Help- Family is sick of the same 10 things for supper

[BarredBuff]

Mom roasted a chicken last night, and I made chicken stew today. The stew is amazing! My own creation

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I know how you feel. I have always enjoyed cooking and making elaborate meals, but I have really had to simplify since having a child. I only recently was able to get out of the once-a-week spaghetti & garlic bread rut that we were in since our son was born. Here are the relatively quick and easy, and reasonably nutritionally balanced meals we make (I used bold for those who prefer to skim read):

A staple at our house is quesadillas. Whenever I don't feel like cooking, I make them. We have two versions we like . . . one with yam and one with black beans, both with plenty of cheddar cheese in them and spices. Everyone enjoys them, even my nearly two year old son.

Homemade pizza is pretty easy too, once you get used to making it. My son prefers the homemade pizza to most other pizzas he has had. Plus you don't always have to use tomato based sauce. You can use pesto, thai peanut sauce, etc., to keep things interesting.

I also have a good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that my son likes, although I add extra cheese for him.

One of the few veggies my son likes is zucchini, so we steam that up fairly often to go with pizza or mac & cheese. Oh, and he also loves peas, both raw and cooked. Salad is definitely an alien concept for him. He is very finicky about broccoli, which used to be the main vegetable my husband and I would rely on as a staple.

 

[donrae]

So, sit down tonight and plan out next weeks meals. I'm a big fan of menu planning, it's taken so much stress off me. This first time will be tough, tougher than it sounds. Plan for all seven days next week. Pick what days are your busiest and plan your fall back casserole or something else you can make by heart those days, say three or four next week. For the remaining days, just pick something and write it in. You've had lots of good suggestions here. I say stick with simple things--one dish meals, tacos, burgers, nachos, soups, crockpot meals. You have a decent stockpile to shop from, sounds like, so you're not limited that way.

So, look over what you're going to fix. Plan a side dish and a veggie, too, if not included in the meal. Please don't deprive yourself of salads just cause your honey doesn't like them, and start your youngest on them now. Does your older boy eat spinich? Spinich salad is great, too. Or his salad can be all the other salad veggies, just without the lettuce.

Pencil in what you need to do for each meal. Do you need to pull meat out to thaw the night before? I find I forget unless I make a note for myself. Do you need to swing by the store and pick up more taters, etc?

Then, just mindlessly follow the menu for next week. I find it takes SO much stress off me, not having to think about what I'm going to fix. Plus, ends all those "Moooom, what's for dinnnnnner?" I used to get. Now I just smile, say "you tell me" and make the offender go look at the menu on the firdge!


It is harder than it sounds at first, but after a few weeks you'll be ready to tackle more time consuming, "proper" meals. And always keep some fall backs you have all the ingredients for on hand for those nights when all hell breaks loose but you just can't bring yourself to go to MickyD's!

 

[moolie]

So, sit down tonight and plan out next weeks meals. I'm a big fan of menu planning, it's taken so much stress off me. This first time will be tough, tougher than it sounds. Plan for all seven days next week. Pick what days are your busiest and plan your fall back casserole or something else you can make by heart those days, say three or four next week. For the remaining days, just pick something and write it in. You've had lots of good suggestions here. I say stick with simple things--one dish meals, tacos, burgers, nachos, soups, crockpot meals. You have a decent stockpile to shop from, sounds like, so you're not limited that way.

So, look over what you're going to fix. Plan a side dish and a veggie, too, if not included in the meal. Please don't deprive yourself of salads just cause your honey doesn't like them, and start your youngest on them now. Does your older boy eat spinich? Spinich salad is great, too. Or his salad can be all the other salad veggies, just without the lettuce.

Pencil in what you need to do for each meal. Do you need to pull meat out to thaw the night before? I find I forget unless I make a note for myself. Do you need to swing by the store and pick up more taters, etc?

Then, just mindlessly follow the menu for next week. I find it takes SO much stress off me, not having to think about what I'm going to fix. Plus, ends all those "Moooom, what's for dinnnnnner?" I used to get. Now I just smile, say "you tell me" and make the offender go look at the menu on the firdge!


It is harder than it sounds at first, but after a few weeks you'll be ready to tackle more time consuming, "proper" meals. And always keep some fall backs you have all the ingredients for on hand for those nights when all hell breaks loose but you just can't bring yourself to go to MickyD's!

This is ALL such great advice, meal planning is my lifesaver

And definitely take the advice about keeping on with serving veggies and salad. Your kids won't eat stuff they never see, make it normal and they'll eventually eat it, especially the little one

 

[hqueen13]

We STRUGGLE with this because the other half works 50 + hours and has a 3+ hour commute per day on top of the 10 hour work day, and I am left trying to keep up with the house and working 40 hours per week. And the killer is that I don't like to cook... I don't find enjoyment in it, and so its not an easy thing in our house!

We have found that we MUST plan meals. Otherwise, we'll end up without enough planning ahead to get the meat out to thaw or something, and the next thing that happens is he picks up the phone...

We have also found that planning meals that can cover lunches, or be frozen is the best way. We try (though we're so busy on the weekends, too, that it often doesn't happen) to plan to cook things on the weekend that can be frozen so that they are easily thawed and ready for dinner again.

Best of luck, its not an easy challenge. We're struggling right along with you!

 

[Bubble]

I know where youre coming from. Here is a site that i found for some inspiration on menu planning. www.punchfork.com Since i burned thru foodnetworks recipes. lol Also, if you can find some older cookbooks from 1970 and earlier. They often have weekly menu plans and party menus and so on. Good luck

 

[the_whingnut]

old good house keeping Books are great! Bubble has about 100lbs of them!

 

[moolie]

I have lots of 50s and 60s Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks--I find them at my local thrift stores. They are great, lots of ideas for stretching your dollar and your leftovers etc.

 

[baymule]

I have been in your shoes. Bless your heart, you are stressing over trying to feed your family and it ain't easy! Here are a few easy recipes for you:

Zuchinni
Brown 1 pound hamburger
Chop 1 zuchinni and 1 onion
Mix together in skillet
Add Sphagetti sauce to blend it all together
Pour into a cassarole dish, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly
Cover top with your favorite cheese and pop back into oven until melted


Roasted Squash
Cube 1 yellow squash and 1 zuchinni
1 packet of dry Ranch Dip mix
Stir Ranch dip mix in 3-4 tablespoons oil
Toss squash and ranch mix together
Spread on cookie sheet
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes

Sweet potato and Pork Stir Fry:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced in 1/4" pieces
Couple of pork steaks, cubed
1 onion, cut in chunks
1 bell pepper, cut in chunks
2 stalks celery, cut in pieces
McCormick Carribbean Jerk Seasoning
Several dried hot red peppers
1/4 cup pecans or peanuts
couple tablespoons olive oil


Saute pork, nuts and red peppers in hot skillet in oil, sprinkle jerk seasoning on mixture
Remove pork, nuts and peppers to a bowl when pork is done
Stir in vegetables, saute, the sweet potato will still be a little crisp (not mushy)
Add pork back in, heat through
Serve over rice
Enjoy


Buttermilk Pie
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup bisquick
1 stick butter
3 tablepsoons vanilla
3 eggs

Melt butter in mixing bowl
Add ALL other ingredients and mix with mixer
Pour into greased pie plate and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees


Pot Roast
1 large roast or any big hunk of meat LOL
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet dry onion soup mix

Mix cream of mushroom soup, 1 can water and dry onion soup mix. Pour over roast.
Bake at 350 degrees for several hours or until it is fall apart tender and done.
This can be prepared and put in the oven for the next night, while you are cooking supper and tending
to your nightly chores, just don't forget to take it out of the oven and put in refrigerator!
You can make several meals off a large roast.


Patty Melt
Cooked hamburger patties
Rye bread
Cheese
Onion slice (optional)

Make it like a grilled cheese sandwich-they're good!


Good luck to you, hope this helps you get out of your kitchen rut! (We've all been there.......)

 

[so lucky]

that sweet potato and pork stir fry sounds deliciously different! Gonna have to try it.