What do you do for dinner?

Hi There,

My twins are 3 months and I have a two year old at home. My husband gets home late and I'm by myself at night during dinner preparation time. I love to cook, but I've totally stopped cooking for now. I find even throwing something frozen into the oven is almost impossible some nights! Does anyone have any good ideas on how to have a decent dinner with newborn twins in the house? Will this get any better? I hope I can start cooking again one day!

 

I cook a big pot of something that keeps well and we eat that for the better part of a week. There is just no time to cook! If it's something that freezes well, I'll make a double batch and freeze half too.

 

Could you spend one day on the weekend (or any day that DH is home) and cook a bunch of freezer friendly meals that you could have on hand to throw in the oven! That way you get to cook, your family gets a home cooked healthy meal, but you don't have to worry about cooking every night....

I got a GREAT freezer friendly cook book while I was still pg and made about 10 different dishes to have on hand on the days that I had zero time to deal with dinner...

Know that my twins are 5 months I usually spend about 15-20 minutes of their afternoon nap prepping dinner so that I can just throw it in the oven and make a salad once DH gets home and we're ready to eat.... but I ONLY have the twins so I'm sure you're life is way more complicated with your two year old too...

Good luck and let me know if you'd like the name of the cookbook I bought!

 

I agree, make bigger portions and heat up leftovers. I love to cook (and EAT, tee hee) and it is SO HARD. My twins are almost 7 months, and don't go to bed till 8:00. So, if I want to eat in peace, it usually has to be AFTER they go to bed. So if I plan on getting to bed at a decent hour (We still have a definate wakeup call at four, and sometimes one before that), its gotta be something I can just reheat.
I'm sure it gets better once they get bigger and don't need us to entertain them constantly. God, let's HOPE so.

 

I tend to do alot of make ahead stuff. I will make a huge pot of spagetti sauce during their afternoon nap, then it is there simmering on the stove for whenever we are ready (and I freeze the rest). I do alot of crock pot cooking as well. We do alot of leftovers though, I will make one dish and we will eat it for 3 days in a row. To me, spagetti is a completely different meal if you change the shape of the noodle . B/c the twins are our only children we tend to eat after they go to bed. They go down about 6:30/7 and we eat around 7:30/8. Eventually we will all eat as a family, but for now it works.

 

Crock pot!!! And make a lot so you can live off it for a couple days.

 

We used to do the easiest thing possible early on. Hot dogs, sandwiches, things like that. When they started to fall into a little bit of a routine, we would eat whenever they slept, even if it meant dinner at 4 p.m. or 8 p.m.

 

crock pot and oven meals. cream of mushroom on everything lol

 

Most of my meals are made around 12pm when they are usually both sleeping. I will go ahead and put the meat in the pan that will go in the refrigerator until I get ready to cook it (put in oven). If it is potatoes or something I go ahead and cut them up and put in a bowl of water in the fridge until I am ready to boil them. If it is something like roast beef or chicken soup/pastry I put in a pot of water and put on low and let it simmer all day. My house is VERY chaotic from 3p-8 Pm. I have two older kids age 5 and 7 who have homework, then the babies need their food, baths, bed, my older two need to eat, baths, bed........so much going on......so I find that if I at least have the meat ready/alrerady to cook, it will be a smoother afternoon. I have found with them twins it is good to be prepared for everything. I used to be so easy going and went with the flow but now I realize that I have to be prepared for the day ahead of me or my house does fall apart.

 

WOW!!! I am really impressed (and a little ashamed). I have cooked maybe 3 complete meals in the past 12 months. My poor husband...

 

We eat alot of 'quickie meals' like frozen pasta, easy mexican and italian dishes, etc. Fresh veggies are easy with the micro-cookers I got from pampered chef! AND, I'm lucky that my DH likes to cook!! We often eat late. We try to have the 3-yr-old in bed before 9, but sometimes we are a little later than that due to a 7 pm dinnertime!

It is so tough to get dinner on the table when you have a new baby (babies) AND an older child(ren). When the babies are sleeping, your time and attention needs to go towards the big sib(s)!! ...so, you end up with a couple minutes here and there (usually with a baby in arms) to get dinner ready. Thank heavens for pizza and take-out Chinese! :lol:

 

I just realized.. why not buy the pre-cut chicken ?? Saves time cooking. Also check out couscous it is the smallest pasta in the world & you just add hot water (or broth) let sit for 2 mins and it is done !!! I also have a rice cooker with a steamer at the top -- great for broccoli on top & I measure out the rice & water in the afternoon when I have time. I will cut up stuff throughout the day & put in the fridge and throw together in one pot & cook.

Heather

 

Like the others mentioned, I prepped everything around lunchtime, because dinnertime was always fussy time!

 

I hate to cook and have learned some things (and am still learning alot more) but I have a george forman grill, no need to defrost meat, just put it on there and cook away. Also when I was pregnant and wanted something good and filling, I would buy the lipton sides (rice or pasta) they make whole grain versions now. I can take a packet of alfredo noodles add some frozen or fresh veggies and have a meal. Or with the rice I would throw a chicken breast on the george forman and it would be done the same time as the rice, cut it up and eat it in a bowl or throw it on a tortilla.

HTH

 

Lots of good suggestions that I agree with. Now I can stick my two in high chairs, give them a cracker and work in the kitchen for a little while. Often my husband works nights so when I a by myself I usually eat after 7 when they go to be. But when he will be home I love the crock pot, also cook double of meat to use in a different dish on the next day. Make 2 of something(casseroles) when you have time and stick one in the freezer. I used to cook during that third nap (that mine don't take anym more). Just make it part of the routine, they go down and you go to the kitchen. It will get better.

 

have you ever watched Rachael Ray? She does those 30 minute meals, if you have never watched it you can get on her website, its RachaelRay.com and on there it tells you what to make and how to make it. I get alot of ideas off there, she's big on chicken stalk, EVOO, and cheese so get alot of it LOL

Hope this helps....

 

I agree with Leighann - crock pot, crock pot, crock pot. You can do roasts, chickens, soups, stews - the combinations are endless. I do taco soup, pork loins with veggies, beef stew - you name it I can cook it in the crock pot. I also have the kind that the crock comes out, so I can put the lid on it and put it in the frig and just heat leftovers the next day. Other than that - grill, grill, grill. You can do that at the last minute when hubbie is home. You can roast potatoes, corn, peppers, etc. on the grill. Toss on a piece of meat and men typically love to grill so hubbie will probably take care of grill duties.

 

My DH eats like a teenage boy so I make dinner every night, but I make it during the boys afternoon nap. I always make things that have leftovers and taste good reheated. Enchiladas are easy and we'll cook anything that can be thrown on the grill. My DH's favorite dinner is pulled pork. It's so easy! Just put a plain pork tenderloin (thawed) in the crockpot with about a 1/3 cup of water. On high it takes about 4 hours and on low 6 hours. I put it into the pot when I have a chance. After it's cooked, just pull apart with two forks. Then dump in the BBQ and voila...Pulled Pork Sandwiches!

I have a great Thai Shrimp Curry recipe that we made the other night. It was so easy! PM me for the recipe if you would like it!

 

QUOTE(benderboys @ Feb 24 2008, 07:29 PM) [snapback]638622[/snapback]
WOW!!! I am really impressed (and a little ashamed). I have cooked maybe 3 complete meals in the past 12 months. My poor husband...



Ditto! I have cooked gumbo one time since the babies have been here, and that's b/c it was DH's birthday! We usually have either cereal, soup, or sandwiches for dinner. I was never a good cook though, DH is the one that likes to cook, so it was pretty much the same way before the babies too.

 

QUOTE(mommymeg @ Feb 25 2008, 08:33 AM) [snapback]638962[/snapback]
My DH's favorite dinner is pulled pork. It's so easy! Just put a plain pork tenderloin (thawed) in the crockpot with about a 1/3 cup of water. On high it takes about 4 hours and on low 6 hours. I put it into the pot when I have a chance. After it's cooked, just pull apart with two forks. Then dump in the BBQ and voila...Pulled Pork Sandwiches!


MMMMM!!! I'm going to have to try that! I love pulled pork!

I have a recipe where you put FROZEN chicken breasts into the crockpot (boneless, skinless), with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium) and 2 small cans of pineapple chunks, and some water to cover the chicken. After cooking on low for about 6 hours you have sweet and spicy chicken! I put some frozen mixed veggies in the microwave and make some couscous or minute rice and the whole thing is done... and prep time is under 5 minutes.

Not sure if this topic is now becoming more of a recipe-related thread... Here is the link to the Cooking forum for more recipes from experienced twin mommas. -Leighann

 

I have two toddlers and a husband that get cranky if dinner is any later than 5:30 (we aim for 5). If I'm making something even remotely elaborate, I try to start prepping in the morning when the twins are either sleeping, or one sleeping one in a sling, or something like that. But we have become very reliant on our crockpot lately. I figure if I start dinner at 10 in the morning, there's a reasonable chance that it will be done in a timely fashion. Plus I tend to make ALOT, which takes care of lunches and we can use the leftovers in a pinch for dinner.

 

At that age I just waited until after they went to bed to do meal preparation. It wasn't until around their 2nd birthday that I started eating dinner with the girls -- and even then doing a lot of prepwork during their sleeping times.

 

[SIZE=10pt]My family brought over a lot of meals for me and quick things to snack on. Cheese and crackers already cut up, fruit things like that. When they started taking a regular nap in the morning I would take 15 minutes and start something in the crockpot. I got a million crockpot recipes off the internet and used those. I was nursing and I remember feeling like I was starving most of the time, it was really exhausting and there were times I had to just let them cry for a few minutes so I could finish a sandwich. From experience it is so much easier to take care of them when you are taken care of, so do what ever you have to do to get some good food in you. Good Luck and things WILL get easier.[/SIZE]

 

We do some grilling & I found the leftover sausage & potatoes & veggies we'd put in with some eggs for a great omlete. Also if you spice up your chicken & grill you can add mayo to chopped up cooked chicken for a great sandwich. I keep canned potatoes on hand too --- cut up add butter,salt, pepper and in a frying pan for part of my big breakfasts on the weekend. also I've added them to a casserole when I'm in a rush. I buy those easy washed no need to peel potatoes -- I just wash and cut and throw into a pot.

I buy alot of fruit and have that as an afternoon snack -- not much time when I'm breastfeeding to make alot of food.

I love all these ideas by the way !!

 

I go to a place called DInners Ready and make my meals ahead of time. It takes me an hour-hour and a half and I have about 12 meals put together that I bring home and freeze. We have them about 3 nights a week. I order pizza about once a week or once every two weeks. We do subway or other subs every week or two. We eat out sometimes on the weekends. And one or two nights a week I make something, but it is usually simple, spaghetti or bbq pork chops and a side of steamed veggies and rice/boxed mashed potatoes/boxed noodles. Something like that. I have a much harder time getting around to lunch for myself than dinner for my hubby and I.