Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferfood.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance ... ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Jennifer....in addition to a FT and PT job, all childcare responsibilities, and all food-related responsibilities, you're also doing most if not all of the housework? Of course you're exhausted! You're doing 4 jobs. The reason it seems so overwhelming is because it is. Your 8-year-old needs to start doing a few family chores to help out. Your husband needs to start doing at least half of the non-paid work that you've been doing. If " all " you are doing is 2 jobs, some of the childcare, and food-related work, you can probably manage to get at least 5 hours sleep a night. Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Jennifer It sounds like you need to find a way to reduce stress! Cooking can be such a chore, especially when your time is so limited, but it can also be fun. So that's where it'd be nice to be, where cooking is fun again. Is there any way you can get some help with other stuff, now that you are working again? It's really not fair that you should be wage-earning, cooking, cleaning and raising the kids. No no no no no! :-) Are your kids old enough to take on some extra chores? Husband? Nobody's going to like it but having a sane mom is worth a LOT to a family. You shouldn't have to do everything. Maybe I'm just projecting here. . . I could use some help around my own house! Another thought that comes to mind is what someone else recently brought up - meal planning. Get really organized so you can use the time you have very well. Something that worked for me (although I don't know if they have them in your area or if the ingredients would even work out for you) is that I recently went to one of those " meal prep " places. They have a list of entrees and you pick in advance which ones you're going to make. Then you go spend a couple of hours, and come home with food for your freezer that lasts a couple of weeks or more depending. I didn't see much vegan on those (very little veg even) but some places are willing to work with you on it, some of them surprisingly so - even offering tempe or seitan substitutes. It looks expensive at first but for me it's worked out very well as far as saving time (they do the shopping, the planning and all of the prep work, you just throw stuff together and seal it up) and their " meals " were pretty big, especially if you round them out with salads etc. on your own. I think I'm actually saving money especially when I take into account all those things you buy and use half of for a recipe. Well anyway its a thought if you have anything like this nearby. Google " now we're cooking " or " meal assembly " and start writing those places and see who will work with you. Even when it works out great I admit there are downsides (they use way too many plastic baggies) but you can creatively get around those by bringing some of your own containers along, etc. I made the BEST calzones, we'll be working on those for a while. :-) Good luck, you can do it! Dee - Jennifer Simmons Monday, July 14, 2008 8:57 AM Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferfood.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance .. ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 What about stir-fry type stuff? I've gotten frozen stir-fry veggies and some of the MorningStar Farms veggie strip (they have 'chikn' and 'beef' (as well as ground - though I like the tubes of gimme lean better for ground type stuff). The last time I got them, thye were vegan, so you'd have to check. Even pasta sauce from a can (there are some good ones) and pasta, add frozen chopped veggies (I put frozen greens in ours when I don't have fresh handy) Rice (if you are very short on time, a rice cooker will also cook other grains, we've been using ours for oatmeal in the mornings, comes out perfectly) keep on hand - can be made into veggie fried rice, goes with stir-fry, make rice pudding. It never lasts long in our house when we have it in the fridge already made. It also freezes ok. I also make 2 of something when I bake - lasagna, also lasts for about 3 different meals - lunches/dinner Tamale pie (tomato sauce with chili powder, mix with can of water, add half of it to 1c cooked rice and a can of refried beans, mix together. Add a layer of sauce to a round pie pan, put down a tortilla, spread with half the beans/rice mix, sauce it, add another tortilla, add other half of mix, top with another tortilla, top with remaining sauce, bake 350 till heated through. If you use vegan cheese, till bubbly and melted (we use Vegan Rella Mozzarella and Cheddar, and they both melt well. Might be hard to find, others like FYH and there's new Teese from the folks who make Temptation vegan ice cream, which beats all others I've had ands down.) Maybe a crock pot, I know time is short, but cut up veggies (some you can find frozen like at Trader Joe's or even regular groceries have them for stew and stuff) There's a few Veggie crock pot books, I have one I really like " Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker " . Heck, if it's just convenience they're after - veggie slicesfor sandwiches, or tofu dogs, annies has some vegan and vegetarian pre-make meals (vegan pot pies, burritos and I think a veggie pizza) You can always toss a salad to have with any of these to round it out, and it doesn't take that long to make a very satisfying meal. Oh, and canned beans - you can get low salt ones, too. I found vegan lentils, too! So that opens up a few 'pour and heat' meals right there - grab cut up peppers and onions, chopped garlic (because of botulism, I just do it fresh each time rather than storing in oil in the fridge) toss in kidney beans, add some liquid smoke, paprika, maybe oregano or bail, a can of chopped/diced tomatoes simmer, heat rice and you have redbeans and rice. Also good with veggie sausage, or just 'bratwurst sesasoning' (I get it from Penzys spices, they have a bunch of amazing sausage seasonings that I just add to tofu, or into things that help round out flavor) Other than that - we keep fresh fruits, dried fruits, peanut butter, crackers, soy yogurt (even making your own doesn't take much workbut when pressed for time, I like Wildwood - it's nice and tart, not overly sweet) jam, veggies (if you cut them after you get them home and wash them, it's like it takes no time at all especially later in the week). I have been known to cut an onion or 3 in the Foodpro and store them in a sealable glass jar for easy use during the week. They don't tend to last long as we go through them when the're already cut. My son likes the Vegan rella plain on crackers, which it's ok, an dthe only on e I can eat on something like that, but not plain still. He's not had regular in so long since we figured out the allergy stuff, he knows no difference. He loves when it comes in on 'co-op day' when we pick up our order. We've also been 'stocking up' when things are in season, and I prepare them and freeze them myself when I can. Mostly, when I cook, I cook double or quadruple amounts (like making seitan - only has to be prepared once, I freeze the others, and pull out as needed. We even made a chinese bbq seitan that was otu of this world. Ribz (I freeze extras, as they go very fast when we make them. We always have tofu on hand, too. Oh, an dyou can make a sandwich spread from garbanzos (hand mash with a fork so it'ss lumpy) add vegan mayo or blended tofu may stuff, onions celery, etc spread on sanduchines, make wraps, on crackers, etc. Ok. That's a few of my ideas. I probably have more. it may not be all 'the best' btu it could buy you some time while you figure out some better things, I'm sure others have some ideas as well that would be good. Mainly, I cook to be sure we have leftovers. Vary it, too. I try to cook only 3x a week, and then we do leftovers between. We also make our own pizza (crusts aren't that tricky, or you can get frozen -we'vegotten whole wheat dough from TJ's, and it was ok). Maybe those will help or springborard some other ideas. Missie On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 10:57 AM, Jennifer Simmons <callmearavis wrote: > I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I > work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night > a week). > I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy > meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner > (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box > mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. > On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for > leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. > Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai > Kitchen noodle box to eat. > Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much > catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I > don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. > We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of > the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being > Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS > could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work > for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned > enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't > plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers > at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) > I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any > time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys > are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as > opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being > " meat, starch, and side " ya know? > I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and > kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches > are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). > It is dinner time that kills me. > Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that > direction.Jenniferfood.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance > .. ._,___ > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 When I worked a similar schedule like you I turned Sunday into prepare food night. I cooked multiple meals the same day which is much easier then cooking them in 7 days. You can cut an onion and use it in 3 dishes, ground soy in another, etc. Buy corning ware they go from freezer, to oven, to microwave to storing leftovers. Great for busy moms. My husband is pulling similar crap. He sais if I cant prove that my son is healthy after 3 months he wants him back on meat but he isnt helping maintaining his nutrition. He offers him sugar snacks and junk all the time. While I am monitoring his protein intake, iron etc. Jennifer Simmons <callmearavis Monday, July 14, 2008 11:57:48 AM Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferf ood.chacha. com/blog/ give-peas- a-chance ... ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I agree with all the suggestions on this. What works for me is to plan the list of what we will be eating (5 lunch and 5 dinners) on friday. I send my hubby to grocery store on friday (expect a lot of calls from him initially while he cruises through the isle!!) Since you are making lunch easier on yourself, you really need to worry about 5 dinners. I am sure its stressful, but its worth spending 2 hours on Sat/Sun cooking for the week which makes weekday evenings less stressful. You can get help from your husband with cutting veggies etc. We also have a rule in our house that we need to finish what;s cooked (no eating out here and there and then throwing away what's made). While you are cooking for the week, enjoy a good takeout that day, to give yourself a break =) Jennifer Simmons <callmearavis Monday, July 14, 2008 10:57:48 AM Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferf ood.chacha. com/blog/ give-peas- a-chance ... ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Jennifer, Have you tried stir fry. This is usually what I fix when I am in a hurry. The biggest part of making it is cutting up the vegetables, but you can also buy the precut stir fry veggies. There is one we usually use, unfortunately I can not remember the name of it at this time. There is a Mandarine mix with large cut veggies and another with smaller cut veggies. I have found that when I am in a hurry Asian is usually quick, easy, tasty, and does not have a lot of oil. Just my two cents. I hope it helps. Nima Dianna Lu <diannalu wrote: Jennifer It sounds like you need to find a way to reduce stress! Cooking can be such a chore, especially when your time is so limited, but it can also be fun. So that's where it'd be nice to be, where cooking is fun again. Is there any way you can get some help with other stuff, now that you are working again? It's really not fair that you should be wage-earning, cooking, cleaning and raising the kids. No no no no no! :-) Are your kids old enough to take on some extra chores? Husband? Nobody's going to like it but having a sane mom is worth a LOT to a family. You shouldn't have to do everything. Maybe I'm just projecting here. . . I could use some help around my own house! Another thought that comes to mind is what someone else recently brought up - meal planning. Get really organized so you can use the time you have very well. Something that worked for me (although I don't know if they have them in your area or if the ingredients would even work out for you) is that I recently went to one of those " meal prep " places. They have a list of entrees and you pick in advance which ones you're going to make. Then you go spend a couple of hours, and come home with food for your freezer that lasts a couple of weeks or more depending. I didn't see much vegan on those (very little veg even) but some places are willing to work with you on it, some of them surprisingly so - even offering tempe or seitan substitutes. It looks expensive at first but for me it's worked out very well as far as saving time (they do the shopping, the planning and all of the prep work, you just throw stuff together and seal it up) and their " meals " were pretty big, especially if you round them out with salads etc. on your own. I think I'm actually saving money especially when I take into account all those things you buy and use half of for a recipe. Well anyway its a thought if you have anything like this nearby. Google " now we're cooking " or " meal assembly " and start writing those places and see who will work with you. Even when it works out great I admit there are downsides (they use way too many plastic baggies) but you can creatively get around those by bringing some of your own containers along, etc. I made the BEST calzones, we'll be working on those for a while. :-) Good luck, you can do it! Dee - Jennifer Simmons Monday, July 14, 2008 8:57 AM Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferfood.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance ... ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Hi Jennifer, First of all, I want to say you are a hero! You are raising a child, upholding a relationship, cooking, cleaning and working more than full-time in a paid job. You are amazing! I can barely do all that and I only work part-time running my business. Literally - our house is a mess all the time, I'm behind on all household to-do lists, and get ticked off every time I have to remind my partner/husband that we all have to do stuff around here. :-) Just last night we decided he'd start doing the grocery shopping on his way home from work from now on - but I know it means we'll have a houseful of crappy food pretty soon. Ugh. But, my complaining aside, here are some things I've been doing to keep healthier food on our table amidst this disaster that we call our household on most days: * We make a big green salad once a week and keep it in the fridge to scoop out to eat with dressing, or on sandwiches, tacos, burritos, etc. Oh, and sometimes we all do this together - son washes the veggies, partner and I each grab a veggie and cut it up, toss in the bowl, and we're done in a few minutes. * I keep a container of sliced raw veggies and put it out on the table at lunch and dinner each day - carrot sticks, cucumber slices, green beans or sugar snap peas with stems cut off, etc. * I also keep a container of cut fruit and put it on the table at breakfast and maybe another meal each day - whatever's in season - berries, apricots and peaches lately. * Sometimes we keep a container of cut melon in the fridge for snacks, or use one of the veggie or fruit containers for snacks. * For quick snacks and other things to toss on the table and round out meals, we just use easy stuff in the pantry/fridge -- peanut butter crackers, cereal bars, nuts, seeds, pretzels, crackers, popcorn, other stuff we have in the pantry - and we're not vegan, so we also have cheese cubes and boiled eggs for snacks and meal additions, too. * As far as the " main dish, starch, side " meal format your husband prefers - we also always cook extra of things we can use for multiple meals - twice as much rice or pasta, steam twice as many veggies, etc. - and then by the end of the week, we have meals already in the fridge to just heat up, and that might help you have the 3 requirements of a meal for him. :-) * Oh, in the cooler weather, I also throw several potatoes and sweet potatoes in the oven one night each week, and we eat off those all week - eat them heated up, or mash or fry or put in soup or a casserole. (another way to have starches ready for your husband) * And casseroles galore around here - our current popular one is cooked pasta with a can of kidney beans, a can of tomato sauce, left over veggies, some dried herbs and cheese grated on top, in the oven for a few minutes - delicious! Tofu mac and cheese, corn tortillas layered with veggies and beans and rice, etc. Trust me - nothing on our list takes very long! :-) * And we also keep super easy things on hand - frozen pizzas, canned soups and chilis, etc. for those days that we just can't pull off anything else. And I'm not suggesting that you do all this - your husband can help, your son can help, and you can buy some of this stuff prepared already (like cut up fruits and veggies, pre-cooked rice, all kinds of meals from deli counters in some grocery stores, etc.). And then there are also days that we just go to Rubio's for burritos or the corner mom-and-pop taco shop for taquitos papas (mmmm!) - no one can uphold this crazy schedule every day . . . and yours is undoubtedly more crazy than ours! Don't beat yourself up. We all try our very hardest to do our very best, and no one can do what they prefer to do every day . . . . unless independent wealth plays a role, and usually, it doesn't. :-) Just decide what your deal breakers are - ours is no meat. We prefer to eat organic (but don't if we eat at restaurants or friends' houses), we prefer to eat no animal things (but we do eat in restaurants and friends'/family's houses and thus eat rennet in cheese outside our house, etc.), but we do our best at home and no meat is just our bottom line. If yours is no animal products (vegan diet), then you will find a way that that fits into your life, and after a while, it'll be easier. And in the meantime, how about finding a good massage therapist for Mommy? You deserve it!!!!!!! :-) Take care! Lorraine On Behalf Of Jennifer Simmons Monday, July 14, 2008 8:58 AM Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferfood.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance ... ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I went back to work last year and struggled to figure out how to make meals for my family. My husband got home early (and the last 6 months he has been home after being downsized.) and I worked a full and a part time job. What helped the most in the way of meals is learning how to make freezer dinners. I called around to some of those shops that specialize in this but they don't have enough vegetarian options to make it worth our time or money so I started looking for books to do it ourselves. So far the only one I have found is a download called " Saving Dinner. " www.savingdinner.com They have a vegetarian down load with 20 prepare ahead meals. I would LOVE to find more vegetarian friendly prepare ahead meals because this is the ONLY way we can do it. We (yes my husband helps!) make all 20 on a Sunday afternoon and stick them in the freezer. Monday - Thursday he heats these up for himself and the kids (or eats left overs.Some meals actually last us two days.) I cook on Friday & Saturday.(Sunday is always left overs.who wants to cook after having assembled 20 meals!) Hope that helps.. Vicki Thompson _____ On Behalf Of Jennifer Simmons Monday, July 14, 2008 10:58 AM Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferfood.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance ... ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Ooh. We have one out here (in the near suburbs of Chicago) called The Prep Kitchen. I've not used it, but it does sound very reasonable (I don't know if there was a veggie option, but a friend of mine was looking at it before, which is how i know of it. ) But, I did forget to say that you do need to have help. Back in my SAHM position, I take on most of the household stuff, and the childcare, yardwork (some of it I like - my garden, some I hate, mowing...). My husband will help but has to be asked, which I'm not good at, since no one asks me to do stuff, I just have everything to do...When I was working, he did help outmore and worked from home, did the daytime childcare stuff (but this fall our son is in a full day primary class at a lovely montessori school). So we had some kind of balance. I often feel overwhelmed with stuff, and I have a 4hr break while he's in camp (unfortunately this is the last week of it until school starts at the end of Aug). But, I may be going back to work soon, and, we'll all not be home, so it won't always be getting messy, either. What works well is if we divide rooms for us to tackle on our own. I also don't do my husband's laundry, he does his own - because I have mine and I do our son's and the kitchen towels and bathroom stuff, linens (which aren't that much, but it sounds like a lot). He also will cook, pretty simple things, but it's at least stuff that we do have on hand. He has also helped make seitan batches, and he'll help make breakfast for us, too. I do have to ask him to do any of those (though I figure his laundry is his responsibility, as no one does mine for me...I am also teaching our son how to do his own, though not as much as I should...but that's because we have to go outside to go to the basement and he doesn't always like to go down there with me. I think around 9-10, though he will be in charge of his stuff (with minimal help, but as a teen, he should be/will be doing his own laundry and has to help out with more household stuff we all have to do). When I was overwhelmed, I had to approach it gingerly, as I knew I did wait too long and we did somehow slip into those dreadful roles...but I phrased it positively, not accusingly , which sometimes can be hard, especially when things have been 'comfortable' for too long... Maybe that would help? For us, the biggest oint of contention we have is that he needs to be asked, and I I'm not good at asking (because no one is asking me to clean, put stuff away, do laundry, etc - he should just know it needs to be done, like I do, but he's definitely wired differently. It wasn't upbringing, as his mom was actually very active in the 60's feminism, and human rights and so on - so he never was brought up thinking it was done FOR him). Anyway - good luck. What really helped me was just realizing we communicated differently, or something on these issues. They're not much of a problem/point of arguement for us since this, unless we slip, and who doesn't from time to time. Oh, if you have any veggie/vegan friends, maybe you can even do the several days cooking together thing with each other - it takes about 2 days, but then you don't have to cook for a few weeks, or a whole month if you do a huge session. I did " Once a month cooking " with a friend, only we did it for 2 weeks because it was easier with small kids who needed attention while we had 'fun' I've found some OAMC or 'freezer assets' plans for vegetarian meal plans, even just using that, and knowing that x number of meals can be made with this much stuff, coul be a huge boon for you. Your 11yr old should also know how to cook - or be able to help with cutting/other prep (my 5yr old loves to help chop and sprinkle and stir, etc to help cook. Not always, but it helps, and will serve him well once he's older, and he can take care of himself - like if he goes off to college, I hope he'll have enough cooking skills under his belt he won't give up on being a vegetarian once 'away' at school). He loves to garden, so I'd guess cooking was a natural second for using the bounty we've grown. Missie On Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 11:32 AM, Dianna Lu <diannalu wrote: > Jennifer > > It sounds like you need to find a way to reduce stress! Cooking can be such > a chore, especially when your time is so limited, but it can also be fun. So > that's where it'd be nice to be, where cooking is fun again. Is there any > way you can get some help with other stuff, now that you are working again? > It's really not fair that you should be wage-earning, cooking, cleaning and > raising the kids. No no no no no! :-) Are your kids old enough to take on > some extra chores? Husband? Nobody's going to like it but having a sane mom > is worth a LOT to a family. You shouldn't have to do everything. > > Maybe I'm just projecting here. . . I could use some help around my own > house! > > Another thought that comes to mind is what someone else recently brought up > - meal planning. Get really organized so you can use the time you have very > well. > > Something that worked for me (although I don't know if they have them in > your area or if the ingredients would even work out for you) is that I > recently went to one of those " meal prep " places. They have a list of > entrees and you pick in advance which ones you're going to make. Then you go > spend a couple of hours, and come home with food for your freezer that lasts > a couple of weeks or more depending. I didn't see much vegan on those (very > little veg even) but some places are willing to work with you on it, some of > them surprisingly so - even offering tempe or seitan substitutes. It looks > expensive at first but for me it's worked out very well as far as saving > time (they do the shopping, the planning and all of the prep work, you just > throw stuff together and seal it up) and their " meals " were pretty big, > especially if you round them out with salads etc. on your own. I think I'm > actually saving money especially when I take into account all those things > you buy and use half of for a recipe. > > Well anyway its a thought if you have anything like this nearby. Google " now > we're cooking " or " meal assembly " and start writing those places and see who > will work with you. Even when it works out great I admit there are downsides > (they use way too many plastic baggies) but you can creatively get around > those by bringing some of your own containers along, etc. I made the BEST > calzones, we'll be working on those for a while. > > :-) > > Good luck, you can do it! > > Dee > > - > Jennifer Simmons > > Monday, July 14, 2008 8:57 AM > Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! > > I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I > work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night > a week). > I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy > meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I > work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box > mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. > On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for > leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. > Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai > Kitchen noodle box to eat. > Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much > catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I > don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. > We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of > the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being > Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS > could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work > for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned > enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't > plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers > at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) > I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any > time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. > I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as > opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being > " meat, starch, and side " ya know? > I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and > kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches > are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It > is dinner time that kills me. > Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that > direction.Jenniferfood.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance > .. ._,___ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 First, we all do the best we can; don't beat yourself up over this! Now, some suggestions. Spouse and I both work full time, and both hate to cook. Weeknight dinners never take more than 20 minutes. On the weekends I cook brown rice in my rice cooker. I put the rice in wax bags and put the wax bags in a big ziplock in the freezer; I peel off the bags and thaw in a covered tempered-glass bowl. I keep bags of frozen mixed veggies (organic from trader joes) in the freezer and jars of cooking sauces in the pantry. Dinner at least a couple of days a week is stir fried tofu and veggies, with a sauce (might be Indian, might be Thai, etc) served over rice. Most weekend I cook sweet potato pudding; it is the easiest way to be sure we eat enough " orange " food. Another weekly meal is whole wheat pasta shells mixed with tofu, mozzarella, pasta sauce and beans. I always have fantastic foods instant refried beans in the house. Dinner at least once a week is burritos: beans, rice, cheese, sweet potatoes, salsa, chopped lettuce/tomato/onion. Sometimes dinner is canned soup and (frozen) broccoli with melted cheese. Annies mac and cheese is another staple in our house; I throw in broccoli. Robin “I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.” –W. C. Fields --- On Mon, 7/14/08, Jennifer Simmons <callmearavis wrote: Jennifer Simmons <callmearavis Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! Monday, July 14, 2008, 10:57 AM I have been a SAHM for years, and just recently began a full time job. I work 35 - 47 hours each week (between my FT job and a PT job I do one night a week). I can't seem to find enough hours in each day to prepare tasty, healthy meals like I used to. Monday and Tuesday nights DH is in charge of dinner (I work until 11pm), and he usually makes vegetarian sloppy joes (from a box mix), Frito Pie (veg chili on top of corn chips), or spaghetti. On my nights at home (Wednesday and Thursday) I usually just scrounge for leftovers and odds 'n ends to snack on for me and my 8 year old son. Fridays I work at my PT job, and rarely eat anything there. DS takes a Thai Kitchen noodle box to eat. Saturdays and Sundays, I am sometimes off from work, but I have so much catching up to do around the house - cleaning, grocery shopping, etc, I don't find a lot of time for cooking or planning healthy meals. We have gotten to the point that we aren't even eating 100% vegan most of the time, and I am really depressed about it.DH isn't too crazy about being Vegan, so he packs CRAP for his lunches at work (TV dinners mostly). DS could go either way, too. So it is only ME really pushing to make this work for us. I mean, they are definitely OK with being vegan, but not concerned enough to make any noticeable EFFORT in that direction. So if Momma doesn't plan everything out, they eat whatever they can easily find (cheeseburgers at McDonald's, pizza from Pizza Hut, TV dinners, etc!!!) I could really use some encouragement, first and foremost. I also need any time-saving ideas you have. I'm not too picky of an eater, but my boys are. I am OK with simple " meals " (a handful of nuts and a couple apples, as opposed to an entree with sides), but DH is pretty focused on " meals " being " meat, starch, and side " ya know? I make myself a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast (fruits and kale), and DS does cereal or granola and sometimes a smoothie, too. Lunches are pretty simple (PB & J, applesauce or soy yogurt, fruit, and a dessert). It is dinner time that kills me. Thanks in advance! I don't want to give up, but we are sliding in that direction.Jenniferf ood.chacha. com/blog/ give-peas- a-chance ... ._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Thank you all for the encouragement - it was truly needed! I had DH make Chickpea Cutlets (from Veganomicon), mashed potatoes w/ gravy, and green beans for dinner last night. He didn't work overtime, so he was OK with that (he works 10 hour days most of the time, though, so he is often too tired to cook a big meal). I think next time I will have him make a double batch and freeze the extra cutlets. And mashed potatoes and green beans can easily be reheated the next night with whatever " main dish " we fix. I work at our local co-op/health food store, so it isn't like I am not able to get to the store - ha ha! But my husband hates the price of good quality food. <sigh> He would rather spend $1 on a box of Mac 'N Cheese and call that a meal than buy some fresh produce and eat BETTER. I'm getting better about watching the " reduced produce " bin at work!!! Pre-making rice and potatoes is a great idea. I have gotten out of that habit (especially with the warmer weather). But I have a pressure cooker, so that makes rice easy, if I just take the time to do it! And I haven't used my crock pot since we went vegetarian, as I just don't know what to do with it. blah Again, thank you all. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I need to budget in more time to BAKE again! I used to make at least ONE BATCH of muffins every week, as well as desserts a couple times each month. Oh well, I'm sure it isn't hurting us not to have sweets all the time! ha ha Jennifer food.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Remind your husband how much it would cost if he was hospitalized for a heart attack! Good food is absolutely an investment in your health, totally translates to saving money even if you are covered by health insurance. :-) Dee - Jennifer Simmons Tuesday, July 15, 2008 8:27 AM RE: Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! Thank you all for the encouragement - it was truly needed! I had DH make Chickpea Cutlets (from Veganomicon), mashed potatoes w/ gravy, and green beans for dinner last night. He didn't work overtime, so he was OK with that (he works 10 hour days most of the time, though, so he is often too tired to cook a big meal). I think next time I will have him make a double batch and freeze the extra cutlets. And mashed potatoes and green beans can easily be reheated the next night with whatever " main dish " we fix. I work at our local co-op/health food store, so it isn't like I am not able to get to the store - ha ha! But my husband hates the price of good quality food. <sigh> He would rather spend $1 on a box of Mac 'N Cheese and call that a meal than buy some fresh produce and eat BETTER. I'm getting better about watching the " reduced produce " bin at work!!! Pre-making rice and potatoes is a great idea. I have gotten out of that habit (especially with the warmer weather). But I have a pressure cooker, so that makes rice easy, if I just take the time to do it! And I haven't used my crock pot since we went vegetarian, as I just don't know what to do with it. blah Again, thank you all. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I need to budget in more time to BAKE again! I used to make at least ONE BATCH of muffins every week, as well as desserts a couple times each month. Oh well, I'm sure it isn't hurting us not to have sweets all the time! ha ha Jennifer food.chacha.com/blog/give-peas-a-chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2008 Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Here is a link to a veg crock pot group: / You will find plenty of recipes in the archives. “I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.” –W. C. Fields --- On Tue, 7/15/08, Jennifer Simmons <callmearavis wrote: Jennifer Simmons <callmearavis RE: Falling off the bandwagon! HELP! Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 10:27 AM Thank you all for the encouragement - it was truly needed! I had DH make Chickpea Cutlets (from Veganomicon) , mashed potatoes w/ gravy, and green beans for dinner last night. He didn't work overtime, so he was OK with that (he works 10 hour days most of the time, though, so he is often too tired to cook a big meal). I think next time I will have him make a double batch and freeze the extra cutlets. And mashed potatoes and green beans can easily be reheated the next night with whatever " main dish " we fix. I work at our local co-op/health food store, so it isn't like I am not able to get to the store - ha ha! But my husband hates the price of good quality food. <sigh> He would rather spend $1 on a box of Mac 'N Cheese and call that a meal than buy some fresh produce and eat BETTER. I'm getting better about watching the " reduced produce " bin at work!!! Pre-making rice and potatoes is a great idea. I have gotten out of that habit (especially with the warmer weather). But I have a pressure cooker, so that makes rice easy, if I just take the time to do it! And I haven't used my crock pot since we went vegetarian, as I just don't know what to do with it. blah Again, thank you all. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I need to budget in more time to BAKE again! I used to make at least ONE BATCH of muffins every week, as well as desserts a couple times each month. Oh well, I'm sure it isn't hurting us not to have sweets all the time! ha ha Jennifer food.chacha. com/blog/ give-peas- a-chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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