Times have changed

Gone are the days when my kids were little and didn’t do anything but a little preschool and gym class; when I was much more organized in the kitchen with my meals and my house keeping. When I was able to decorate my home because my kids just drooled on everything and didn’t know what jump, throw, color on, or smudge meant! With a  new stage of life of gymnastics twice a week times 2 and basketball practices times 2, dance 3 times a week and award ceremonies, and Oral Interp Festivals, the monthly calendar print out of all our meals and freezer meals stacked high in outdoor freezer is just not working anymore. New plan! Since we (encompassing all mothers) are SO BUSY, you know you all LOVE to say that, I had to re-think what I can do to provide dinner for these kids who actually eat-X4!!!!! I have finally realized we are a family of 6 who all have huge appetites…gone are my mini eaters, hello hungry active children! And they say it’s only going to get worse!!!! Lord help me! Here is what I do know and hopefully it will help all you other BUSY moms have a little less worry about what’s for dinner…EVERY NIGHT for the next EIGHTEEN YEARS!!!!

What I’ve done now is have my basics on hand at all times. My go to meals are always in the fridge and freezer waiting for me to mix together with my magic cooking wand. I shop at the beginning of the month from Costco and do weekly runs for fresh fruit and veggies, and of course milk…I need a cow in the back yard-it would be so much easier!!! Here are the meals I have on hand. Every now and then I throw in a new couple of recipes to keep my customers guessing!

1.       Shredded Pork in crock pot:

Buy four Pork roasts from Costco for around $14.00 and throw one in the crock pot in the morning, pour a jar of salsa over it and I can make tacos, burritos, quesadillas, you name it! Meal set with leftovers for lunch the next day. Or smother in BBQ sauce and make some man sandwiches, or smother in green or red sauce and roll up in a tortilla and make enchiladas, or layer in between tortillas and make an enchilada casserole. 

2.       Frozen Atlantic Salmon Filets

I buy 2 bags of these from Costco. Love these because they defrost quickly and they are individually packaged! I can pull out as many as I need and make whatever my heart desires. My favorite has been Giada’s Tomato olive oil, garlic, oven baked in foil Salmon. So easy, so quick, and super yummy!!!

3.       Chicken Breasts

I buy one bag from Costco. Frozen bag from Costco have the same effect as the salmon. They are individually packaged and defrost quickly. There are endless ideas for chicken but we BBQ them with all kinds of marinades and keep them for the week on salads, etc.

4.       Jack Daniel’s Pull apart meat

I buy two of these. Throw on in the freezer keep the other for the night of my Costco run. It’s fast on the stove top, tasty Jack Daniel BBQ sauce. I add some in the French rolls I just purchased from Costco as well and we have some meaty manwhiches…top off with sharp cheddar cheese and the girls in the house eat it up too!

5.       Organic Pasta and Canned Tomato Sauce

I buy one pack of the multi-pasta pack and one pack of the Whole Wheat Spaghetti. They last me a month, barely I could buy two of each! I always make a homemade sauce (it’s cheaper and it has less sugar!) so whenever it’s pasta time I’m set. I use two cans of the tomato sauce, add garlic, parsley, oregano, Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, olive oil, a tsp of sugar, and a bit of water and voila!

6.       Ground Turkey Meat

I buy one package of four from Costco. I pull this out and add to my spaghetti sauce, or use it for tacos, or add to my lasagna. The ideas are endless!

7.       Spinach Raviolis

I buy one or two of these packages-depending on how much room I have left in my cart! These are great for those nights you come home late from running around and a meal just sounds exhausting. I pop these babies in a pot of boiling water, 6 mins. later I have my veggies & main course covered and the kids LOVE them!!! I always add fruit & Veggies on the side of any and all our meals! Sides will be another blog post!

8.       Kirkland Pancake Mix

I buy one every two months. Sometimes, it’s pancakes for dinner when dad is in charge or mom is just wiped out. Yes it happens to every supermom, no joke! And it’s perfectly acceptable to do this, a lot if you have to! This mix is great because you just add water!!!! Oh I love SIMPLE!!!!!

You seriously have meals here for an entire month! No Joke!!! As long as you have the basics, the choices are endless!!! Next Post will cover what we call 1^st dinner! I serve it after school because it seems lunch at noon didn’t cut it!