I do what I call "50/50" cooking. On a typical Monday I will pick up a rotisserie chicken and then baked sweet potatoes and make a salad. On Tuesday I usually make tacos. I make the meat in the crockpot (pulled chicken) and everyone dresses how they please as they come home. Wednesdays is half off sushi day at a neighborhood restaurant do DH usually picks that up for us and I make pancakes or grilled cheese for the kids. Thursdays I may make meatballs (crock pot) and boil some pene when I get home and throw together a big salad. And Fridays we get pizza with a coupon. One large cheese is never more then 14 bucks or so with coupons. (i pick it up to save on delivery and tip; we are close to several places so its not a burden.)

Anonymous wrote:making a home meal feel as special as a restaurant meal without extra work:

put out olives & cheese and crackers or something similar (no/little prep) to snack on while the meal is cooking
nice loaf of bread with dinner and good butter or olive oil for dipping
dessert
nice wine

obviously more $$ and calories than a typical week night meal but fun to do for the occasional weekend special meal, and still cheaper than going to a restaurant.

+1 SO TRUE! Opening a bottle of wine mid-week is a nice treat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, stop with the baby talk. Yummy is baby talk. Time to grow up.

Next, just go to the damn store and buy food. Dang, it ain't that hard. I doubt you ever cook. Spending a thousand dollars eating out every month is a lot of money and a lot of food, it's shameful, unhealthy and dirty. Have you been in a restaurant kitchen before ? Go take a tour one day. I am sure you will never eat out again.

There are these things on the internet called recipes. Find what you 3 like and cook it.

Burden ? You have NO idea hon. I cook 3 times a day for 5 people. What you do is a hobby.

I really don't know why you bothered to respond. You sound like a very sad and unhappy person.

Really, our lifestyles are nothing alike. You clearly are a SAHP to have that much time to cook. I'm not. I've never wanted to be more than a hobby cook, so I'm fine with that label. I'm very sorry that you're ok with slopping together a meal - I'd prefer to make something nice that we'd enjoy eating, in the same way that we like to eat at nice restaurants on occasion.

I'm looking for suggestions on what kinds of things to make at home for my family after working a 9 hour work day M-F.

OP, please don't listen to cranky PP. This person is obnoxious and miserable and most likely jealous that they don't have the luxury to choose to eat out if they want. Stay focused on the good suggestions here. Ignore the ugly ones.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would also recommend to stock up for weekends at a Farmer's Market for good crusty bread, fresh fruit, cheeses, spreads. and meats (or maybe smoked fish too) that you can put out on a board for a late afternoon treat as you prepare dinner. Get some other treats occasionally like a nice dessert from a bakery. While both of these are spends, you will spend less than eating out and you won't feel deprived.

Like on PP, I do a big weekend cook, usually every other weekend, but I do one or two dishes to keep for the week and something more special for whatever is the big weekend anchor meal. Now that the weather is getting better, this will involve the grill.

Yes! And one year DH bought me these cute little cutting boards that I use as serving plates for the kids. When the kids come home from school, I try to have out an assortment of cut up fruit, veggies, crackers, and meat or cheese. Some days that dinner for them---and that's okay.

+1

I do this on the weekend for lunch sometimes... grapes, apples, oranges, salami, good smoked cheese, cheddar cheese pre-cut squares, crackers... sometimes I'll do chips, salsa and guac with fresh meats and cheeses and veggies. whatever works! I

Anonymous wrote:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/copy-that-secret-restaurant-recipes.html

Free!!

I hear you about the burden of cooking and planning. However I can't stand eating out too much - the food is so bad! You need to do more leftovers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.php

Since when did they start charging for the recipes? No way I'm using this website.

Could you share some of your faves? Thanks!

I don't understand people who say they want to eat out less often and then offer excuses why they cannot cook at home ranging from not liking to cook to not having the time to do so.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I eat out way more than I should. I don't enjoy cooking. We do cheaper options like Pho, Panera, Chinese...

I must be doing it wrong. Panera for me and 2 kids is easily $25. Kids get the Mac and cheese kids plate plus a drink. I get then1/2 and 1/2 and a drink. Dinner for the 4 of us at the Chinese takeout was $43 the other night. 2 entrees, a side of sashimi, and some extra white rice.

You're not doing anything wrong. The restaurant is (hopefully) making a profit from you dining there or carrying out. If you need quick and easy meals I highly recommend frozen foods from trader joes. they are amazing and some are even better than places we've had carry out. The meals are a fraction of the price. Try the Indian, stir Fry's, pizza, frozen pastas, frozen veggies. Learn a few easy chicken or pork dishes and then add some frozen veggies and a sweet potato or rice

Like the OP, we were also dismayed at how much we were spending dining out. It was unreal. We have saved a ton of money by eating at home during the week and Sunday.

+1 trader Joe's scallion pancakes and rice with veggies are a staple in our house, two meals for about $7

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I eat out way more than I should. I don't enjoy cooking. We do cheaper options like Pho, Panera, Chinese...

I must be doing it wrong. Panera for me and 2 kids is easily $25. Kids get the Mac and cheese kids plate plus a drink. I get then1/2 and 1/2 and a drink. Dinner for the 4 of us at the Chinese takeout was $43 the other night. 2 entrees, a side of sashimi, and some extra white rice.

For Pho, kids share with us. We get a large which is huge at some places. Kids don't get drinks when we go out. For Chinese, one meal plus an appetizer or two.

And, I get a half salad- they are usually reasonably big at Panera.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I eat out way more than I should. I don't enjoy cooking. We do cheaper options like Pho, Panera, Chinese...

I must be doing it wrong. Panera for me and 2 kids is easily $25. Kids get the Mac and cheese kids plate plus a drink. I get then1/2 and 1/2 and a drink. Dinner for the 4 of us at the Chinese takeout was $43 the other night. 2 entrees, a side of sashimi, and some extra white rice.

You're not doing anything wrong. The restaurant is (hopefully) making a profit from you dining there or carrying out. If you need quick and easy meals I highly recommend frozen foods from trader joes. they are amazing and some are even better than places we've had carry out. The meals are a fraction of the price. Try the Indian, stir Fry's, pizza, frozen pastas, frozen veggies. Learn a few easy chicken or pork dishes and then add some frozen veggies and a sweet potato or rice

Like the OP, we were also dismayed at how much we were spending dining out. It was unreal. We have saved a ton of money by eating at home during the week and Sunday.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I eat out way more than I should. I don't enjoy cooking. We do cheaper options like Pho, Panera, Chinese...

I must be doing it wrong. Panera for me and 2 kids is easily $25. Kids get the Mac and cheese kids plate plus a drink. I get then1/2 and 1/2 and a drink. Dinner for the 4 of us at the Chinese takeout was $43 the other night. 2 entrees, a side of sashimi, and some extra white rice.

For Pho, kids share with us. We get a large which is huge at some places. Kids don't get drinks when we go out. For Chinese, one meal plus an appetizer or two.

Anonymous wrote:You really don't end up saving much after taking into account all the prep work, cleaning, shopping time etc... I would opt to find more cost effective healthy places to eat out.

There are no, or next to no "healthy places to eat out." There's healthier, but not healthy. Added salt, sugar, oils, butter, hidden in places you wouldn't imagine, in even the seemingly healthiest of establishments.

Anonymous wrote:We do blue apron deliveries on Friday. Then we have 3 meals for the weekend we typically wouldn't make ourselves and don't feel deprived since we aren't eating out.

That sounds like a lovely splurge and a great way to start the weekend.