Lucy wrote in message ...
>
>"Saerah" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> Lucy wrote in message ...
>>>Who wouldn't love to take a vacation in Dave's world? No children in the
>>>kitchen, gourmet meals, and plenty of energy after work to prepare them.
>>>(Not everyone has a desk job).
>>>Lesser mortals can only envy..
>>>lucy
>>>
>>
>> i have a toddler, work a full time job (as a cook, no less!) and i still
>> find the time. it's all a matter of priorities. those of us who enjoy and
>> appreciate cooking a meal from scratch have it high on our priority list.
>> on
>> the other hand, i have not dusted in years (other than a few obligatory
>> swipes), there are toys all over the apartment, and my bed is not made.
>> you
>> shouldn't take it so personally.
>>
>> --
>> saerah
>
>Saerah,
>Wow, you are a professional cook! I have SO many questions I would love to
>ask you.
>But for now, can you recommend even just a couple meals that are
>kid friendly, and simple enough to prepare that I could memorize the steps
>after making it a few times?
i must preface that i cook in a deli at a (albeit somewhat upscale) grocery
store. i would reccommend (though you HAVE said that you don't want to cook
while reading- you have to start somewhere) getting a copy of "the joy of
cooking"- either the older version or the new one. there are alot of recipes
in there, from simple to complex, and it has easy-to-follow instructions,
for the most part. both a starting off point and a handy reference. another
good book is "how to cook everything". things like macaroni and cheese
casserole (i like to put a bag of a frozen green veggies in the colander
before i drain the pasta, to make a one-dish meal), basic vegetable and
meat- based soups, uncomplicated roasts with root vegetables roasted
alongside, are all examples of meals that can be prepared either partially
or fully ahead of time, or even frozen. which is a big help if you have a
kid or three running underfoot during dinner prep time. i let my daughter
"help" with some of the tasks (like stirring ingredients together, getting
items out of the refrigerator and pantry, washing produce) and it reduces
the "mom, pay attention to me NOW" thing, as well as encourages more healthy
eating habits in the future. (at least, i hope :>). most people, especially
the short and whiny variety, prefer simple food that tastes good. that was
my goal when i decided to cook more of my meals from scratch.
when i am pressed for time, i often make egg dishes like omelettes or
scrambled eggs with defrosted frozen vegetables. you can make quick soups
with packaged (i prefer boxed over canned when i dont usemy own) stock,
frozen vegetables and rice or pasta. i have a firm belief that when someone
takes a little time to prepare something for me (and vice versa) even if its
something simple, or isn't totally from scratch, it tastes better. im not a
big proponent of cooking shows, but rachael ray has a series (and , i
believe, a number of books) called "30 - minute meals" that, when i have
watched it, seems to have many good ideas for preparing quick and tasty
meals.
>My 'standby' has been Prego sauce (I can see you wrinkling your nose, hehe)
>over pasta. We're getting tired of it.. the kids have permanent red circles
>around their mouths and the school nurse has diagnosed it as ringworm.
Hubby
>is staging a coup..
>So.. I'm wanting to get away from bottled sauces, etc.. and at the same
>time, I want something 'tried and true' that other people love. I do like
>cooking from recipes, but I just can't find any that are simple enough I
can
>memorize them, that we like. At this point, after the failed cooking class
>experience, I am willing to pay someone to help me, even if over the phone.
with some experience, you will find that many recipes do not need to be
followed exactly to prepare tasty and nutritious meals. skills like learning
how to make roux-thickened sauces, basic marinara sauce, cutting up produce
efficently are key. however, i have to say that i think its a bit much to
expect to be able to cook without any recipes all the time. i know the
basics of how to prepare at least a hundred dishes, but i still keep a
recipe close by while im working, to have a guideline for cooking times and
ingredient quantities in relation to one another.
i do not think you should beat yourself up for using some prepared foods in
your cooking. a can of cream of muchroom soup is much easier , and with the
exception of added salt and preservatives, not too much different
nutritionally than making your own cream based sauces. homemade tastes
better, but even chicken breasts cooked with a can of soup with veggies on
the side tastes better and is better for you than fast food. i *like* to
prepare things from scratch, and doing so certainly provides one with a
knowledge of how food "works" , so to speak, but if using some prepared
items enables you to become more confident in preparing successful meals
quickly, go for it. i used to be a big "tweaker" of many of the prepared
foods available, which was how i discovered that i liked to cook. if you can
try a few new things each week, eventually youll have a months worth (at
least!) of menus that you are confident with and can rotate. it takes a long
time and alot of mistakes before you will be able to walk in to the kitchen
and throw things together from memory even some of the time. i think the
object here is to get to the point where you can use the recipe as a
reminder instead of having it open right in front of you as you prepare
every step. experiment with different vegetables, grains, herbs and spices
and see how they taste together. (this might not go over so well with
kidlets and husband, i have to warn you :>). if something doesnt turn out
the way you had hoped, try and remember what *did* work. keeping quickie
prepared stuff on hand can also be a godsend when you screw up and have to
get something on the table for dinner. ive been there
ok, i think ive typed enough now lol. and im not sure i answered you query,
but i hope this helps.
--
saerah
TANSTAAFL
CrzyBitch (3:25:06 AM): I'm a secret agent, and a princess
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