Maybe these teenagers are recently adopted or foster children? Otherwise I can't figure out why OP is so clueless. |
Op here. My kids do help, just not every night. They mainly do cleaning on weekends. They're in charge of washing their own clothes (except for the youngest!), and between them all they're responsible for vacuuming their rooms, the hallway and the den once a week.
As for cleaning in the kitchen, it's my "me time" so to speak. Sometimes I have a glass of wine while washing dishes and I like to listen to music while in there. I enter act with people all day at work, I like some alone time ![]() |
Read the thread. |
It's easy to cook fast with meat as the main course, but cooking veggies fast is time consuming! Impressed that you can peel potatoes for 4 in only 10 minutes ... The quick veggie route seems to be using a pressure cooker for beans, but I'm scared of pressure cookers ![]() |
This is the PP who posted about stew, and then another poster asked how I learned to cook. I've always cooked, since I was a kid, so I never had the feeling of having to learn. I always had enough confidence to just give it a whirl, and that is the key to cooking, I think. But here are a few things:
Forget recipes. Instead, think techniques. Look up how to roast veggies. Apply that to ANY veggie. It'll be fine. Learn how to make something you like quickly and without a recipe, then make it twice a week until you never have to think of it again. I do biscuits and home made pasta this way - my family loves them, and either one is on the table in half an hour, start to finish. For the love of god, don't peel anything. Mashed potatoes with peels are fine. So are carrots. Cook without books. Recipes are often too complicated and long for week night dinner. Do things that don't need them, like chili, stir fry, roasted veggies and chicken or beef, tacos. Give those teens a night a week to make dinner. They need to know how to feed themselves! |
Oh, and beans - just soak them and cook them over the weekend, if you have a large family do two lbs at once. That is ALOT of beans. Then keep in the fridge. Here is a nice bean dish:
Soak beans. Cook with a couple of bay or sage leaves thrown in. Drain, refrigerate for later. Heat up a big skillet. Cover bottom with a thin layer of olive oil (more is yummier, use your judgement). When hot, toss in beans about one layer thick. Let them sizzle till they begin to brown, then stir. Let sizzle. When brown and crunchy all over sprinkle with salt and pepper. They are fabulous with sausages on top. Also very nice with gremolata if you want to get fancy - chopped up garlic, lemon peel, and parsley. |
OP, what did you serve last night and how did it go? This thread fascinates me. |
Last night I made steaks. Enough for 2 per son and husband, 1 for each me and dd. I made 1 for the 3 yo. Salad with spinach, lettuce, egg, and beans. Baked potatoes and cauliflower/ broccoli medley. No leftovers still, but I bellow everyone was satisfied. Dh has also mentioned that he likes dinner lately. |
Haha it fascinates me too. There are always leftovers when I cook. But there are no teenagers at my house yet. |
Sounds delicious. |
PP who has said you feed your family like dieting middle aged women. Well despite no leftovers, that sounds like enough food even for the teenagers. Sometimes, it's better not to fill the bottomless pits. I think if you fed them more than this on a regular basis that they would be be in danger of getting overweight. A more realistic measure than leftovers here, did anyone snack at any time after dinner? |
Just to give an idea of what are appropriate amounts of animal fats according to the American Heart Association:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Caregiver/Replenish/WhatisaServing/What-is-a-Serving_UCM_301838_Article.jsp |
That list doesn't specify what age is being targeted with "serving". Clearly those servings are far too much for toddlers. And nowhere near enough for growing adolescents. Who need FAT! |
sounds great! do all your kids eat everything? sounds like you don;t have finicky eaters! I think you are cooking great meals! |
No one needs the amount of animal fat in two steaks. The portion sizes for teens are the same as for adults. http://blog.childrens.com/portion-size-age-has-plenty-to-do-with-it/ |