re: dinner meal preparation (sales, how much, home)

[sam23]

I like to eat healthy and avoid fast food at all costs. I also like to prepare my own meals because of the economic advantages of avoiding take-out or eating out all the time (maybe once or twice a week) at the most. I also prefer shopping on Sunday and buying enough food for the family for the week encompassing breakfast, lunch, & dinner. But I hate coming home from a long day of work and making meals from scratch. Time consuming and much more relaxing if you prepare something beforehand and just have to heat it up when you get home. A solution: Making three meals on Sunday: covering Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Have eggs on Thursday and take-out on Fridays. Does anybody else do the same? Not even making pasta after work, but making it on Sunday along with the sauce and spooning into a dish or bowl and heating it up on the night I prefer. Plus it's a good way to portion control...

[CuCullin]

Haven't gotten to that point yet, but its a goal of mine to do just that... I don't have the time, neither does the gf.

[wileynj]

Crock pot is the way to go OP. Put in all the goodies in the AM before you leave for work and by the time you get home, nice home cooked hot meal is there waiting for you : )

[EEEPNJ]

I wish! But after working all week and then schleping the kids around on the weekends...and maybe seeing a friend ... and helping our elderly parents... it's not happening. It's a good idea though.

[wileynj]

I'm a cook from scratch / making it up as I go along kind of gal. Most of the meals I cook only take 15 mins. tops!

[Calico696]

In the winter, BF and I like to make a 2 lb. meatloaf or a turkey on a Sunday and eat it all week, we just make different sides. We do a lot of grilling this time of year and always grill extra for left overs.

[njplay]

sam23, totally agree, i just spent this past Sunday cooking for this week, it is such a great feeling to have it all done, and all you worry about is reheating.. Ideally would like to get this done (cooking on weekends) but it's tough when you want to enjoy that family time and not be in the kitchen.. I just made sneaky chef lasagna recipe which has been a hit with the tots.. i also have tried freezing stuff too, which works, but it is work no matter what, and gotta squeeze it in or not, our take-out $$ goes up...

[tahiti]

i am ALL about that. I make a menu every week, trying to use up what we have, and make in bulk as much as possible. If I'm making sauce (gravy, whatevah), I'll make enough to freeze a bunch and it'll last for about 20 meals (4*5 days). I'll do the same with soup and any sort of casserole. LOVE the crockpot too!

You'd be amazed how much you save by shopping for your menu, and coordinating it with sales in the store that week.

[findinghope]

i would not make the pasta ahead. it only takes 10-15 minutes to boil it fresh!
i would have the condiments (sauce, pesto, etc) ready ahead of time though.

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by findinghope

i would not make the pasta ahead. it only takes 10-15 minutes to boil it fresh!
i would have the condiments (sauce, pesto, etc) ready ahead of time though.

Or..buy fresh pasta. It cooks even quicker. Makes you wonder how our mom's did it years ago. Especially working moms with, oh say, 8 kids! My mom was amazing!!!