having trouble getting it together to cook dinner

[Anonymous]

DS is 10 months old, so he's doing more and more table food. the problem is that by the time we get home, I have very little time or energy to make dinner before he goes to sleep. plus, with DH working late often, I can't cook dinner, because I'm watching DS.

looking for suggestions and easy vegetarian recipes. thanks!

[Anonymous]

We do things that can be (very) quickly made at the end of the day like gardenburgers chopped up with cheese. Also, I make things like mini ravioli (earth's best is good) with sauce all at once which I store and will last 3 dinners or so. I always make veggies in bulk (baked sweet potato cubed, steamed yellow squash sliced, etc) at night after the baby goes to bed. I end up cooking for her 2-3 times per week, max, and always after bedtime. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Let's do dinner together! I'm also a vegetarian, and DS is usually pulling at my leg and whining, so making dinner is very difficult.

Here's what works for me:

1) I have devoted a bottom kitchen drawer to him. It has tupperware, icecube trays and some plastic bottles in it. He pulls himself up and plays in there for way longer than seems entertaining to me.

2) we have a musical fridge magnet (Leap Frog Farmer Tad). If I ask him to make Farmer Tad sing, he crawls over and hits it, then dances

3) I have lowered my dinner expectations. I have found that it helps to have a list of about 10 ideas printed out on the fridge so I don't resort to some lame pasta dish every night.

4) Sometimes I give him an appetizer while I cook - some blueberries or cheerios or drinkable yogurt. He's happy and I can actually get something done.

Some ideas off the top of my head:
Polenta with spinach and egg on top
Breakfast for dinner (pancake, omelet, frenchtoast)
Rice and Beans in a tortilla (Beans are a huge hit)
Quorn cutlets - baked with some other veggies or sauteed or grilled.
Quorn tenders as chicken paprikash. Takes a bit more time - but make a big recipe on the weekend and have leftovers. serve with noodles and something green
Grilled cheese - nothing wrong with sandwich and some fruit on the side.

I *try* to make enough for 2 nights, but I am very, very bad at that.

[Anonymous]

We do a lot of frozen veggies. You can buy them in the steamable bags or just buy a bag, pour some into a bowl with a bit of water, cover with Saran Wrap, and microwave for 2-3 minutes. As for our kids dinner (we have 2 year old twins) we do turkey/veggie dogs, Boca burgers, ravioli, grilled cheese, faux chicken nuggets, and black beans. All are super fast and quick to prepare.

As for our dinner, I often do meal prep for the next night while the kids are eating dinner. Then I cook it during bath time/bedtime and put it in the fridge for the next night. That way we are always one night ahead.

I know what you mean about being exhausted. By 8pm, I am DONE.

[Anonymous]

I try to make a couple of dishes over the weekend and freeze smaller portions. Also, when I need the quickest of quick dinners I just slap some fat free refried beans and cheese on half a tortilla, heat it up in the microwave and fold the other half over for a super easy quesadilla.

[Anonymous]

A pound of penne, some steamed string beans, all tossed with a package of pesto.

If you have extra yummies in the fridge, toss them in.

[Anonymous]

Check what's in your pesto! Real pesto has pinenuts, which shouldn't be introduced to a baby. Trader Joe's "pesto tortellini", however, has no pinenuts.

I know of someone who was allergic to nuts who sued a restaurant because he ordered pesto and wasn't warned. He lost, because the jury determined that any damn fool should know what's in their pesto.

[Anonymous]

Crockpot.

I often put ingredients for my crockpot recipes together the night before and then assemble in the morning. Turn it on before I leave and come home to a well prepared meal.

[Anonymous]

OP welcome to the exclusive (or not so exclusive club) of working moms with no time. This is an issue I have struggled with for about 12 years (ever since my daughter was born). I would come up with about 10 recipes and exclude Sats and Sundays -- leave those to your DH. If you do 5 recipes you'll hate them in about 1 month so you really need about 10. When I was in my vegetarian phase this is what I did:

Monday - bean soup (find something on Williams Sonoma) and serve with baguette and cheese
Tuesday - rice with mixed veggies and tofu
Wednesday - bean soup again!
Thursday - pasta with a quick sauce (your choice), salad of greens
Friday - pizza and salad

It really helps if you can round out dinner by purchasing some soups or appetizer and a dessert. You get a meal without having to make everything yourself. Actually in my family, I leave fruit on the table and we have that as an inexpensive dessert (and of course it is good for you).

My plan for the last 5 years has been to cook on Sunday. Somehow I can never get motivated to do it (for obvious reasons) but it would sure help.