chubbyalaskagriz
New member
I have SO many friends who are busy working mothers & fathers who ask me for food advice. It pains me to constantly hear just how GUILTY most of them feel for not being able to make time for home cooked meals. I understand the trickiness and difficulty. The hen-scratch below is an e-mail I have sent in reply to SOS's sent out by no fewer than 5 different friends just since school started back up in August. Since there's been SUCH a need for this type of advice for those just in my own life- I thought it might be useful to someone if I were to also post it here. Many folks come here and don't participate or join-in conversations at all. This is likely more for some of them- those who simply come for quick EZ ideas and have l'il or no time for online socializing. To those who fit this bill- read on- and good luck... I definitely feel your pain! But- I know YOU CAN DO IT! winks- kevin 
Know what helps a lot? Multi-tasking and cooking in bulk ONCE to create leftovers from which to quick-prepare other meals next day, two days later, etc.
For instance- meatloaf? It takes no more time or effort to make a HUGE meatloaf- or even TWO. What this does is: gives you 1.) the initial meatloaf dinner. 2.) leftover meatloaf for microwave reheats or cold meatloaf sandiches next day. 3.) Meatloaf to crumble-up and make into taco-meat or sloppy joes. 4.) Meat to crumble into a spaghetti sauce or rich tomato-y marinara for a gooey baked ziti/mozzarella casserole.
Similarly- roasted chicken? Why not roast TWO? This gives you: 1.) a yummy roast chicken dinner. 2.) plenty of leftover meat to whip-up a yummy pot of rich chicken & noodles/dumplings next day. 3.) More leftover meat for chciken stir-fry or fried-rice. 4.) and still yet perhaps enough left for chicken fajitas or quesadillas, or a great bowl of chicken salad (add chopped celery, a green onion, grapes, walnuts- maybe crumbled bleu cheese if you like it- voila! You've cooked TWO chickens on Monday and they've given you the basis for 2, 3 or even 4 days worth of meals while multi-purposing one simple action and maximizing your efforts.
If these meatloaf and chicken ideas interest you, there are countless others you can explore too: why cook ONE pot-roast... why not cook TWO while you've already got the oven going anyway? Why ONE pork-loin... why not 2? Why meat-sauce for only a medium-sized pot of spaghetti- why not double or triple and also have enough for a lasagna and a casserole of canneloni?
Do you have a deep-freeze? Putting together TWO lasagnas instead of just one (which really doesn't require much extra time or effort)- baking ONE for tonight- wrapping and freezing the other, gives you another E-Z thaw & bake meal for 2 or 3 weeks down the road. Same with a chicken/rice casserole, a meatball/rigatoni bake, or scalloped potatoes w/ ham, etc.
This method of cooking keeps really busy, working people in the kitchen cooking basically ONE meal, ONE night, but gives them prepared ingredients from which to quick assemble other meals down the road in the time it takes to make toast or put together a sandwich! (a cook's very best friend is a zip-lock bag and a freezer!)
It's kind of that whole "Work SMART- not HARD" mentality... and it takes a while to develop this habit of cooking- but it's truly what makes commercial kitchens work smoothly- it's the SECRET- if you will. Home cooks can perfectly, easily utilize a alot (granted- not all) of these plan-ahead/double-up work practices to free-up A LOT of time for work, family, etc. It's really, really effective- but until you "re-learn" how to do it- it's a foreign concept.
And trust me- when the alarm goes off at 5:30AM and the baby is crying, and you're trying to remember if you put your jeans in the drier last night, and whether or not there's gas in the car- and you're wondering what you're gonna have for supper later that night? Having a homemade lasagna or a cheesy ham & pasta alfredo casserole already made and in the freezer to pull-out and thaw and throw into the oven when you get home from work 8-9 hours later is a LIFESAVER that gives much peace of mind! smiles- k.
Know what helps a lot? Multi-tasking and cooking in bulk ONCE to create leftovers from which to quick-prepare other meals next day, two days later, etc.
For instance- meatloaf? It takes no more time or effort to make a HUGE meatloaf- or even TWO. What this does is: gives you 1.) the initial meatloaf dinner. 2.) leftover meatloaf for microwave reheats or cold meatloaf sandiches next day. 3.) Meatloaf to crumble-up and make into taco-meat or sloppy joes. 4.) Meat to crumble into a spaghetti sauce or rich tomato-y marinara for a gooey baked ziti/mozzarella casserole.
Similarly- roasted chicken? Why not roast TWO? This gives you: 1.) a yummy roast chicken dinner. 2.) plenty of leftover meat to whip-up a yummy pot of rich chicken & noodles/dumplings next day. 3.) More leftover meat for chciken stir-fry or fried-rice. 4.) and still yet perhaps enough left for chicken fajitas or quesadillas, or a great bowl of chicken salad (add chopped celery, a green onion, grapes, walnuts- maybe crumbled bleu cheese if you like it- voila! You've cooked TWO chickens on Monday and they've given you the basis for 2, 3 or even 4 days worth of meals while multi-purposing one simple action and maximizing your efforts.
If these meatloaf and chicken ideas interest you, there are countless others you can explore too: why cook ONE pot-roast... why not cook TWO while you've already got the oven going anyway? Why ONE pork-loin... why not 2? Why meat-sauce for only a medium-sized pot of spaghetti- why not double or triple and also have enough for a lasagna and a casserole of canneloni?
Do you have a deep-freeze? Putting together TWO lasagnas instead of just one (which really doesn't require much extra time or effort)- baking ONE for tonight- wrapping and freezing the other, gives you another E-Z thaw & bake meal for 2 or 3 weeks down the road. Same with a chicken/rice casserole, a meatball/rigatoni bake, or scalloped potatoes w/ ham, etc.
This method of cooking keeps really busy, working people in the kitchen cooking basically ONE meal, ONE night, but gives them prepared ingredients from which to quick assemble other meals down the road in the time it takes to make toast or put together a sandwich! (a cook's very best friend is a zip-lock bag and a freezer!)
It's kind of that whole "Work SMART- not HARD" mentality... and it takes a while to develop this habit of cooking- but it's truly what makes commercial kitchens work smoothly- it's the SECRET- if you will. Home cooks can perfectly, easily utilize a alot (granted- not all) of these plan-ahead/double-up work practices to free-up A LOT of time for work, family, etc. It's really, really effective- but until you "re-learn" how to do it- it's a foreign concept.
And trust me- when the alarm goes off at 5:30AM and the baby is crying, and you're trying to remember if you put your jeans in the drier last night, and whether or not there's gas in the car- and you're wondering what you're gonna have for supper later that night? Having a homemade lasagna or a cheesy ham & pasta alfredo casserole already made and in the freezer to pull-out and thaw and throw into the oven when you get home from work 8-9 hours later is a LIFESAVER that gives much peace of mind! smiles- k.