|
Post by monklady123 on Jul 30, 2014 14:18:41 GMT
Come on in and commiserate with me. Please. ugh. Day after day after day, thinking up what to cook. And of course I hate cooking so that compounds the problem. Yes it's my job because my dh works long hours. Both kids are working so they can't do any of the shopping. I do make them think up at least one meal a week. But half the time when I ask any of them what they might want for dinner they say one of the following: -- "meatloaf" (dh, and I am not turning on the oven for an hour in the summer) -- "shepherd's pie" (ds, and yes I like it but seriously not every week) -- "I don't know" (dd) -- "whatever" (all three of them) Honestly, if they were ever all three away at once I'd eat eggs, sandwiches, soup, cheese and crackers, maybe a rotisserie chicken if I felt ambitious. Any of you who feel the same ever figure out a way to get the planning done easier? Yes, I know it helps to sit down every week and just plan the whole week. Or two weeks. But I have a hard time forcing myself to do it. I do enough things in my life that I don't like doing, I'm not anxious to add one more. whiiiiiiine........ And any of you who just love planning and/or cooking, feel free to post but I might not read your replies. Maybe.
|
|
|
Post by shevy on Jul 30, 2014 14:22:52 GMT
I love to cook, but there are times when I am just over it. And my DH is like yours- "it doesn't matter". So when he says stuff like that I start making things that I like - grilled cheese, BLTs, nachos, pasta...all things that he's not crazy about. It usually spurs him to say that he is hungry for something else and we get back on track. I'd start telling them that they're each responsbile for one dinner a week. If your DH can't cook it, he can plan ahead and have things ready for you to cook. Make it the same day each week for them. That way if they don't plan and cook, you can tell everyone to have whatever they can find.
|
|
akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
|
Post by akathy on Jul 30, 2014 14:23:02 GMT
I do love to plan meals and cook them so if you read this, I have a suggestion. Once you've made a meal, write it down. Keep adding to the list when you cook a meal. When you get 12 or more meals on your list, start a rotation of those 12 meals.
|
|
sheepea
Junior Member
Posts: 85
Jun 26, 2014 14:27:58 GMT
|
Post by sheepea on Jul 30, 2014 14:24:26 GMT
One thing I tried doing once was keeping track of what we ate each night. Then I was able to go back and get ideas when planning for a week.. and make sure I didn't fix spaghetti more than a couples times a month! It also helped to keep new and liked recipes in the rotation.
|
|
|
Post by alibama on Jul 30, 2014 14:32:36 GMT
I always hated that! Nothing as changed through the years I still hate it.
|
|
psiluvu
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,217
Location: Canada's Capital
Jun 25, 2014 22:52:26 GMT
|
Post by psiluvu on Jul 30, 2014 14:33:06 GMT
Oh I can so relate. Just last night at the end of dinner DH and I did rock, paper scissors to decide who had to decide dinner tonight. I don't mind cooking but absolutely hate deciding what to cook. DD could live on any kind of salad and is not a fan of meat. DS could live on just meat and is not a fan of vegetables. Dh is not picky at all. I usually plan week by week according to the sales but have slacked of this summer. The kids are off the last tow weeks of the summer and I am going to have them figure out a few meal plans just to get some new ideas. FTR we are having grilled cheese, wedge fries and corn on the cob tonight. The kids decided.
|
|
gloryjoy
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,332
Jun 26, 2014 12:35:32 GMT
|
Post by gloryjoy on Jul 30, 2014 14:34:54 GMT
I do love to plan meals and cook them so if you read this, I have a suggestion. Once you've made a meal, write it down. Keep adding to the list when you cook a meal. When you get 12 or more meals on your list, start a rotation of those 12 meals. I don't mind cooking, I've been doing for 35 years!, but I like the above suggestion.
I will say now that my kids have moved out it's a lot easier, my husband will eat anything and doesn't whine or complain .
|
|
|
Post by chrispeas on Jul 30, 2014 14:35:45 GMT
I could have written your post. Dinner time is the thorn in my side. Ugh! I hate cooking and I'm not very creative. I go for the easy and the less ingredients in it the better. I need help!
|
|
clarita
Junior Member
Posts: 79
Jun 26, 2014 12:26:40 GMT
|
Post by clarita on Jul 30, 2014 14:38:21 GMT
I keep a running list of meals that I make as a note on my phone/ipad. Whenever I make something new that is worth putting into our regular meal plan, I'll add it to the list. When I get stuck with meal planning I open up the list and usually find something on there I haven't made in a while that I can add in. Also I used to decide the meals on the week and post it in the kitchen but I've recently started a new calendar on my phone/ipad (that I creatively named "Menu") so that I can just add an event to the calendar with the menu idea for the coming days or week. I can do it from wherever I am and can access and change it from wherever also. When school starts in a few weeks I will most likely start posting the weekly list of planned menus in the kitchen again so my husband and daughter are aware of the plan but I'll probably continue to create the menu on my phone and then I just have to copy it to our "weekly schedule" board in the kitchen.
|
|
lambchop
Junior Member
Posts: 83
Jul 7, 2014 18:50:47 GMT
|
Post by lambchop on Jul 30, 2014 14:40:01 GMT
I hate planning too! I have two picky eaters and a husband who will eat anything I cook. He is another who will never tell me what he wants because he really doesn't care. I have gotten some good ideas from this thread though. Thanks ladies!
|
|
MDscrapaholic
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,592
Location: Down by the bay....
Jun 25, 2014 20:49:07 GMT
|
Post by MDscrapaholic on Jul 30, 2014 14:40:28 GMT
I'm in the same boat! One thing, though, you can cook meatloaf in the summer! I put mine (frozen) in the crockpot (with cut up potatoes and carrots on the bottom, a cup of water) on top of the veggies and cook on low. 9 hours later when I get home -- presto! House smells yummy and dinner is ready!
|
|
|
Post by shevy on Jul 30, 2014 14:41:01 GMT
Something to think about: when you cook a meal, double it and freeze the second one. That way, you can take it out and bake/heat and you don't need to cook again. I also freeze leftovers in single portions a lot. So that DH and I can choose what we want from the freezer on some nights, even if it's different. I make double batches of things like chili, meatballs/meatloaf, lasagna, soups, taco meat/sloppy joes, pulled pork... I make homemade breaded chicken strips and fish sticks and flash freeze the 2nd batch on a sheet tray prior to cooking. When I take them from the freezer, I up the oven temp 50 degrees and bake about 5-10 minutes longer.
|
|
loco coco
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,662
Jun 26, 2014 16:15:45 GMT
|
Post by loco coco on Jul 30, 2014 14:41:20 GMT
its always hard for me as well, plus Im not a very good cook so things are limited! DH is no help at all, we had steak and green beans twice this week and its only wednesday! I feel your pain
|
|
|
Post by lovetodigi on Jul 30, 2014 14:41:26 GMT
I do love to plan meals and cook them so if you read this, I have a suggestion. Once you've made a meal, write it down. Keep adding to the list when you cook a meal. When you get 12 or more meals on your list, start a rotation of those 12 meals. If you do the above and put the days recipes/instructions/grocery list on a file card and store them in a file box. Once you get 12 or more built up, you can just go through them at the beginning of each week and pull out 7, put them in the order that you want to serve them, place them in the front of the file box, and menu planned.
|
|
|
Post by monklady123 on Jul 30, 2014 14:43:47 GMT
Oh I can so relate. Just last night at the end of dinner DH and I did rock, paper scissors to decide who had to decide dinner tonight. I don't mind cooking but absolutely hate deciding what to cook. DD could live on any kind of salad and is not a fan of meat. DS could live on just meat and is not a fan of vegetables. Dh is not picky at all. I usually plan week by week according to the sales but have slacked of this summer. The kids are off the last tow weeks of the summer and I am going to have them figure out a few meal plans just to get some new ideas. FTR we are having grilled cheese, wedge fries and corn on the cob tonight. The kids decided. Lol, you've just described my family. Dd and salads. Ds and meat. Dh and anything. However, I will say that mostly they don't complain about anything. Last night I made fish with a tomato/onion/olive topping. Knowing dd doesn't like olives I just made her two pieces of fish plain. If I hadn't she would have just scraped off the olives. lol. But either way she knows better than to say anything. lol (well, she did say thank you for making two pieces plain). Yes, it's a good idea to keep track for awhile of what we've eaten. I have a whole stack of Rachel Ray's magazines here and often we'll scan through those and pick out something. If we like it then it's a problem later to go back and find it. Ds says "Mom, let's just cut it out!" but I'm always afraid I might want what's on the back. lol But yes, I need to start writing it down. My other problem is trying to save the easy/quick recipes for the days that I work later, like tomorrow. I'm only part-time this summer but my Thursday goes until 4:30 and then I have to drive home from DC in rush hour. I would tell someone else to cook that day but ds doesn't get off till 6:00 and if he has to take public transportation (sometimes I pick him up) he doesn't get home till at least 7:00. Dd gets off at 5:30 and public transportation would be at least an hour for her too. Dh, who knows. Some days it's 7:00, sometimes 8:00, we never know. -- So I have boneless chicken thighs in the freezer, and Trader Joe's curry simmer sauce. Everyone loves this. I'm stuck for what to make tonight but I am not giving in and making that chicken because it's an easy thing for tomorrow. Sigh... off to get out a Rachel Ray magazine or two and see what leaps at me.
|
|
|
Post by alibama on Jul 30, 2014 14:46:56 GMT
Wow lots of good suggestions here. My kids are grown now so things are different. My husband and I have been on a diet for the last year so I pretty much do the same thing all the time. Sundays my DH cooks whatever meat I want on the grill and I eat it everyday that week I am a boring eater. Now my daughter is usually at the house on Saturday and she does her shopping on Sunday. lately she has been trying to get me to pick meals for her family. NO WAY! I hated it when I had to do it all the time, you are on your own with this one lol.
|
|
|
Post by deshacrafts on Jul 30, 2014 14:46:54 GMT
I do love to plan meals and cook them so if you read this, I have a suggestion. Once you've made a meal, write it down. Keep adding to the list when you cook a meal. When you get 12 or more meals on your list, start a rotation of those 12 meals. I love this idea and just started a list on my phone. I get tired of making the same things over and over again. My guys aren't very adventurous eaters, so it makes it a little harder to add new stuff to the rotation.
|
|
Weaselwise
Shy Member
Posts: 34
Jun 26, 2014 11:20:22 GMT
|
Post by Weaselwise on Jul 30, 2014 14:47:02 GMT
My late mother used to write out a weekly menu plan in great detail when I lived at home, and would do the weekly shop based around it... I started doing similar when I moved out but soon decided that me (and the now ex) working full time and sometimes on shiftwork meant that dinners were whatever was in the freezer and could be cooked from frozen, or could be got out the night before to defrost. Now I'm by myself it is whatever has the shortest date on the chilled ready meals - or my go-to meal of tuna and rice. Ex always refused to eat the same thing 2 nights running, personally I have no problem with that!
|
|
jen4
Shy Member
Posts: 39
Jul 9, 2014 11:29:45 GMT
|
Post by jen4 on Jul 30, 2014 14:48:33 GMT
I'm in the same boat with my kids! If I make a suggestion what to have for dinner...one may say no own test it, another may say to change to something else. Why bother cooking if no one will eat what I plan to cook for dinner? I've tried to compromise with all of them so each one would at least eat something! The kids make it so complicated that I just want to give up cooking and make it so simple not to do a lot of work into it. Ugh, I'd be happy just making myself dinner!
|
|
|
Post by keknj on Jul 30, 2014 14:54:38 GMT
Oh, the bane of my existence, MENU PLANNING. I hate it with a passion. And yet I have to do it every week. Just like you, asking the kids/DH doesn't help a lot. One kid asks for tortellini and the other for spaghetti and meatballs EVERYTIME. Ugh. One thing I have done to make it easier is I keep a regular 1" notebook in the kitchen with page protectors. It's sectioned into beef, chicken, seafood, etc. When we have a dish that we like I put the recipe in the book. Then when I'm planning and can't think of anything I pull out the book and flip through it. Then I not only have the idea, but the ingredients for my shopping list, which I do at the same time I plan. When I'm cooking the meal I just take the whole page (in it's protector) out of the book and use it while cooking then pop it back when I'm done.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 4:24:34 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 14:55:54 GMT
I do not love to cook and gourmet meals don't come easily to me. With that said, as a SAHM, I feel it's my job to not only shop but to cook all meals as well.
Planning meals OTOH, awful. We easily get in ruts. It pisses me off when people turn their nose up at what I make or just don't feel like eating it.
So once a week, we have a "family meeting" and one of the tasks at the family meeting is to plan meals for the week. Everyone gets to suggest things they like...everyone gets input and everyone knows that while they may not be thrilled with a dinner, they know it's coming and know that something they really like will happen the next night.
|
|
scrappert
Prolific Pea
RefuPea #2956
Posts: 7,960
Location: Milwaukee, WI area
Jul 11, 2014 21:20:09 GMT
|
Post by scrappert on Jul 30, 2014 15:01:31 GMT
I hate the planning, too. I am in a rut. My SO just started a new job that gets him home later and I am now the cooker. I don't mind cooking, if I know what to cook. If I have to come up with something that day, I stress and then end up with frozen pizza! I really want to get into the meal planning, using tools to help out. I have seen a couple of things to use, now I just need to buckle down and utilize one.
I will keep watching this thread for more good ideas.
|
|
|
Post by jeremysgirl on Jul 30, 2014 15:01:36 GMT
I hate cooking and meal planning too. I think part of it is just that DH and my DS are such picky eaters that it seems like I'm serving the same things over and over again. I am bored with my cooking.
|
|
|
Post by krc11 on Jul 30, 2014 15:05:28 GMT
Well, I rarely plan meals. But if I felt I needed a plan and it was an ongoing need, I think I'd make a 2-week or monthly meal plan once and be done with it. Then you don't have to plan anymore. If something happens, you can skip the planned meal that day (or week). And if you get super bored of that plan, then you could do a new plan. But I'd have to be super bored.
|
|
mlana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,523
Jun 27, 2014 19:58:15 GMT
|
Post by mlana on Jul 30, 2014 15:25:30 GMT
I do love to plan meals and cook them so if you read this, I have a suggestion. Once you've made a meal, write it down. Keep adding to the list when you cook a meal. When you get 12 or more meals on your list, start a rotation of those 12 meals. I got my meal planning under control by starting with a list. I kept a list of meals that my family liked on my iPad and at night, when DH or DD and I were sitting around, I would ask them to name something they liked that I cooked or to tell me something they would like to try. I made sure that I put simple meals on it, too, like grilled cheese and soup, because I never think of those when I sit down to plan. I keep an inventory of what meals I have prepared in the freezer and what ingredients I have frozen or in the fridge. This allows me to meal plan based on what I have, so I use it before it goes bad. Paprika, my favorite cooking app, has a Pantry feature that allows me to enter items that I have on hand and then it doesn't include them on the grocery list for that week.
I use the calendar function of Paprika to map out our meal plan. DH doesn't like to eat the same thing within a 2 week time frame, and I can't remember what I ate last night most days, so this works great. Depending on DH's schedule, I include at least 1 pasta dish and 1 stew-type dish each week. Usually I have most of these pre made in the freezer, so they are super easy to drop into night slots. I use the favorite feature of Paprika to mark recipes that are my go to family favorites. DH seldom fusses if we have one of these meals for dinner. I have even simple dishes in my recipe list because I can never think of them when I sit down to meal plan. I look over the online version of my favorite grocery store's online flyer before I meal plan because I want to try to make meals with ingredients that are on sale. I sit down on Sunday night while DH and I are usually watching a DVR'd show and make my plan for the week. DH tells me his expected schedule, and I know from when he expects to be home what kind of meal (crockpot or cooked fresh just before eating) I need for that night. I make recommendations based on what I have on hand, what we haven't had recently, and how much effort I think I'llI feel like making that night. DH might make a request or two, especially if he has recently seen or tried something for lunch. It usually takes us less than 10 minutes to plan our week's menu and I don't feel so stressed each night trying to come up with something for dinner. DH has Paprika on his phone and it is set to my account, so he can look the menu over during the week and make plans so that he doesn't eat for lunch what we have planned for dinner. He really doesn't like to eat similar meals close together. For us, Paprika has really made the process of meal planning and cooking much easier. My DD is in college and she is getting an apartment this fall; she had purchased Paprika and has spent the summer learning how to use it and adding recipes to it so she can make cheap meals for herself this fall. She can also log into my account and send herself recipes and meal plans from there, too. Even if you don't decide to use the app I am using, I would start with a comprehensive list, made over time by keeping it handy to add to whenever you think of something. Keep an accurate inventory of what items you have on hand in the fridge and freezer so you can plan to use them before they go bad. It's amazing how easy it is to forget what is tucked away in the back of the fridge, kwim? Marcy
|
|
smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,816
Location: Houston, TX
Jun 25, 2014 22:47:49 GMT
|
Post by smartypants71 on Jul 30, 2014 15:26:35 GMT
I REALLY hate it. It's just ds and I most of the time and we all have completely different dietary needs. I have T1D so I try to eat as low-carb as possible, my DS is so super-skinny so he is high carb. We end up eating out a lot!
|
|
peabrain
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,588
Jun 25, 2014 22:18:04 GMT
|
Post by peabrain on Jul 30, 2014 15:28:26 GMT
Are you on Allrecipes?
or a site where you can save recipes?
I love that I can just scroll thru some and pick out a few for the week. I don't even ask the schmoos I live with. They eat what they get ha ha ha
Allrecipes does have a meal planning feature if you pay for their Gold service, but I really didn't like it much. This was a while ago so maybe they're changed it. Also cozy has one too, but I'm too stupid to figure it out lol.
If I don't plan my meals I get into ruts and we starve. just kidding.
Paprika has helped me store recipes I see that I want to save.
|
|
|
Post by mtscrapper on Jul 30, 2014 15:29:43 GMT
I could have written your post. I HATE the planning of meals, and yes, part of it is I hate cooking, too.
I don't have any suggestions, but I definitely know how you feel!
|
|
|
Post by krazykatlady on Jul 30, 2014 15:32:15 GMT
I hate meal planning too. I have a friend that sits down at the beginning of the year and plans out a whole years worth of menus at one time. She claims there are no two meals just alike. She put out instructions on how to do this in an e-book and I tried to follow it but it was too much for me.
|
|
|
Post by snappinsami on Jul 30, 2014 15:55:54 GMT
Ugh... I'm with you. (And, it appears, a lot of other Peas, too!) Whine away. I never learned to cook when I was younger, and DH has done it for most of our 24 years of living together. For the last few years, it's fallen more to me. I'm fine with that, but I'm hardly an adventurous cook, am terrified of the barbecue, and have an incredibly picky 13-year-old daughter to deal with as well. I have a few go-to recipes that work well, but after a while, DH and DD started to kvetch (not a full-out complaint, just a little one) that we needed more variety. Fine. For one thing, we've told DD that SHE is responsible for dinner on Mondays. I don't care if it's just tortellini (her favorite, and totally easy), but SHE is doing the cooking on Mondays. When I have downtime at work, I look at Pinterest to find (easy) recipes that everyone will like. I check out AllRecipes.com too. I've gotten some good ideas from the Pea boards as well. Last night I made the 3 ingredient chicken tacos, and everyone LOVED it. The good recipes to in my recipe box to keep, and when I'm feeling at a loss of ideas, I'll go through them to see what we haven't had/made in a while. Each weekend when we do the shopping, I try to plan out at least most of our weekly meals. My biggest problem is that, even with an app for grocery lists, I tend to forget at least ONE key ingredient which sends me running to the store at the last minute. Meal planning stinks. Blech.
|
|