we're having green beans and peanut butter sandwiches"... haha!

It's also hard because easy meals usually have cheeses etc in them haha - I have found a lot of excuses not to meal plan, even down to blaming my food allergies I guess. I'm just saying that it's hard for me to come up with options that the whole fam will enjoy and that are easy to make - I'm a no-fuss cooker and I don't have time for a whole production meal each night. :P

my absolute GOTO quick meal (i work 60+ hours and so does fiance) is STIR FRY!

quick and simple once you know how... want some recipes?

xxx

I feel your frustration about not finding the time to cook. I know for my household (just me and bf) I cook in advance. I make a few chicken breast and cut them up and store them in the fridge. This way when I want a quick salad with protein I can just grab my chicken quickly. Or I want a quick stir fry I can grab my chicken and saute quickly with my veges. I also make big pots of soup that I can eat throughout the week or freeze half. I'm all about freezing if I can. I also freeze certain casseroles. Also if I get bored of leftovers I try to take them and combine them to make something else. I saw a Rachael Ray Thanksgiving leftover meal show where she took some leftover turkey, stuffing, veges and gravy and mixed it together. Put that in a 9x13 and then topped it will left over yams that she mashed. Put it under the broiler and you have a thanksgiving shepherds pie. It's all about becoming inventive in the kitchen is what makes me love cooking so much. I don't always have the time to cook but I try to make as many home cooked meals as I can. I hope this helps and good luck on your meal planning. Oh and it will totally help on your grocery bill b/c you can plan in advance and shop the sales! I love saving money wherever I can

PrettyPaula: PLEASE! I would SO appreciate that!

Brandyc100: pre- cooking some chicken is a great idea. I'm on the vegetarian side of things but I do eat chicken occasionally. I should start doing that, haha!

well if your veggie you dont NEED to add any meat but you could try some fish or chicken or tofu if you like!

i make stir frys maybe 4 times a week... my general store cupboard needs to have:

Red chillis (you can use flake dried if you like)
garlic
ginger
sesame oil
soy sauce (reduced sodium)

you can literally use ANY veggies in it, the key to a good stir fry is to prep everything before you start and to use a good wok. Remember to add the veggies in the order of cooking time (longest to cook first)

i tend to use the finely chopped ginger garlic and chillis to marinade my meat but if you want to be veggie only then just get your wok SUPER hot, add some olive oil or ground nut oil, then when its smoking, literally, add sliced onions garlic chilli and ginger, then add peppers or brocolli or cauliflower or
ANYTHING you like, pack with bean sprouts, mushrooms, baby corn, courgette (zuchinni!), spinach, chinese leaves, cabbage, anything!

stir fry til slightly softened, then add soy sauce and sesame oil to finish. Sesame oil cant withstand much heat so its best added at the end for flavor and its very good for you.

you could even add cashew nuts or almonds if you liked.

serve with brown rice or rice noodles (i notice you avoid eggs so no egg noodles!)

quick easy and sooo yummy!

I have an 18-month old and work 10 hour shifts 3 days a week...it can be tough to come home from work and start cooking! Something that's easy (and my daughter will eat) is baked chicken, brown rice and some kind of veggie. We do alot of steamed veggies. You can buy bags of frozen veggies and steam them in the bag in the microwave...so easy! If I'm just doing a Lean Cuisine or something I sometimes give my daughter yogurt with granola or cheerios in it and fruit, it's easy,quick and she loves it!

Good luck!

Pretty Paula is right on the money with this one. Stir fry is great and a great way to get rid of produce that may be headed to the edge. I also would like to say that crockpot cookery is an easy way to go too. I am also a HUGE soup eater. Canned soups have wayyy too much sodium so I usually do my own with whatever I have on hand. If you bake a chicken (very easy to do) you can eat it that day and the next day boil the carcass for the soup. If I have the time I boil the carcass and put the pot in the fridge over night. Every bit of fat comes to the top and you can make sure it's all out.

i have a crock pot and i love it but im SOOO paranoid about it burning the house down while im out at work


is that totally irrational?!

LOL Pretty Paula. Well, I have never thought of that honestly. My construction is newer so I guess I think it's relatively safe. Several of my friends do it too. I guess it is possible though. I have been doing it for years and grew up in a home that did it too.

mines new to... i love cooking stews in it... but i worry like mad about it. im so stupid!

I love love love my crockpot. If I can make it in the crockpot I usually do. I also buy those slowcooker liners so it makes it even easier to clean up!

Brandy, I also love the liners. In a pinch I use turkey bags to line mine. They work really well.

Is there a day during the week that you have less things to do? I do the majority of my cooking on one day about every two-three weeks, but I do live alone, so I don't need to make as much. It might work for you though, so I can let you know what I do.

A couple of days before I plan to cook I go through my recipes and cookbooks and write down everything that I plan to make. (This list almost always includes spaghetti squash and chicken and bean burritos) I make a list of all the supplies that I need and pick them up from the store. Then I spend an evening cooking everything and portioning it out, wrapping it or putting it in containers, and freeze it. I take what I want to eat out of the freezer the day before so that it can thaw in the refrigerator, and just heat it in the microwave. I'm not sure how feasible this is for you, but I suspect it could work for a family just as well.

My favorite easy meal - Season a chicken breast, throw it on the George Foreman. When done, top with a mixture of salsa and defrosted corn kernels. Top with just a bit of shredded pepper jack cheese and microwave for 30 sec - 1 minute to heat the salsa and melt the cheese.