Thursday, November 15

i need help

i've been coming to terms with realizing we need to eat at home way more often. my goal is to only eat out ONCE a week. that pretty much means we have to NOT eat out the other 5 nights we usually do. LITERALLY. it's that bad. i have made dinner 2 nights in a row now. it's a pretty big accomplishment although i'm not sure the food is all that great. because of thanksgiving and knowing we'll be out of town for most of next week, i don't want to go grocery shopping - so i'm trying to make meals out of the food in our pantry and freezer - YUMMY. so far, weston has liked what has been placed in front of him - hopefully he's not just being super nice ... hopefully he really does like it as he says :) if anyone has any, and i mean ANY suggestions or advice on how to cook for 2 or what kinds of staple foods to cook with or tasty and useful recipes, please pass any and all comments along. my mom was always at home - she only worked out of the home probably 6 months of my life. maybe that's why, but i've always really wanted to be a MOM and not have the career. i have this secret desire to be as good at everything as my mom is and i am constantly so surprised that it's so hard for me sometimes! :) but, i'm on this housewife kick as of late, apparently, because i spent over 10 hours cleaning on saturday (honestly - i was SOOO exhausted) and i'm trying really hard to make dinners again. maybe it's that nesting thing? :) kate should be here in under three months and i need to make sure i'm in all my mom-mode glory! :)

7 quick quips:

gleave said...

Ok, my favorite thing that my mom makes and I have carried on into my family is to get pork chops, I prefer the boneless ones. I brown them in a skillett and then transfer them into a crockpot with one can of cream of chicken soup and turn it on high until they are tender (usually 3 hours) Then, I make mashed potatos and use the soup in the pan for the gravy. Really cheap to make and has AWESOME flavor!
Another favorite is to cut chicken breasts into chunks and cook them fully in a skillett. I then cook spaghetti noodles and when they are fully cooked, drain them and add one can of cream of chicken soup and the chicken, and it is really good. It is my kids favorite.
Well, I am so jealous that you only have 3 months left. I just hit the half way point this week. Talk to you later.... Ashlee

Carrie said...

Hi Erin! This is one of my favorite topics, so I have tons of ideas for you. I'll just leave a few of them though, because it would take all day. If you do want more, let me know and I'd be happy to share....

1. Always have cream of mush/chick soup on hand. It wokrs great to put over any kind of meat and then cook in the crock pot.
2. Plan your week's menu in advance. That way, when you go grocery shopping, you are more likely to stick to your menu and not spend money on spontaneous stuff.
3. Keep pasta, diced tomatoes, mac and cheese, frozen peas, brocoli, beans on hand at all times. These things are so easy to make pasta dishes from. you'd be suprised too at how good mac and cheese can be if you throw in a little tuna, and add a can of diced tomatoes. Sounds strange, but trust me, it's really good.

the coltons said...

thanks! you guys are awesome! keep em coming :)

Dunn Family said...

Okay, lets just say that I am not a good cook or anything, but i really like this recipe for sloppy joes:

take your ground beef and cook it in the skillet until done.
take 1 can of vegetable soup and 1 can of minestrone soup and poor onto the meat (after you have drained the meat), and add water to taste. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes and it is done.
After you put it on your bun, add some cheese and it is so good! It is way easy and cheap, plus it is really good.

Donnie and Kristi said...

Best advice you will ever get:
http://www.cookingfor2.com/Default.aspx?r_d=y

Ashley Taylor said...

Rory and I had this conversation about a week ago. So I made a resolve to make dinner every night. Which, forced me to do some serious planning before going to the grocery store. Anyway, ITS SO HARD! But, we have spent upwards of hundreds of dollars on eating out each month and the madness has to stop. I have a bunch of easy fast recipes if you want them. I am also looking for someone who wants to go to Costco with me and split the things we buy. I actually enjoy their produce and meats, but its just too much I feel like it goes to waste. Anyway, let me know. Also, a few of my friends started a blog of recipes. . . check it out. . . extremedinnermakeover.blogspot.com

Brett and Shireen Olsen said...

I have a whole bunch, several that are either really quick or crock pot meals. I'll email you some, I have them in a doc that I printed and sent to my Sis in law, so I'll email that to you. The only way to survive cooking for 2, in my opinion, is to try your hardest to make small amounts, and plan to have leftovers. It's rough around here since Brett doesn't like left overs. Rediculous, I know!