my holy grail: kid-friendly recipes that can be mostly made in advance and not taste like leftovers

[Anonymous]

What a refreshing change of pace -- a supportive and useful dcum thread all the wy through

Thanks for new and great ideas. We are totally to try out the veggie appetizer with DDs!

My personal lifesavers have been a) 2 microwaves (so I can synchronize a vegetable with the main) and b) microwave pasta boat (bpa free, pasta ready in 20 mins).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, give your kids a snack. The idea that you get home at 5:45 and will have a real meal on the table by 6:10 is ludicrous.

If you spent 15 minutes giving them the undivided attention they want while sitting down with them over a snack, you could then aim to have dinner on the table by 7 and save your sanity.

This is an example of the "hurrieder you go, the behinder you get."

We're home by 5:30 and the kids need to be in bed by 7.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, give your kids a snack. The idea that you get home at 5:45 and will have a real meal on the table by 6:10 is ludicrous.

If you spent 15 minutes giving them the undivided attention they want while sitting down with them over a snack, you could then aim to have dinner on the table by 7 and save your sanity.

This is an example of the "hurrieder you go, the behinder you get."

+1, I have a similar schedule-- home by 5:45 kids starving. Ijust give them a healthy snack to tide them over and then we eat about 6:30-7. Kids in bed by 8-8:30.

Honestly, if your kids go to bed at 7:00 and you are only getting home at 5:45, you sound like you are stressing out over an unrealistic schedule... even pushing bed time back to 7:30 might give you a bit more room to fit things in or as a PP said have the nanny get dinner started.

It sounds like your kids are young and don't have homework yet--- so take it from me, who had to learn the hard way...your schedule will have to change at some piont (kids go to bed later or you get home eariler or the nanny cooks) in order to also fit in homework.

[Anonymous]

Quesadillas are one of my favorite go-to meals because I can put anything in them (any protein, cheese, veggies, beans...) DH loves them, 3 YO loves them. That with bagged salad and sour cream and salsa on the side is something we eat several times a month. I also make way more than necessary and then we pack the extras for lunches.

I also try to save time in the mornings (since the little guy and I are out the door at 6:30) by packing our lunches at the same time that I'm making dinner (if possible- it doesn't always work out that way, but if I'm shredding cheese for quesadillas, I may as well cut up some cheese cubes for my son's lunch, or if I'm cutting up cucumbers and bell peppers for the salad, I cut up some extra for lunches, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Why isn't the nanny giving them a snack? What the hey?

Roast makings for the next few nights' dinners on Sunday.

For instance, make a roast chicken dinner with root vegetables - and make extra vegetables. The next day, heat the veggies in chicken stock, use a stick blender to puree, add cream and serve.

Take the leftover chicken and veggies, add peas and herbs and a bit of cream sauce, top with mashed roasted potatoes and have the nanny put it in to bake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, give your kids a snack. The idea that you get home at 5:45 and will have a real meal on the table by 6:10 is ludicrous.

If you spent 15 minutes giving them the undivided attention they want while sitting down with them over a snack, you could then aim to have dinner on the table by 7 and save your sanity.

This is an example of the "hurrieder you go, the behinder you get."

I SAH, so my daughter gets my undivided attention pretty much all day. She still turns into a banshee when I'm cooking.