As I was reading Mother Hen's HFGF entry for today, it gave me an idea. I've told you in the previous HFGF that I always feel that I don't have any ideas or advice for you and maybe I don't. I would think that I would but my mind is always blank. I didn't post last week due to the death of my grandmother. We were all out of town for most of the week.Now back to my idea for today. With seven young children (ages 9- almost 7 mos.), I tend to be busy. HaHaHa...as if you don't experience the same thing. I have a husband who doesn't mind leftovers and could careless about having a big meal. (I love you My Love!) In order to cut down my cooking time, I try to cook enough for two nights in a row so that I am not in the kitchen every evening. It's a good habit to learn how to eat leftovers...don't you think. There is always a lot going on with keeping up the home, teaching the children, cooking meals, nursing a little one, and now taking care of my husband's grandmother in our home as well. This also allows me time to exercise during the children's nap time. This works out for now since the children don't eat as much but I know the day will come when my five boys will be bigger and hungrier.
Let me know what you do to save time in the kitchen. I would love to hear how other families find time for all of these things. How do you make time for cleaning, homeschooling (book work), cooking, and exercising during your day?
Also, head on over to Ship Full O'Pirates for some more "Help for Growing Families".
4 comments:
How nice to have a Honey who doesn't mind leftovers!!
I plan extras for the kids lunch, so I think we think alike!!
You have a lovely family; I look forward to reading more of your HfGF tips!
We eat leftovers for lunches too and to save on cooking prep time...I buy large 5lb packs of ground (turkey) meat, and brown them and freeze 1 lb in baggies. I also buy and boil whole chickens...then remove the meat from the bones...and put them in 1 lb baggies as well. Easy for making stews, casseroles, crock pot recipes. I LOVE my crock pot! I also have a pre-made grocery list...to make grocery shopping easy! Plan to share it on my blog soon!
When I buy my chicken, I clean it all before it goes into the freezer.
I cook some and chop it up and place it in a baggy ready to be pulled out to put in my meal. I also marinate some, leave some uncooked, bread for a recipe I may need,and some gets shredded.
It is a lot of work upfront but well worth the labor on the days I need to use the chicken.
Just wanted you to know that training them up to like leftovers really does work! My seven kids are now 11 - 21 years old, and 4 of them are big, hungry teenage boys. Whenever I cook a favorite,(like spaghetti, or chicken and rice, or meatloaf)they are VERY disappointed if I have not cooked enough for a second meal.
I usually try to skip a day between the first and second time I serve the meal. And I have never refered to them as "leftovers" in front of the kids. I just say, "We're having spaghetti again!" And the kids say, "Hurray!" (Because they love spaghetti.)
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