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The age old question. I do about 90% of the cooking in our house and I struggle almost daily with what to prepare. I strive for variety and nutrition and, of course, something that the whole family will enjoy. Tonight I strayed from the norm and made buttermilk pancakes, sausage links and cantaloupe.
What's for Dinner?
#1
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 02:10 AM
#2
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 02:14 AM
I went out to my parents to help plant some things in there garden. She fix supper for us, we had hamburgers, and kraft mac & cheese, and ice tea. I hate cooking for just one person so it was nice to have something like this.
Susan
Susan
#3
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 02:43 AM
Your dinners sound fab! I was a very bad mom tonight and gave the kids some soup and sandwiches! It is dreary and cool-so it sounded lovely. They really loved it though,so I guess it isn't too bad. I guess I will go lay out a roast for tomorrow night and practice my June Cleaver skills!
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 02:57 AM
I do most of the cooking - but since I am a little under the weather my husband volunteered to take over tonight...on the menu - hotdogs. 
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 03:03 AM
We had such a great meal tonight: steak, huge loaded baked potatoes, salad and croissant rolls. I'm so full.
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 04:20 AM
Yum, Susan. Think I'll make hamburgers on the George Foreman one day this week. Cat, nothing wrong with soup and sandwiches. My husband and I love tomatoe soup with grilled cheese. Debra, your husband sounds like mine. When he has dinner duty for whatever reason it's almost always corndogs or frozen pizza! I hope you feel better soon! And Jason, I would love to eat at your house sometime! My husband doesn't really like steak so we rarely have it. I came from a "meat and potatoe" family so I still crave it once in awhile!
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 11:14 AM
Last night was sort of a hodge podge... my husband was not home for dinner. The kids had macaroni and cheese... my son also had chili, to make his famous chili/mac... I had a leftover hamburger...
I always struggle with what to make for dinner... my daughter does not eat much meat (just chicken) and my son would eat a steak every day if he could!
I do get help from Trader Joe's... they have some amazing "helpers" to get a good meal going... stir fry etc.
Tacos are a winner here... everyone can make it the way they like it.
If anyone has a winner recipe for dinner that all the kids eat... I would love to hear about it!
I always struggle with what to make for dinner... my daughter does not eat much meat (just chicken) and my son would eat a steak every day if he could!
I do get help from Trader Joe's... they have some amazing "helpers" to get a good meal going... stir fry etc.
Tacos are a winner here... everyone can make it the way they like it.
If anyone has a winner recipe for dinner that all the kids eat... I would love to hear about it!
#8 Guest_Anonymous_*
Posted 08 May 2008 - 11:53 AM
Just found this thread. I love, love, love to cook. I tend to cook from scratch and we have a tendency to eat well but with gas prices going up I have had to change my shopping habits so we are eating less steak, shrimp, salmon etc and eating more tacos, hamburgers, spaghetti, etc. Good thing we like all those too.
My struggle is my DH is kind of picky, Noah is super picky and I love to eat and cook all sorts of different dishes. So sometimes I find a recipe I really want to try but I know I would be the only one to eat it and can't justify it.
Hmmm. .. what is for dinner tonight? lol. I usually make a week's menu but with all th stuff with Joey have not been doing that lately and I have no idea what I am going to cook tonight. Off to see what is in freezer. . .
My struggle is my DH is kind of picky, Noah is super picky and I love to eat and cook all sorts of different dishes. So sometimes I find a recipe I really want to try but I know I would be the only one to eat it and can't justify it.
Hmmm. .. what is for dinner tonight? lol. I usually make a week's menu but with all th stuff with Joey have not been doing that lately and I have no idea what I am going to cook tonight. Off to see what is in freezer. . .
#9
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 12:30 PM
I do not know if this tip will help anyone, but when everyone was home I cooked for 7 people and developed this system (most of the time). When it was quiet (ha!) I sat down with a pad of paper, maybe some cookbooks or recipe cards for references -- wrote the days of the week in the margin "Mon., Tues." etc. and put a proposed dinner next to it. If the main course was something big or expensive like a roast I might use it again further down the week in a leftovers meal.
I then flipped the same piece of paper over and made out my shopping list from my menu list so I would have what I needed.
Once I was home from whatever day I went shopping, I posted the menu side of the note back up on the fridge and tried to stick to it - which I did except when something special arose. Hope this helps!
Patsy
I then flipped the same piece of paper over and made out my shopping list from my menu list so I would have what I needed.
Once I was home from whatever day I went shopping, I posted the menu side of the note back up on the fridge and tried to stick to it - which I did except when something special arose. Hope this helps!
Patsy
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 01:18 PM
Quote
I do not know if this tip will help anyone, but when everyone was home I cooked for 7 people and developed this system (most of the time). When it was quiet (ha!) I sat down with a pad of paper, maybe some cookbooks or recipe cards for references -- wrote the days of the week in the margin "Mon., Tues." etc. and put a proposed dinner next to it. If the main course was something big or expensive like a roast I might use it again further down the week in a leftovers meal.
I then flipped the same piece of paper over and made out my shopping list from my menu list so I would have what I needed.
Once I was home from whatever day I went shopping, I posted the menu side of the note back up on the fridge and tried to stick to it - which I did except when something special arose. Hope this helps!
Patsy
I then flipped the same piece of paper over and made out my shopping list from my menu list so I would have what I needed.
Once I was home from whatever day I went shopping, I posted the menu side of the note back up on the fridge and tried to stick to it - which I did except when something special arose. Hope this helps!
Patsy
Great tips...
I find that when I make a menu everything gets easier... the shopping, cooking. When there is a clear plan, it helps!
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 03:34 PM
patsy - you are so right, planning makes such a difference! I am very guilty of looking at the clock at 5 - and wondering what I am going to fix for dinner! Then I usually don't have the ingredients - or we end up eating pretty late in the evening if I actually do find everything I need...
#12
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 05:22 PM
Planning does make a huge difference. I do enjoying cooking, but sometimes get "burned out" trying to come up with meals that will please everyone, are nutritious and easy on the budget since it seems groceries are going up at the same rate gas is. I think tonight it will be burritos since my husband will be working late. The kids have fun making their own so I'll hear no complaints from them.
I think tonight it will be burritos since my husband will be working late. The kids have fun making their own so I'll hear no complaints from them.
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 05:57 PM
This is a hard one..my 2 oldest boys aren't home anymore, and my 18 year old daughter usually eats at work, or out with her friends. So when Matt is home I will cook, once a week I let him order his favorite take out provided all homework has been turned in, he really looks forward to it.
On the nights I am on my own I always make sure I have healthy choice or lean cuisine in the freezer..with my work hours sometimes I just don't feel like cooking for myself and too tempting to just get fast ( fattening junk) food, so I make sure I am prepared.
On the nights I am on my own I always make sure I have healthy choice or lean cuisine in the freezer..with my work hours sometimes I just don't feel like cooking for myself and too tempting to just get fast ( fattening junk) food, so I make sure I am prepared.
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 07:10 PM
We're going to be bad tonight, and have nachos. I'll have tortilla chips, ground seasoned beef, lots and lots of cheese, and other various toppings. We don't do it very often, so I don't feel so bad.
Heidi :)
Mom of 4, and tart lover extrodinairre!
Mom of 4, and tart lover extrodinairre!
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 07:24 PM
Quote
We're going to be bad tonight, and have nachos. I'll have tortilla chips, ground seasoned beef, lots and lots of cheese, and other various toppings. We don't do it very often, so I don't feel so bad.
Heidi... that sounds good... like tacos, with chips instead of the tortilla or shell... yum!
#16 Guest_Anonymous_*
Posted 08 May 2008 - 07:38 PM
My poor daughter doesn't get to many cooked meals she likes anymore. She loves the Fried Chicken, Fried Pork chops, Chicken Fried Steak with mash potatoes, gravy, and corn on the cob. Well we can't eat like that anymore, and I'm not making all that for just her. Poor baby!!
It is all baked chicken, salmon, broiled shrimp, etc.
I used to always buy a big roast, and have the roast, potatoes, carrots, gravy. Then I would shred some ot the meat, and make tacos out of it, or open faced roast beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes, and peas. The very end of the roast I would add BBQ to it, and make BBQ sandwiches with fried potatoes. Oh the good ole fattening days!!! uuuuummmmmm
One of my familys favorite meals is my Lasagna. It is so easy, and they LOVE it. You get 1/2 hamburger meat, and 1/2 Italian Sasage. Two jars of your favorite speghetti sause. ( (I get the one with mushrooms, and sesonings) Cook the noodles put at least 2 -3 layers of noodles on the bottom of the pan that has the sauce all over each sideof every noodle. put the meat in the sause after you do that. Keep a little without the meat on the side. Keep layering with the lasagna noodles meat, Italian cheeses ( I actually use the mixed mexican cheeses a lot of times) at the end put more sauce on top with the 3 layers of noodles again. Bake for 40 min. on 350. ( Cover with tin Foil) Take tin foil off put cheese on top till it is melted. Serve with a Ceaser salad, Garlic Bread YUMMY!!!!
What makes a lot of people lasagna not that good is they don't put enough noodles. I also put that one cheese that is white kinda like cottage cheese, but it isn't. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it. On top of the meat, and sauce. You spred it on with a knife.
So sad I can't eat anymore!
karla
It is all baked chicken, salmon, broiled shrimp, etc.
I used to always buy a big roast, and have the roast, potatoes, carrots, gravy. Then I would shred some ot the meat, and make tacos out of it, or open faced roast beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes, and peas. The very end of the roast I would add BBQ to it, and make BBQ sandwiches with fried potatoes. Oh the good ole fattening days!!! uuuuummmmmm
One of my familys favorite meals is my Lasagna. It is so easy, and they LOVE it. You get 1/2 hamburger meat, and 1/2 Italian Sasage. Two jars of your favorite speghetti sause. ( (I get the one with mushrooms, and sesonings) Cook the noodles put at least 2 -3 layers of noodles on the bottom of the pan that has the sauce all over each sideof every noodle. put the meat in the sause after you do that. Keep a little without the meat on the side. Keep layering with the lasagna noodles meat, Italian cheeses ( I actually use the mixed mexican cheeses a lot of times) at the end put more sauce on top with the 3 layers of noodles again. Bake for 40 min. on 350. ( Cover with tin Foil) Take tin foil off put cheese on top till it is melted. Serve with a Ceaser salad, Garlic Bread YUMMY!!!!
What makes a lot of people lasagna not that good is they don't put enough noodles. I also put that one cheese that is white kinda like cottage cheese, but it isn't. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it. On top of the meat, and sauce. You spred it on with a knife.
So sad I can't eat anymore!
karla
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 07:39 PM
oops I should have previewed my message! Look at all of the mistakes I made!!! LOL
#18
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 08:12 PM
Karla ~ You're probably talking about ricotta cheese. I like to use that in manicotti, but I tend to use cottage cheese in my lasagna. But, in any case, I don't think you can go too wrong with lasagna. Yum! I think my family would eat it every day if I would make it. Too bad cheeses cost so much these days.
Heidi :)
Mom of 4, and tart lover extrodinairre!
Mom of 4, and tart lover extrodinairre!
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Posted 08 May 2008 - 08:17 PM
Quote
We're going to be bad tonight, and have nachos. I'll have tortilla chips, ground seasoned beef, lots and lots of cheese, and other various toppings. We don't do it very often, so I don't feel so bad.
We love nachos and have them on the week-ends quite often for a quick and easy meal. We discovered that left over chili also makes a great topping!
#20 Guest_Anonymous_*
Posted 08 May 2008 - 09:54 PM
Heidi - That would be it!!! I couldn't think of it for the life of me!
Nachos sound so good!
karla
Nachos sound so good!
karla
