im stuck in a rut -HELP

morganlefay

My grown-up daughter now has a 2 year old, and works 3 days a week and comes home exhausted and grumpy. She and her OH start thinking about food at about 8.30 every night and as there's a Mr T's just round the corner from them they rush out and just get something quick very often. I have said to her that one way to start eating 'better' would be to plan either the night before or in the morning what they are going to eat in the evening, so that if she needs an onion or something to make whatever it is she can get it from Mr T's onthe way home and not dash out buying the tea just when they want to eat it. I am also quite in favour of using what were Campbells condensed soup (now Batchelors I think) with a bit of extra garlic and some herbs as a cook in sauce. It's not cordon bleu but it's a way to start eating 'proper' home cooked food again. There are some lovely suggestions on here which I thought were really helpful - I shall use them myself. We all get fed up with dreaming up meals, don't beat yourself up - you'll feel more up to it one day I'm sure ! Good luck:beer: !

jackie_w

Thanks everyone for your replies, I really do appreciate it.

There are a few recipes that you have suggested which sound delicious, so, will definetly try them.

Will look at the meal planner thread as well, and next month I will re-join the grocery challenge and try some recipes from there too.

I really need to try more baking and making more sweet treats for the kids because my youngest has a peanut allergy and cant have alot of the things from the supermarkets.

Jackie xx

kirsty_Anne_3

Hiya

I'm new on here so hope this gets to you!!

My kids have a couple of fav dinners which are quite easy... hope these will be of some help:

Chicken pie - cooked chicken ( I usually use the leftovers of a roast chicken, but breasts would do just as well), mixed with creme fraiche and 1 or 2 chicken oxo cubes, then topped with ready rolled puff pastry. I put in oven at about 220 ( 200 in fan assisted ) You can put leeks or cooked mushrooms in too.

Beef stew - roll diced stewing / braising steak in plain flour and fry ,add onions.
mix with parsnips, swede, carrot.....and any other veg you like!
add a couple of beef oxo, tomato puree and herbs
top up with boiling water and cook low for a few hrs ( or I cook in my slow
cooker for 8 hrs )

Pasta bake - In oven roast red, yellow and green peppers, cherry toms, mushrooms,
onions and garlic.
While that's cooking, boil some pasta - I use frusilli twists
when both are ready mix together, mix in some wostestershire sauce.
grate lots of cheese on top and maybe some mozerella slices.
Either grill or put back in hot oven until nice and crispy on top.

Salmon fillets with cajun spice sprinkled on them, then slices of cheese on top...

cooked cod and brocolli in cheese sauce and topped with mash...

Flat mushrooms topped with halved cherry toms, sliced bacon and grated cheese and baked in oven.

When my kids keep telling me they're hungry I let them have homemade smoothie lollies OR mini breadsticks with and egg cup of choc spread to dip OR bowl of dried cereal?

Hope this is of some help!

zippychick

Pink-winged wrote: »

I made these this afternoon for my 15 year old ds who is always starving. They have a lot of butter and sugar in them but he's very slim and fit so he can get away with it. They contain lots of porridge oats and seeds too. I'm not a natural baker either, but he loves them and says they're really filling and they are sooooo easy to make.

Cereal/snack bars

5 oz butter
3 oz brown sugar
1tablespoon golden syrup

melt in a saucepan over a low heat.

7 oz porridge oats
½ oz mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and linseed)
½ oz dessicated coconut
½ oz chopped nuts
small handful raisins or other dried fruit

Add dry ingredients into the syrup mix and stir until well coated.
Press into a well greased baking tin.
Cook at 180 degrees for around 20 minutes until lightly golden. Keep a close eye as they can burn easily.
Remove from the oven and mark slices with a knife but leave in the tin until completely cold or they’ll fall to bits when you try to get them out.

Nb I leave coconut and nuts out and add more fruit and seeds if these are being made for school as our school is a nut free zone.

Pink

Hi Pink, I have just made these and had forgotten how easy they are to make! literally a few minutes ! And they are so yummy. Making some to take camping this weekend. Used some chopped dates as the fruit so hopefully they will be nice. Might even drizzle some chocolate on

zippychick

Pink or someone else. Anyone know how these would go with white sygar?Dont have brown and cant get to the shops.... TIA :j

Pink.

zippychick wrote: »

Pink or someone else. Anyone know how these would go with white sygar?Dont have brown and cant get to the shops.... TIA :j

Hi zippy,

I haven't made them with white sugar but I think it should work just as well.

zippychick

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi zippy,

I haven't made them with white sugar but I think it should work just as well.

Just reporting back, i made these with white sugar (think caster) and they worked perfectly. Put in extra nuts - some brazil and cashews, and pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries and apricots. Delicious! 2 has just taken the empty feeling from my tummy

Zazen999

jackie_w wrote: »

Hi there,

Thank you every so much for replying.

In my freezers are -

chicken breasts (too many to count lol)
7 sirloin steaks
2 pkts stewing beef
4 pkts sausages
2 hams
pkt streaky bacon
pkt bacon
chicken pakora
vegetable pakora
5 gammon steaks
HM chicken stock (that must have been lying for about 4 months lol)

in my fridge -
1 doz eggs
yogurts
cold meat
cherry tomatoes
salad onions
milk
marg
butter
mayonnaise
natural yogurt

in my cupboards -

2 tins of spagetti
4 tins of beans
2 tins chopped tomatoes
various spices
self raising flour
bread flour
plain flour
cooking chocolate
cornflour
chocolate sprinkles & rainbow sprinkles
ground almonds
rice
pasta

So not alot in the cupboards

I really dont want to go and buy anything else until the cupboards and freezers are empty.

Jackie

I see your problem. You don't have any onions.

All my dishes [give or take one or 2] start from chopping onions, sometimes I'll change my mind halfway through cooking them.

Also, try writing down the recipes that you used to make and stick them up so that you can easily cast your eye over them when you are feeling a bit lost about what to cook.

merlin1

Zazen999 wrote: »

I see your problem. You don't have any onions.
.

:rotfl:you are sooo right!

getting kids involved in the kitchen is a fab idea, and i also find its helps destress, you ALL make a mess, but have a good giggle too!

pizza is my boy's favourite home made make, he chooses his toppings, mixes his dough and puts it together - i'm a happy mum cos i know the ingredients are fresh and healthy, he's a happy boy cos he's eating pizza! (that he made. mum had no input. oh no. none....) :rotfl:

he has on occasion helped me make lasagne too!

one of the things thats helped me no end end is in effect making my own ready meals - i have a load of one portion earthenware dishes from my parents after they left running a pub - all our stodgy bar meals were served in these and i think you can get them from morrisons. oval and round they are perfect for things like stewes, casseroles, lasagne, tuna and veg with cheese sauce over etc. cook more than you need normally and fill these bowls!
you can then cook from frozen, then place the whole dish on a dinner plate and wrap around it your salad, g/bread, chunky chips for dipping - it really is the way to go for quick easy and pleasant on the eye!!

hope that inspires you a wee bit! :beer:

*wanders off to try and think of things i cook with no onion.......*