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I'd love to cook leisurely, take my time, and pay attention to what I'm doing but my little ones make it near impossible, running into my legs, pulling on me, etc., so usually 1) they eat microwaved food because it's fast and it'll end their screaming for food faster or 2) whatever I'm actually cooking/baking is overdone because I get distracted.
I want to cook for the whole family but I need it to be super quick, easy, and not involve a ton of ingredients. I feel so ashamed that I microwave so much for my kids, I've got to step it up. Ideally, also, I need recipes where I can make something large enough and so we can eat leftovers for a few days. I hate having to go to the supermarket multiple times a week (which is why I don't usually do it at the end of my workday) because each recipe has unique ingredients. ("Ok, I'm all set - doh! I don't have rice wine vinegar!!")
My husband is the culinary master in our house but I'm feeling guilty for not being a cook my kids (or DH) brag about.
Do you make American Chop Suey?
You can make a bunch of it and reheat the leftovers.
2# hamburger, or Italian sausage, browned
1 chopped onion
chopped green pepper (optional)
1# pasta of your choice, cooked and drained
1T oregano
1T basil
1 reg. can diced tomatoes
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
You can use whatever tomato products you want, such as tomato soup or a jar or two of spaghetti sauce, but the consistency should be a bit watery, since the pasta will soak up a lot.
You could also add cheese of cottage cheese if you want.
I made this every other week when my kids were growing up.
This may sound inane, but in a situation like yours, a good crockpot is your best friend. Most things we make in the crockpot take under 10 minutes to dump together, then it just sits there all day turning into yumminess that greets you when you walk in the door in the evening. There are a lot of great ideas in this thread: Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Recipes that you can tweak to suit your family's preferences.
Another thing that was a godsend for us when our kids were smaller is the time-bake function on the oven of our stove. Not every stove has this, but it's become a more common feature than it used to be, and it can make your life much, much easier. Basically, you set it up in the morning to come on at a time you set, at a temperature you choose, and to turn itself off again when you tell it to. We often put a frozen-solid pot roast in a roaster pan along with some peeled carrots, potatoes and onions, shake some garlic powder and Worcestershire over it all, cover it, bung the whole thing in the oven set to heat up to 325 at 3:00 and to turn off at 6:00. When we walk in the door at 5:30, the whole house has that wonderful pot-roast smell, and all we have to do is steam a vegetable and/or throw together a salad, and supper is on the table. We do the same thing with a frozen-solid whole chicken or turkey breast, with the same results. As well-insulated as ovens are nowadays, if you put a frozen piece of meat in there in the morning, it won't spoil in the half-day or so until the oven comes on, and it makes for a great and easy meal.
Something else I'd recommend is that you work with your spouse to fit in some "time for Mom to cook" time in the week. Get him to take the kids to the park to play for an hour or two, while you cook up something tasty that'll go into the freezer for a busy day later in the week. Lasagna, stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, King Ranch casserole - any of those can be put together and frozen for later, when you know you won't have time to cook.
And while I don't know the ages of your kids, I'd also strongly urge you to get them involved in helping you cook as early as you possibly can. A 3-year-old can stir things, a 4-year-old can peel cloves of garlic, a 5-year-old can break an egg into a bowl, a 6-year-old can measure, and the earlier you get them doing all those things, the likelier it is that they'll be comfortable in the kitchen and self-sufficient when they're adults. Both our kids were involved in helping the cook (either my spouse or me) from a very young age, and as adults, both are supremely gifted cooks who truly enjoy preparing a good meal.
Good luck to you! It may not feel this way, but juggling the kitchen challenges really will get easier with time.
How old are your kids? If you can involve them in cooking, it will help as time goes on. There are kid-friendly cookbooks all over now. My sister uses the Paul Deen one, and we saw a couple more in B&N this weekend.
My kids are 2 and 4 (the older will turn 5 in January). My older son could definitely help since he already likes mixing ingredients and taking things out of the fridge and pantry for me. My younger boy is just too crazy, lol, and just wants to eat everything. If we ever leave the cupboard open by accident, watch out! He will be walking around with the entire box of cereal in one hand, and a can of soup in the other. That "time for Mom to cook" is a great idea! It may sound silly but since I'm not the most "natural" of cooks, unlike my husband, I like to be alone when I organize ingredients. Once I get everything in the pan or pot, the chaos can resume.
I started watching my Granmom cook at a very young age..It's up to you how you want your kids to eat
They watch and learn..
In my opinion..Monkey see monkey do...
I adore my little 3yo monkey, he's my Nephew..
I dont like his mom...but she does things right by him...
Yoi wont hear that very often here on this forum..
She is a Bi**h but she is a good Mom..
They offer over 44,000 recipes and you can stipulate what you are looking for...easy, kid-friendly,veggie etc. Have enjoyed that site for several yrs.
Definitely, this is my first choice when I search for recipes. I enjoy the comments, especially how some of the reviewers will indicate how they prepared a meal using various substitutes which is great when you "don't have that white wine vinegar".
My second favorite would be food network; again, reviewers reveal tips and tricks but not quite as "kid-friendly".
Third is my own recipe database. These are recipes that I've collected from all over throughout the years and spend my time scanning these hard copies into my computer whenever my internet service is down. Got rid of a ton of paper, slips of paper, post it notes, etc.
Good luck and best wishes into your new adventures in cooking (now, baking is another animal, indeed).
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