What do you make? (this is a question for everyone).

I have a 7 year old and a 5 year old and I find it really hard to come up with meals that we all enjoy.

Hi OP! I am a SAHM of four kids, 7 and under also. I really enjoy cooking (and baking) but only for people who appreciate it! I do have home cooked meals 5 or 6 nights a week, but I must say they are getting VERY repetitive. Do you find this? Also, do you have a picky eater and if so, what do you do? One of my sons, who is about to turn four is hopeless.

Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:Ok, can we hear from a 2 WOH family who gets home-cooked meals on the table each night without spending all day Sunday cooking for the week?

If you're SAH, of course you're getting a home-cooked meal together every day. Duh, that's your job.

Us. All meals 30 mins or less. Home by 5:30, dinner on the table around 6:30.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, can we hear from a 2 WOH family who gets home-cooked meals on the table each night without spending all day Sunday cooking for the week?

If you're SAH, of course you're getting a home-cooked meal together every day. Duh, that's your job.

That's us but dh spends about half day Sunday prepping for the week. Once you have the go to meals, it gets a lot easier. We get home from work 5:30 ish, throw dinner in the oven and eat at 6 every night.

I WOH and try to cook something most nights. My DH has a longer commute so he comes home after we've eaten and we're halfway through kids homework time.

My kids are in aftercare so about 2x a week I stop by HT which is on the way (between work and school) and pick up fresh fish or meat and organic greens if we don't have any.
When I get the kids home, I warm up the oven while I change clothes and the kids unpack their backpacks and set up for homework time (after dinner). I put the fish in the oven (I cook salmon - 25 minutes / talapia - 15 minutes, etc. as I try to find fish you can cook in 1/2 hour or less. While fish is cooking, I either make a salad or microwave frozen vegetables depending on what we are having. I also may make some rice on the side. We are all sitting down eating after about 1/2 hour of coming in the door. I don't always have a meat, I may have a pasta w/salad dinner which also takes no time to cook. Unfortunately my DH isn't usually with us, he gets the leftovers when he walks in the door.

Oh - need to add; I HATE cooking. I find it a chore rather than a joy. My DH on the other hand LOVES to cook. On weekends - it is his turn.

I find cooking a chore as well, and as a result we don't eat very well. I'd like to change that, but its hard when you don't enjoy the process.

I am impressed OP I wish I liked to cook as much as you and had pleasure doing so.... to me, it is a chore.

Also, you sound cool, happy and secure in your choices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I supposed to be impressed?

DH & I WOH and we cook just as often as you do. He works 60hr wks, I work 50. We don't use frozen vegetables or prepared anything. Sometimes we'll freeze chicken/meat if there was a sale but otherwise we keep everything as fresh as possible.

I am really not impressed either. I (like this poster above) work FT and so does DH. We cook EVERY day.

Actually, flash frozen vegetables generally have higher vitamin and antioxidant levels than fresh vegetables that have been transported long distances and then were sitting on the shelf at the grocery store. Kudos to you for cooking everyday, but give frozen vegetables a chance, especially if you are going to cook them anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I supposed to be impressed?

DH & I WOH and we cook just as often as you do. He works 60hr wks, I work 50. We don't use frozen vegetables or prepared anything. Sometimes we'll freeze chicken/meat if there was a sale but otherwise we keep everything as fresh as possible.

I am really not impressed either. I (like this poster above) work FT and so does DH. We cook EVERY day.

Well, I'm impressed. It must be hard to make time to cook with 4 kids running around!

DH and I work FT (50 hours/week) and we have 1 toddler. Somehow, we manage a healthy home-cooked meal 6 nights out of 7. For us, it requires a lot of meal planning, grocery organization, and making sure prep work is done the night before after DD goes to bed. Usually, this helps us keep actual cooking time down to under 30 minutes.

Anonymous wrote:Am I supposed to be impressed?

DH & I WOH and we cook just as often as you do. He works 60hr wks, I work 50. We don't use frozen vegetables or prepared anything. Sometimes we'll freeze chicken/meat if there was a sale but otherwise we keep everything as fresh as possible.

I am really not impressed either. I (like this poster above) work FT and so does DH. We cook EVERY day.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, can we hear from a 2 WOH family who gets home-cooked meals on the table each night without spending all day Sunday cooking for the week?

If you're SAH, of course you're getting a home-cooked meal together every day. Duh, that's your job.

I posted earlier. It's not that hard for me. Two young kids (baby and 3 year old) in daycare, husband typically not home for the evening routine. I plan ahead, aim to cook 3x a week (once or twice on weekends, not all day in kitchen). All my meals require 20 minutes or less of prep time. It may take longer to cook. I may for example prep something like a lasagna, quiche, enchilada bake, or soup, and while it's baking/stewing, feed the kids, get them to bed, then eat it later and do leftovers the next night - so my 3 year old still gets the meal, just not that night.

Or I may throw something in the crock pot after work and DH pulls it out before he goes to bed (he's up later) and we eat it the next two nights. Meals I cook for that night are simple stir fries, beans and rice, quesadillas and guac, etc.

Really, there are hard things about being a FT WOHM but I don't find getting healthy meals on the table high on the list.

Do you ever make breakfast for dinner? My favorite.

I cook every night too. I WAH, and stop at 5 to start cooking. Usually eat around 6:30.

Last night: tilapia filets with sauteed shrimp, rice and brussels sprouts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, can we hear from a 2 WOH family who gets home-cooked meals on the table each night without spending all day Sunday cooking for the week?

If you're SAH, of course you're getting a home-cooked meal together every day. Duh, that's your job.

That's me! It took some time to really get in the swing of it, because of food allergies and picky eaters (2-year old and DH). I work 40 hours/week and DH works 50-60 hours/week. I have a 9-month old and just turned two year old. I do a lot of quick things, such as broiled salmon, rice, and a veggie. Lots of pasta (usually in a pesto or alfredo sauce, or something like pasta carbonara - I often dice chicken, saute quickly and toss in the pasta and add frozen peas or spinach). Slow cooker roasts so that meat is prepared for multiple meals - I just season a roast simply so that it can easily be incorporated into other dishes.

Same poster - we eat almost no processed foods, and lots of fresh, organic produce. DH and I eat carry out twice a week after kiddos go to bed, more so we can enjoy an uninterrupted meal and talk to one another than to get out of cooking though - kind of a stay at home date night.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, can we hear from a 2 WOH family who gets home-cooked meals on the table each night without spending all day Sunday cooking for the week?

If you're SAH, of course you're getting a home-cooked meal together every day. Duh, that's your job.

That's us but dh spends about half day Sunday prepping for the week. Once you have the go to meals, it gets a lot easier. We get home from work 5:30 ish, throw dinner in the oven and eat at 6 every night.

I WOH and try to cook something most nights. My DH has a longer commute so he comes home after we've eaten and we're halfway through kids homework time.

My kids are in aftercare so about 2x a week I stop by HT which is on the way (between work and school) and pick up fresh fish or meat and organic greens if we don't have any.
When I get the kids home, I warm up the oven while I change clothes and the kids unpack their backpacks and set up for homework time (after dinner). I put the fish in the oven (I cook salmon - 25 minutes / talapia - 15 minutes, etc. as I try to find fish you can cook in 1/2 hour or less. While fish is cooking, I either make a salad or microwave frozen vegetables depending on what we are having. I also may make some rice on the side. We are all sitting down eating after about 1/2 hour of coming in the door. I don't always have a meat, I may have a pasta w/salad dinner which also takes no time to cook. Unfortunately my DH isn't usually with us, he gets the leftovers when he walks in the door.

Oh - need to add; I HATE cooking. I find it a chore rather than a joy. My DH on the other hand LOVES to cook. On weekends - it is his turn.

does your wife do the dishes after you cook?

Anonymous wrote:Ok, can we hear from a 2 WOH family who gets home-cooked meals on the table each night without spending all day Sunday cooking for the week?

If you're SAH, of course you're getting a home-cooked meal together every day. Duh, that's your job.

That's me! It took some time to really get in the swing of it, because of food allergies and picky eaters (2-year old and DH). I work 40 hours/week and DH works 50-60 hours/week. I have a 9-month old and just turned two year old. I do a lot of quick things, such as broiled salmon, rice, and a veggie. Lots of pasta (usually in a pesto or alfredo sauce, or something like pasta carbonara - I often dice chicken, saute quickly and toss in the pasta and add frozen peas or spinach). Slow cooker roasts so that meat is prepared for multiple meals - I just season a roast simply so that it can easily be incorporated into other dishes.