Tonight I could not think of anything to cook. Everyone woke up early from their naps & were a cranky li’l bunch of babes. Here is what Harper ate: a leftover piece of french toast, asparagus (which I cut up really small & told her it was green beans) (low, I know, but I needed her to eat!), raisins, strawberries, grapes, blue corn chips, & hummus. I fed the boys their food & everyone was still cranky. In walked Super Hero Daddy with hotdogs & hamburgers some precious precious people made him bring home to me. They were *heavenly*!!!
On other occasions when I am at a stand still & the creative dinner juices aren’t flowing, I will make:
Chicken Fingers (chicken, dipped in melted butter, covered in smooshed Ritz Crackers & baked @ 350 for 20-30 minutes). Mac & Cheese (noodles, butter, cream cheese, & real cheese plus a little salt & pepper). Scrambled Eggs & fruit & toast. Or a hodge podge of whatever I can find… like tonight. That only works if Chris isn’t eating though… otherwise, he’s starving in about an hour.
Please pass along some tips for what YOU do for dinner in a pinch??
Love~
ML
PS… I LOVE the crock pot. best invention ever! Just wish I could get my mind to remember to use it at 10 o’clock in the morning!
The crockpot is great. I work full-time and have a 2 year old. Sometimes if the recipe will work you can put all the ingredients in at night and put the pot in the refridgerator. Take it out in the morning and just cook. Or if you can not combine, prep the ingredients at night and have it all ready to throw in the crockpot first thing in the morning.
BTW, we had a family come into the NICU today for a visit that made me think of you. They had one child and then had triplets…but it was exactly opposite of you. First a boy and then 3 girls!!!!
omelets, roasted veggies and spaghetti squash, or fish. Kroger has some, actually, really good frozen tilapia filets that cook in 12 minutes.
I try to double recipes that freeze well…then I have something for dinner that night plus a meal ready to pull out of the freezer when all I have the energy for is heat and serve.
i make individual pizzas. slice of bread toast or broil both sides. add sauce, toppings, cheese. melt cheese in micro or under broiler. instant pizza the way they want it.
quesadillas- i put a flour tortilla in the pan, at cheese, chicken, whatever, fold in half and brown until warmed through. cut and add toppings. always a good, quick meal.
i always have frozen pancakes on hand. grilled cheese, pbj, soup, cereal and sandwiches are always easy. just add veggies and fruit and you’ve got a meal.
when i’m in a pinch i take a can of chicken noodle soup (like the chunky kind), drain out the liquid, microwave for a minute, & then let her eat it like finger food. instant chicken/noodle/carrot/celery dinner!
she loves it and i think at least there was some kind of veggie in there!
~lindsey
I love the Bertolli bag dinners for 2! You literally open the bag, pour into a pot, and 10 minutes later you have a delicious pasta meal! Super easy and everyone in our family loves it (I have to make 2 bags!).
Another easy favorite is quesadillas. Just put some tortillas on a griddle, put grated cheese (and grilled chicken or whatever else you have!) in and top with another tortilla. Brown on both sides, serve with sour cream and salsa and viola!
And then there’s always the PB&J, or grilled cheese and soup meal:)
French toast made from whole wheat bread with a warm strawberry sauce. I use strawberries – fresh or frozen works – a little sugar, vanilla, butter and warm it up in a pan. You can puree it for the little ones…easy, yummy and nutritious!
Every couple of months I make a big batch of “spaghetti sauce”…really more of a sauce that I put as many vegetables as I can think of in to boost up the nutritional value…tomatoes(I use canned if they aren’t in season), grated carrots, sweet peppers, onions, finely chopped spinach, garlic, and whatever else is in season that sounds good to me. I just chop it all up, put it in a big pan, add some fresh basil, oregano, salt, pepper, a can of tomato paste and some chicken stock (to thin it out and cut down on the acidity) and let it cook for about an hour. Then I put it in freezer bags to pull out on those nights when I don’t feel like cooking. Sometimes I add ground beef and throw it on spaghetti. Sometimes I add Italian sausage, mix it with penne pasta, put it in a casserole dish, cover it with cheese and put it in the oven…lasagna, chicken parm, soups…you can turn it into 100’s of different meals!! It has been a lifesaver many times!!
We always add fruit to the above!
Mac and cheese…chicken nuggets, grilled cheese…spagetti, pizza, bagel bites!
Not the most nutritious fare, but in a pinch it does the trick of feeding little people!
😉