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Having supper ready on time. Pls share ideas!
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little_mage




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 03 2014, 6:53 pm
As far as planning goes, I have a themed menu: Sunday is veggie bread, Monday is non-western (usually Enchiladas), Tuesday is pizza, Wednesday is meat, Thursday is breakfast. It helps to have categories to fit things into.
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SRB




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 03 2014, 7:13 pm
I married my husband and became a full time stepmother in a busy household with a few kids. (I was single with no children before marring my husband). Then I had a baby early in our marriage. Luckily HaShem has blessed my with good organizational skills, so for dinners I have a set schedule - monday is pasta, Tuesday chicken, wed. Hamburgers, thurs is burrito, Friday shabbos, sat shabbos lunch (I don't cook dinner), Sunday is shabbos leftovers or whatever I can figure out. But the kids get bord of the same thing over and over so I try to find something similar but different to make like a different type of pasta.

Also you should look at the Imamother cookbook "dinners for a year" - search for the link on this website. I downloaded it to my phone yesterday and already used a recipe for last nights dinner - such a great resource!

As for having dinner ready on time - I start cooking early. I have one child who eats first thing after school so I make sure to start cooking early afternoon... They (or u ) can heat it up later but at least it done. Hope this helps.
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Bebesimcha




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 12:10 am
Wow you make me feel so normal! I have this problem for years & thought there was s/ t wrong with me. I just have such a hard time decided what to cook and dread hearing "chicken again!" That I mentally shut down & pushed off cooking until the last minute. Then I feel like such a failure that I have no supper on time. I don't have such a large family & they do deserve a hot meal on time. I'm going to try some of the ideas that other pple gave but just know that ur not alone.
G luck!
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chani8




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 2:49 am
Make a two week menu plan. Knowing what's for dinner makes it so much easier to do.

Every night before bed I ask, what's for dinner tomorrow, in case something needs to be taken out of the freezer to thaw.

The truth is, these days, my teens make the menu and the meals. So if you get a system that works, you can pass it on to your own kids.
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amother


 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 7:55 am
Op here. Just checking in to say I'm reading every post. Thanks for the ideas. Still keep them coming as I'm learning something from everyone.
(I would out my SN if not for that complaint about my mom. I don't think it's nice.)
On another note I see that a lot of you serve chicken only once a week. Why is it that I think chicken needs to be served at least 3-4 nights a week?!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 11:09 am
Something that is a massive help to me is that I keep my freezer stocked with ground meat, chicken cutlets trimmed and placed in dinner sized bags, chicken on the bone, salmon, and soup. I also keep my pantry fully stocked. In the morning or the night before, I will take out what protein I want to serve for that night, and think of how to cook it during the day. That way I always have food ready to be prepared. I used to struggle a lot when it would be time to make dinner and I would have to go out to the store before being able to make anything. I usually go shopping at the beginning of the week to pick up fresh veggies and fruit etc
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amother


 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 12:45 pm
I also grew up in a home where supper was never a thought until 7pm when we were all starving. I have struggled with getting a system down pat but after a number of years I think I sort of got it.

Multiple week menus did not work for me as I was not always in the mood of what was on the menu so what I did was to make a list of dairy meals, chicken on the bone meals, chicken cutlet meals, meat meals, and Thursday night meals. I came up with at least 4-6 options for every category. On Sunday I plan for the week and shop for the necessary ingredients.

I leave early in the morning and get home with or just before the kids so I make what ever can be made in advance the night before or way in advance from the freezer.

For example one night this week we had meatballs. I prepped the meatballs the night before and then put up the brown rice and broccoli when I came home from work which took under 5 minutes.

Good luck!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 1:04 pm
amother wrote:
I also grew up in a home where supper was never a thought until 7pm when we were all starving. I have struggled with getting a system down pat....

....For example one night this week we had meatballs. I prepped the meatballs the night before and then put up the brown rice and broccoli when I came home from work which took under 5 minutes.

Good luck!

Op here
I'm happy to see I'm not the only one with this struggle. Makes me feel a bit more normal lol.

Care to share how you make your brown rice and broccoli?
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Nicky




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 1:15 pm
I follow the directions on the bag for the rice. I bake it in a disposable pan at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Broccoli I sometimes do oil but this time I just sprayed pam and garlic powder and baked it in a pan same time as the rice.

Easier clean up!!!!!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 1:19 pm
I'm in debsey's camp.
Motzei Shabbos or Sunday I make a menu for the week and do grocery shopping on Sunday. I base it on my calendar, so if I know that one day is a busy day I'll keep the menu simple for that day.
I always keep the freezer stocked with cleaned chicken packaged with one-meal portions, soups, and ground meat.
Every night I prepare the next night's supper. Supper is really not an issue this way.
Good luck!
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amother


 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 2:46 pm
I'm not OP, but I have a question for all of the Sunday preppers:

When do you buy your fresh meat/chicken to clean and prepare it? On sunday? or do you buy it when doing Shabbos shopping and freeze it before prepping? or is it another pre-Shabbos job?
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Shopmiami49




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 2:50 pm
Not the op, but I am following this thread for more ideas for op's original dilemma - how to work out preparing and serving meals on time to suit all taste and meal preferences...kids and dh, etc.
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Miri7




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Dec 04 2014, 3:06 pm
OP, don't feel bad! I struggled for years with the same issue when I was a SAHM. Going back to work forced us to get organized (plan meals and shop and prep ahead). Now we are doing much better. I don't have many ideas to add - the above posters made lots of good suggestions.

I do try to keep one super quick meal on hand - frozen something hat can be zapped or pasta with salad - for those days when our system breaks down! Bhatzlacha!
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