does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

[Because I love my girls]

Hi all.
I am the mother of a 2 1/2 year old little girl and twin 5 month old daughters. I have very little time for cooking. I am having a very hard time trying to find meals that are quick to make. I find myself becoming bored.., eating the same "quick meals" every day. I know that there are TONS of fabulous recipes out there. I have tried making a few, but I found that they just take too much time. I've tried making meals the night before ( after my girls are all asleep) but I find that other than chicken, I can not stand the taste of reheated meat. Also, I am usually so wiped out from my day that the last thing I want to do is cook meals for the next day. Akkkk!!!! Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks so much!!

[ziggy]

Re: does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

i can see how its soo hard to find the time to cook and so hard to find food thats acceptable for you and your family at the same time

Mommy Goes Shopping for Baby Food! Diet and Nutrition for Infant Health.

for your twin 5 month old daughters this link should help you find acceptable foods for them a mothers milk is the best food for them but they should also have foods like omega-3 and i dont know much about 5 month olds and what they can eat so read whats in the link

for your 2 1/2 year old since shes not nurseing anymore then lots of broccoli , eggs , berries , and meat and make sure she cant choke on it

and for you broccoli , eggs , berries , and meat

if they eat the same things you eat then that will save alot of time cooking these foods are just an example you could always mix it up but things like almonds would be ok for you but for your kids they may choke on them so maybe you could grind the almonds up in the blender and then they would be ok to sprinkle on foods

when picking out almonds make sure they are moist a little soft and are clear white in the middle compaird to old almonds that you find in mixed bags of nuts that are hard not mosit and have darker colours they are too old to eat

but remmber almonds are very high in fiber so i think if you eat to many they will be wasted

feta cheese tastes good for alot of foods like eggs and broccoli but try to get the one thats the lowest in salt

heres some recipes i use

get broccoli thats fresh not frozen and chop the stems off just use the top parts mostly

on the stove top fryingpan put broccoli with a large amount of butter put lid on top for about 2 mins then after 2 mins flip all the broccoli and add feta cheese and put lid back on and let it melt for 2 mins then its ready the feta cheese/butter turns into a sauce sorta as well and it tastes good try to use salt free butter

also the brand and taste of the feta cheese will effect the taste of it greatly

and for scambled eggs feta cheese taste good

maybe leave raspberrys out for your kids to snack on also remmber to choose the berries/fruit your kids snack on carefully cause bananas have over x4 as much sugar as raspberrys have

here is a great low carb healthy eating recipe weblink

Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home

im sure if you look around there long enough you will find some quick and easy to make recipes

[not2late]

Re: does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

I'm not crazy about reheated meat either. So I 'remake' the leftovers into something 'new'.

Leftover pork (chops, roast, etc.): shred it or chop it into smallish pieces. Put into a slow cooker along with a chopped onion and chopped garlic and a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. Add taco or chili seasoning or I add a chopped chipotle chili pepper. Add alittle broth or water. And cook it on low until the meat falls into shreds and is very tender. At the end of cooking, I add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to brighten up the flavor. And it makes a nice "pulled pork" or chili depending one what seasonings you use. If I have any leftovers of this, I make a something that I saw on a Rick Bayless cooking show: in the bottom of an oven-proof or microwaveable dish, put a layer of cheese, then put the leftover on top, and another layer of cheese. Toss it in the oven or microwave and cook until it's bubbly and the cheese has melted.

[momtomany1]

Re: does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

I never cook just one thing at a time. I thaw hamburger for a meat loaf for the family, and at the same time fry up 3 or 4 hamburgers for myself to take to work for lunches. I cook a big batch of chicken tenders, and have at least two day's worth of extra to put on top of salads. I make them fajitas, and turn part of the chicken into mexican soup for myself. You can roast two chicken hens in the time it takes to roast one.. that sort of thing. I don't reheat leftover chicken, prefer it cold. I hope you get lots of ideas!

[JulieB]

Re: does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

I definitely felt that way the first couple weeks - so I made some changes...I don't mind re-heated stuff...I cook a few recipes on Sunday & we're set for the week. Breakfast is quiche. Lunch is leftovers from last night's dinner or cold tuna/chicken/taco salad. I "cook" once a day - at supper time. I pack lunches and thaw breakfast quiche while I'm cooking dinner (or while hubby does dishes). I plan and shop a week in advance so I don't waste time 'thinking' about what to make when everyone's already hungry I use a lot of Linda's recipes - they're great for variety.

[kellyf48]

Re: does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

Ditto to all that! And the crock pot is my best friend. Awesome to you for doing this, my twins are going to be 4 ad i am just finding the time and strength to dothis for myself, but i have sooo much more energy that i need. I do a big chicken inthe crock pot (actually an electric oven because there are 6 of us) then i do chicken salad and boil the carcass for soup. I do a big pork roast and then have pulled pork. Add veggies to these or coleslaw and your good to go. I save the recipe for special occasions as i have no time to cook also. I have found that if i try to do recipes on here i get too much cheese or too much cream all in one day. Hope this helps.

[MsUnderstood0000]

Re: does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

I try to do the same thing, plan in advance. Spend an afternoon going thru the recipes and making lists of ingredients. Pick up a few each week for new ones. I too cook one afternoon. I did all that casserole cooking from Linda's site yesterday now today I'm just frying up some meats to have on hand. I have mainstays I eat regularly. I fry up turkey breakfast sausage to take to work . If i dont eat it for breakfast, its a snack. I am not hungry before i leave for work, so most of my meals are not at home ( i work 10 hours days) I tend to take bulk items like salad and whole veggies to prepare lunches all week. I fill in with snacks and meats, cheeses as I go. Since I have moved to Rung 1, i make some sort of salad, like a green bean salad, or cole slaw to get in my extra veggies. My children eat the food i eat and fill in their "carbs" they may want. Most times even they are satisfied with what I am eating. My older son lost 90 pounds doing "his version" of low carb.

[Because I love my girls]

Re: does anyone else feel like they're cooking all day?

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I love the crock pot idea. Why didn't I think of that? LOL