Hey Ladies:
When DH and I have time to make a good dinner (meaning I have time)
We're OP
But when we run errands after work
the feces hits the fan
by the time we're done it's too late to sit down somewhere so we opt for takeout.
Does anyone have Contingency plans they use when they don't have time to cook. (DH is sick of salads)
Thanks!
Kierie

For our dinners that are like that I try to keep a few frozen dinner options in the freezer for dh and I. The new SB ones are pretty good. We have also done take out chinese and had it made without the sauces and it was really good and the folks didn't mind the change.

Last night we had a power outage during the time I would have been cooking dinner so we let the kids eat cereal and we had turkey wraps. DH always likes to have low carb wraps handy and I use lettuce.

Having single servings of things I've made ahead saves my life a lot! Taco bake and meatball casserole freeze really well and thaw quickly. So do bean soups.

I agree with freezing single servings of stuff like Taco Bake and Meatball Casserole. This also helps me when DH is not coming home for dinner. I try to keep several so I can also use them to take for lunch.

I don't blame your DH for being sick of salads!

The new book has several pages of "non-recipe" meals. You just grab stuff in the kitchen and throw it together and you have a meal. Like grab a ww tortilla, rf beans, salsa, cheese, melt under broiler for a few min and you have a tostada. Throw together a green salad and you have dinner or lunch. That could all be done in about 10 min or less.

I like the girls suggestions about freezing stuff. That always helps to have dinner ready. When I do that I just take out what I want from the freezer in the morning before I leave and pop it in the microwave when I get home. It's hard to get around the fact that some pre-planning is going to have to be done but planning when I have time helps me later when I don't.

I make extra of almost everything for the same reasons others have mentioned. I also chop and cook ahead, especially bell pepper and onion. I use these to make omlettes I really like to add LF Pepper Jack and top w/ Salsa and dollop of FF Sour Cream. It's breakfast for dinner but it's quick and easy.

I also freeze raw sliced ckicken breast and pounded top round steak in flat packets. They thaw in no time and I mix the ckick w/ bell pepper onion and mushrooms, add some Fajita seasoning (my brand has a few OP ingredients but you could make your own). I mix the steak w/ bell pepper, onions, and mushrooms top w/ some LF mozzarrella for faux Philly Cheese Steak.

Hope these help

Hi KO

My dh when he cooks, makes a large portion of meals in the cockpot and then freezes them. I make veggie soup in large quanities,and than freeze. The food network,has a program with Rachael Ray 30 mins meals. and she makes STOUPS(soups with the consisity as stew.My answer is Whatever you cook,make large quanities and freeze,when you don't feel like cooking. DH won't eat those frozen entrees. Remember home cooking in advance is better than those frozen (don't know whats in them) entrees.

Hugs BB

I am trying to make 2-3 meals every other Sunday just to freeze for them feces hitting the fan evenings. It's worked out great so far.

hth,
Lisa

When I have it all together - I do a cookup on Monday afternoon to cover us for the frantic days.. it always works well. Just pull out the meal in the morning and off you go when you get home.