Daily occurrence

kaos16 · July 2014

I really need to get my "housewife" act together. Everyday around this time I start thinking of what i'll make for dinner and it's always like I've never done it before. I suddenly have no ideas. . . at all!

Maybe I just get bored of always gravitating towards the old standbys while trying to make healthy, inexpensive dishes.

Any way we can get a recipe discussion tagged up in here so we can find it in times like this?

wandajune6 · July 2014

There's a Friday recipe post that I like. Personally, times like this mean stirfry or pasta. Toss everything you have together in a stirfry with soy, ginger (fresh or dried), garlic, and maybe a bit of oyster sauce. If the foods you have sound disgusting with that, cook it all together with garlic and olive oil and serve it on pasta or rice. My dad taught me this approach (he did most of the cooking when I was growing up) and it works pretty well!

AddieCake · July 2014

Search Recipe Friday.

kaos16 · July 2014

AddieCake said:

Search Recipe Friday.

In a pathetic turn of events, I don't think i've ever searched anything on here. Woops! Those one-pot meals look unreal! Also, perfect for my unbelievable level of laziness today!

SBmini · July 2014

I have an app where I put in some ingredients, shake the phone, and it spits out recipes. I rarely make what it gives me, but it's good inspiration... so is pinterest. Sometimes i'll look at pinterest in the grocery store if I'm at a loss for what to make.

kaos16 · July 2014

SBmini said:

I have an app where I put in some ingredients, shake the phone, and it spits out recipes. I rarely make what it gives me, but it's good inspiration... so is pinterest. Sometimes i'll look at pinterest in the grocery store if I'm at a loss for what to make.

SIB- What is this app!

KatieinBkln · July 2014

Epicurious I think does that. So does AllRecipes.

AprilH81 · July 2014

It doesn't help you tonight, but I also recommend menu planning.

I don't always do it, but when I do it makes life so much easier.

I plan out 5 dinners each week knowing that we will have leftovers at least once and may end up eating out depending on our schedules. At least with this I have a game plan and I know I have all of the ingredients when I get home.

drptobe14 · July 2014

I also menu plan. My FI and I go grocery shopping every 2 weeks so before we go, we sit down and decide what we want. Then I make the list and off we go. I have a ton of food pins on Pinterest too. FI loves them. Some people pin wedding things, but I pin food...and ways to hold my wine and accessories.

theartistformerlyknownas · July 2014

This is one of those rare times when Pinterest makes up for all of its awful bridal inspiration. Sometimes I'll just search for an ingredient I have, like avocado or shrimp... I have an entire board of 30 minute meals too (like those one-pot meals), and a Meatless Monday board that's probably 80% quinoa salads.

Spanish rice with black beans and tomatoes is a good stand-by too.

Today I had rice crackers and hummus so that's probably no help.

luckya23 · July 2014

drptobe14 said:

I also menu plan. My FI and I go grocery shopping every 2 weeks so before we go, we sit down and decide what we want. Then I make the list and off we go. I have a ton of food pins on Pinterest too. FI loves them. Some people pin wedding things, but I pin food...and ways to hold my wine and accessories.

Wow, you only shop every two weeks?? I'm trying to eat a bit healthier, and I seem to need to go every 3 days... but I also like my bananas almost green, so that adds to the urgency.

Do you have a website that helped you get started menu planning? Did you do it when you were single / eating alone?

stephisawes0me · July 2014

My FI and I also TRY to menu plan. It was also a great way to finally make use of the shitton of cookbooks we seem to have accumulated. Every Sunday before we go to the grocery store, we try to pick out 2-3 recipes. The other nights we fill in with wraps, stirfry, or pasta (20 min meals).

drptobe14 · July 2014

@Kelani23 I menu plan for my FI and me. He has hollow legs and can eat for 3 people. I didn't really have a website I used, I keep a lot of canned and dried goods on hand. Plus I buy meat in bulk and break it up into individual portions so I don't have to cook it all at once.

We sit down as a couple every 2 weeks and pick what we want, and I usually try to throw 1-2 new recipes (usually Pinterest inspired) into the mix. I buy a lot of fruits and veggies that will keep for 1-2 weeks like apples/peaches/oranges/tomatoes/carrots. I have a food saver that is amazing for preserving salad. We usually buy the prepackaged stuff so I just take it out, wash/dry it, and reseal it. We buy 2 bags so we have 1 for each week.

I hate bananas, but FI loves them. He will stop and buy them on his way to work about once a week.

It takes more effort upfront, but I'm in a research-based PhD program right now so it's easier for one of us to look at the dry erase board and pull whatever meat we need out for dinner. Plus, it's way cheaper for us to cook instead of eating out.

He complained about meal planning at first, but he's really gotten into it. He loves clipping coupons. It's adorable.

RebeccaFlower · July 2014

I shop once a week and do a menu. I honestly don't understand how people don't. I know there are things we generally buy that I keep on hand, but I don't 1) have the time (or want) to go to the store 2-3 times to pick up ingredients and 2) the money or space to keep all sorts of proteins in my freezer.

It takes me less than a half hour to pick the menu and make a solid list of what to buy. This also helps me greatly when it comes to random purchases.

Senecaf · July 2014

I really need to start meal planning. Dinner is a major stressor for me. FI is trying to get all cut for this physique competition, we have two picky children and we both work a lot. So many restrictions on food I just get overwhelmed after the gym in the evenings. I think if I had a plan it would go a lot smoother.

kaos16 · July 2014

RebeccaFlower said:

I shop once a week and do a menu. I honestly don't understand how people don't. I know there are things we generally buy that I keep on hand, but I don't 1) have the time (or want) to go to the store 2-3 times to pick up ingredients and 2) the money or space to keep all sorts of proteins in my freezer.

It takes me less than a half hour to pick the menu and make a solid list of what to buy. This also helps me greatly when it comes to random purchases.

Can you give an example of what a typical week would be for you.

Menu planning is something I really need to work on. I am always at the grocery store getting one or two little things for dinner. It would be MUCH better to not have to do this, not to mention cheaper! The problem I run into is that DH often has last minute plans for the evening, and I don't want already purchased menu items to go to waste. . . .if anyone has advice on that.

BreMR · July 2014

Kelani23 said:

drptobe14 said:

I also menu plan. My FI and I go grocery shopping every 2 weeks so before we go, we sit down and decide what we want. Then I make the list and off we go. I have a ton of food pins on Pinterest too. FI loves them. Some people pin wedding things, but I pin food...and ways to hold my wine and accessories.

Wow, you only shop every two weeks?? I'm trying to eat a bit healthier, and I seem to need to go every 3 days... but I also like my bananas almost green, so that adds to the urgency.
Do you have a website that helped you get started menu planning? Did you do it when you were single / eating alone?

Oh my gosh, I can ONLY eat my bananas slightly green, people think I'm nuts!!! They just taste so fresh and banana-y! I also only shop every two weeks, it's the way FI and I set up our budget. I do run out of things that I eat that I prefer fresh (fruits & veggies) but I'll just pick them up on a random Tuesday if that happens.

Today I'm thinking I want to make this for dinner:

It's caprese pasta ! http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/capellini-caprese-111255.aspx#.TlRnix-Yepg.facebook

I substitute whole wheat pasta and fat free dressing to make it a bit better.

AprilH81 · July 2014

kaos16 said:

RebeccaFlower said:

I shop once a week and do a menu. I honestly don't understand how people don't. I know there are things we generally buy that I keep on hand, but I don't 1) have the time (or want) to go to the store 2-3 times to pick up ingredients and 2) the money or space to keep all sorts of proteins in my freezer.

It takes me less than a half hour to pick the menu and make a solid list of what to buy. This also helps me greatly when it comes to random purchases.

Can you give an example of what a typical week would be for you.
Menu planning is something I really need to work on. I am always at the grocery store getting one or two little things for dinner. It would be MUCH better to not have to do this, not to mention cheaper! The problem I run into is that DH often has last minute plans for the evening, and I don't want already purchased menu items to go to waste. . . .if anyone has advice on that.

I only menu plan for week nights...

Monday: Pasta with garlic bread

Tuesday: Steaks and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Seasoned chicken breasts with corn

Thursday: BBQ pork chops with cole slaw

Friday: Hamburgers and fries

Once I decide my basic menu I look through the fridge, freezer and pantry to see what I need to purchase and check and see what staple items we are low on.

We usually go out or order pizza on Friday's so the extra meal is a built in buffer for the weekends or a head start on next week's meal plan. We also end up with leftovers for at least one night, so that is another night I don't have to cook.

theartistformerlyknownas · July 2014

I have never been able to get on board with menu planning. It honestly makes it more complicated for me because I end up not wanting to stick to the plan, and having random ingredients left at the end of the week that don't work for other things. FI makes things easy considering he ate a chicken breast and microwaved sweet potato for dinner EVERY NIGHT before we met, so he couldn't possibly get bored with whatever I make. (I cook, he cleans.)

We just keep enough standard, healthy items on hand that I can usually mix and match a meat and two colors of vegetables (my rule) without much difficulty. We shop every Sunday and get what's in season in produce/on sale in meat. The pantry is stocked with lots of rice, beans and tomatoes for when we run out of fresh veggies, so we can make chili, stir-fry, Spanish rice, whatever. We just buy what we know we like, and figure out how to prepare it when the mood strikes us. We always have enough chicken in the freezer for an army, a lot of frozen veggies, marinated salmon, etc. Instead of "what whole meal should we make," it's "do you want broccoli or asparagus with the salmon today?"

The biggest key for me has been having adequate seasoning (spices, lemon juice, infused olive oils, fresh garlic) on hand so I can make things like broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, butternut squash, etc a dozen different ways. We probably eat chicken kebabs with bell peppers and zuke twice a week but season them differently.

luckya23 · July 2014

BreMR said:

Kelani23 said:

drptobe14 said:

I also menu plan. My FI and I go grocery shopping every 2 weeks so before we go, we sit down and decide what we want. Then I make the list and off we go. I have a ton of food pins on Pinterest too. FI loves them. Some people pin wedding things, but I pin food...and ways to hold my wine and accessories.

Wow, you only shop every two weeks?? I'm trying to eat a bit healthier, and I seem to need to go every 3 days... but I also like my bananas almost green, so that adds to the urgency.
Do you have a website that helped you get started menu planning? Did you do it when you were single / eating alone?

Oh my gosh, I can ONLY eat my bananas slightly green, people think I'm nuts!!! They just taste so fresh and banana-y! I also only shop every two weeks, it's the way FI and I set up our budget. I do run out of things that I eat that I prefer fresh (fruits & veggies) but I'll just pick them up on a random Tuesday if that happens.

Today I'm thinking I want to make this for dinner:

It's caprese pasta ! http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/capellini-caprese-111255.aspx#.TlRnix-Yepg.facebook

I substitute whole wheat pasta and fat free dressing to make it a bit better.

Yay for green bananas!

My roommate buys at least 2 huge bunches at a time, like 15+ bananas, and although he always eats all of them, I watch them get spotty (which is rot to me) and it makes my stomach turn!

I am a picky eater, so I don't often try new things, but I need to learn! SO loves all food, so I wish I could just put him in charge!

xnotbobx · July 2014

- supercook.com
- lots of beans, rice, quinoa, pasta
- frozen veggies or no-salt canned
- have oil and spices
- freezable proteins
- one from column a, one from column b, etc

Pick a dozen meals (or more/less) that you like. Stick em on a piece of paper, put them in a hat. Pick 7 (or however many days you want to do). Boom.

Also don't discount breakfast, and stuff like tuna melts or soup/sandwiches

RebeccaFlower · July 2014

@kaos16

This week was:

Mon: chicken curry

Tues: spinach & tomato pasta

Wed: spare ribs

Thurs: Asian chicken w/ quinoa

Fri: lentil chili

Sat: grilled fish

Sun: bbq chicken

I don't necessarily plan the sides, so I always keep frozen and fresh veggies around, as well as brown rice, potatoes and quinoa. I normally build in a day for leftovers since I always make too much or eating out or the random "I want this" meal. We do try to stick to the menu but I freeze all of the meat we buy in individual sizes (like two chicken breasts of a half lb. ground beef) that easily thaws in the fridge during the day if we do change it up.

PM me if you're on Pinterest and interested in my food boards, I have lots of easy 30 min meals there.

falsara · July 2014

Me and FI also meal plan. It saves us a bunch of time/ money and it makes it really easy when I get home from work to make things that are healthy. We keep things like pasta, rice and Mac N cheese and such on hand as staples ( there's always once a week when FI decided he want mac n Cheese instead of what I have planned, or I'm not feeling up to it.)

Even though its just me and FI I don't scale the recipes down unless it for a huge amount, we always have left overs, for lunch and weekends this way. I did find a free app the I use on my kindle, but the cool part is that I can put my own recipes in it too as part of my list. This way I can make grandma's homemade spaghetti sauce.

Monday - Beef Stir Fry with steamed white rice

Tuesday - Balsamic Pork Chops with Mashed potatoes and Broccoli

Wednesday - Tomato and Basil Tilapia with Angle Hair

Thursday - Asiago Chicken pasta (One pan dish)

Friday - Taco Rice bowls

We always have fresh fruits and veggies, because I like healthy snacks and if we run out of those I just go for a quick trip. When we do our regular shopping I always buy meet in the jumbo family packs and then I separate them into freezer bags and label them with what recipe it is for and what day. That way when I ask FI to pull something out of the freezer he knows exactly what I want.

huskypuppy14 · July 2014

xnotbobx said:

- supercook.com
- lots of beans, rice, quinoa, pasta
- frozen veggies or no-salt canned
- have oil and spices
- freezable proteins
- one from column a, one from column b, etc

Pick a dozen meals (or more/less) that you like. Stick em on a piece of paper, put them in a hat. Pick 7 (or however many days you want to do). Boom.

Also don't discount breakfast, and stuff like tuna melts or soup/sandwiches

Thanks for sharing. What a great website!

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