How long does it take you to cook for a two day yomtov?

amother

Amaryllis

Fri, Aug 27 2021, 5:14 pm

I have teenage dtr.s and we eat both fairly simple and I spend a little extra.
They help so it both goes faster and is enjoyable.
They wash/ peel / cut and put veggies and potatoes… on cooking sheets in the oven. I make the chicken/meats and “gross” things they don’t want to touch. A corn-beef or brisket is easy but more expensive (although I do but on sale and freeze for YT. I paid $10lb, which really isn’t bad). Chicken cutlets are easy to as I bake, not fry them, and a turkey roast is mindless.
The bakery makes challah and dessert is Dunkin Hines and fresh fruit. If company is coming and offers to bring something, I always gladly accept dessert.
I do all my cooking the night before/that afternoon. I do not cook in advance and freeze, but I have no issues staying up to 3 am.

allthingsblue

Fri, Aug 27 2021, 5:36 pm

lfab wrote:

I don't necessarily cook for just a 2 day y"t at a time so can't really guage exactly how long it takes. This time of year, with so much y"t and shabbos in a row, I start by cooking weeks in advance. I'll make bigger items like soup, challah, meats, and baked goods for 3-4 Sundays before Rosh Hashana making 1-2 things each week depending how much time I have. I also double or triple things in making for shabbosim for 3-4 weeks before y"t. So one week I made 3 deli rolls, another 4 noodle kugels, another week some fruit crisps. Each week I used one for that shabbos and the rest go on the freezer for a y"t meal. I also prep double the amount of chicken I need each week for shabbos for a few weeks before y"t and freeze half for y"t (depending on the type of chicken I may cook and freeze or just prep and freeze raw to take out and cook erev y"t). In the week leading up to y"t I try to make at least 1 thing each night if I don't already have enough in the freezer. Anything that needs to be made fresh, like veggie sides and salads, gets cooked the night before y"t or erev y"t itself. It's a lot of work for weeks before but I find it's the only way to get it all done when you work full time and have a house full of kids and want to come into y"t calm and not crazy rushed.

Good point. I was about to say that it takes weeks and weeks for me but I realize now that I’ve been cooking for the entire month of
Tishrei, chagim and shabbosim. (I’m not near finished but did a huge bulk, so it’s less overwhelming and now I need mostly fillers.)

mommy12

Fri, Aug 27 2021, 7:23 pm

I do it one or two days before in the evenings. I tend to do a lot in a short time instead of spreading it out. But I will also have leftovers at meals so I don't need four completely different meals. And we don't do huge meals either. I'm not making several courses for each meal either.

amother

Ebony

Sat, Aug 28 2021, 4:03 pm

Dh and I cook together, he probably does even more than I do, as he's more into cooking.
We do it all on erev yom tov, luckily we live in Israel and we have the day off. It's a marathon of cooking and cleaning that day. Very tiring, but I much prefer it to spreading it out over a week or two.

We tend to eat the same stuff from meal to meal. And we also cook on yom tov itself very often.

amother

Catmint

Sat, Aug 28 2021, 6:04 pm

Feeling very inspired that so many people only start a day or two before. I hope to bake Challa tomorrow and then basically do everything next Sunday. I work full time and I barely manage to make supper. For Sukkos my older kids will be off from YK so they will help with desserts.
I keep on my platta on a timer on YT and make fresh side dishes that way like mushrooms, zuchini, even rice. Or I make couscous. Fresh and healthy.

egam

Sat, Aug 28 2021, 10:17 pm

amother [ Firethorn ] wrote:

I usually do everything the night before and erev yomtov besides challah which I try to do before and freeze

This and I cook on yom tov. I can’t cook weeks in advance. My family likes their food fresh. My goal usually is to make sure that I complete everything before that can’t be done on yom tov. Like some baking or things that need electric appliances. This year I have a few days off before Rosh Hashonah, so I hope to get done more then usual.

amother

Mint

Sat, Aug 28 2021, 10:59 pm

amother [ Scarlet ] wrote:

How does everyone have enough fridge and freezer space to cook in advance? I can barely get the Shabbos food in the fridge after the meal Friday night.

I learnt to repackage everything into smaller containers.

Re cooking for yt, I have no patience for long drawn out cooking sprees. I do everything on erev yom tov. I do try to make doubles of stuff so we have enough for another meal but we have a small freezer so most everything gets done fresh. I spend about 2-3 hours in the kitchen.