What can i feed the fussiest eater in the world?

oystercatcher

Thanks for replies so far.
Yes I have a freezer, two actually, they are stuffed with things like shop pizza and veggie burgers, bread, veggies and the ubiquitous oven chips (the boys don't even like them but they are so easy!)
We freeze portions of DH's soup and sometimes he has that when we have something yummy and veggie !
I have problems cooking more than we eat as we get through huge amounts as it is. I have trouble lifting the saucpans when we make pasta etc. I did buy two huge casserole dishes and one usually is just about enough so maybe to make two casseroles and freeze one.

The boys are 16, almost 18 and 19 they often cook particularly when I work, they usually just cook for themselves though and then DH has to find something for himself. They are pretty good about eating stuff they're not keen on, I often cook potatoes and they eat a few. The fussiest one is DH and his tomato allergy is a problem as the rest of us absolutely love tomatoes but we can get round this.

I really just need some new ideas if anyone can think of something that I might be able to cook and most people will eat.

I need to experiment with curry I think and yes we need to get the slow cooker down and read the thread on slow cooking. I have a feeling it's a nice big one, it used to belong to DH before we got together.

We also have the age old problem of people coming in and out at different times often starving but needing to be somewhere else at short notice. I guess a slow cooker might be good for this as well though . If only I could get more organised.

Bacon and parsnip soup sounds scrummy although I know one person will turn his nose up.
Pies !!........ make pastry !!!!! Well I can remember making it at school. I guess I should try again !!

Got to go out will look back for more ideas later
thanks and bye for now

Oystercatcher

mummysaver

Have a look a the meal planning threads, these might give you a list of meals to think about and possible adapt to suit your family, at least it will have some new ideas!

Then make a list of the things that you think they might like and ask them for suggestions, sometimes the odd one out may just need to have something different from the freezer!

And definitely get the slow cooker down from the attic and have a read of the slow cooker thread, you can cook huge amounts for not too much money and hopefully there will be several things that everyone likes, also on the days when you are doing long shifts you could throw the stuff in there in the morning then they wouldn't need to go out for a takeaway as the meal would be ready and bubbling for them - you can always use a timer!

oystercatcher

Hmm I'm not so sure about throwing stuff in a slow cooker before work, I have to get up at 5.45 as it is !! Maybe the night before but if I've been working then I come home exhausted at around 8.30pm so am never keen to cook then either.
I think I need to train them all a bit more.

Meal planning sounds a good idea I need to get my head round that a bit more.

Thanks everyone

Oystercatcher

trying-very-trying

oystercatcher wrote: »

Hmm I'm not so sure about throwing stuff in a slow cooker before work, I have to get up at 5.45 as it is !! Maybe the night before but if I've been working then I come home exhausted at around 8.30pm so am never keen to cook then either.
I think I need to train them all a bit more.

Meal planning sounds a good idea I need to get my head round that a bit more.

Thanks everyone

Oystercatcher

I understand that you are strapped for time, but could you possibly ask hubby or one of the boys to prepare the veggies and meat for the slow cooker and store them in the crock pot in the fridge, then just remove the dish in the morning and switch the slow cooker on.

oystercatcher

One thing I want to try are the veggie sausages/burgers mentioned recently in the £20 for family of four thread. DH loves stuffing and the boys love spicy bean burgers so with a few beans and chilli added I reckon that might go down well and hopefully they will freeze for busy days.

I think home made ready meals are the way to go for my work days rather than slow cooking. If I leave them a list of what to bung in the oven I think they are more likly. The SC will be better for my days off, I can make the dinner and then go out , or even better....go back to bed !!

Oystercatcher

whatatwit

Hi Oystercatcher, the slow cooker may also be good for when you are around to make something for tea and have the slow cooker on to make something else ready to freeze.

oystercatcher

That's a good idea, I always tend to ahve good intentions but then they don't happen due to lack of energy

I've been out all day today , tomorrow is busy too but on Saturday I'm going up into the loft ....... !!

DS cooked a lovely pasta and quorn bolognaise today was lovely to come home to a meal all ready. DH had a chicken sandwich !!

Oystercatcher

mummysaver

If on one of your spare days you cooked a huge portion of bolognese in the slow cooker, you could freeze it as family sized portions, then on days you've been working you could just get it out and reheat it whilst boiling the pasta. It's sort of a home made cheat meal - no effort on the night you want to eat it and simply to make when you have a day off, just throw the ingredients in the sc and let them do their thing!

Good luck with your meal planning. If you stuck it up in the kitchen perhaps someone else could start things off if you aren't home, sounds like your boys are more than capable in the kitchen, and if there's a plan and the ingredients are there then they have no excuses!

Oh, and hm bean burgers do freeze well, just made sure you put something between them so they don't all stick together. I freeze mine in bags that contain enough to freeze the family, and in two's so if only one person wants them they don't need to take out a huge bag full.

milliemonster

I know this has probably been asked a thousand times but I am desperately in need of ideas for cheap family meals. there are 4 of us at home but 5 yr old son is extremely fussy with what he will eat and I am getting fed up of making meals that I then end up throwing away:mad:

He loves veg and meat, and but obviously this can be expensive if you do it everyday!!!, but he won't eat pasta (unless it's spaghetti, he hates shaped pasta bizarrely so won't eat pasta bakes of any sort, I have tried), doesn't like potatoes at all (only mc donalds fries which he doesn't get that often), he won't even eat chips at home!, I do put potatoes on his plate each day to try, mash, new and roast etc but he always leaves it), hates chilli, curry, risotto, anything cheap really!

The only things I can come up with so far to do cheaply that he likes are stir fries and shepherds pie and veg, and casseroles but I bought a slow cooker to try out loads of cheap things and haven't got any ideas!!!!, he likes rice aswell but not in a risotto, just plain

Anybody got any ideas?

pandora205

Hi. If you look at the October Grocery challenge it gives lots of ideas (see posts 2 and 5 especially for indexes)
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