It is a new year.
Time for a fresh start.
Since I don’t really make resolutions, I am not going to talk about that, but at the beginning of a year, I like to try and establish new habits. (Technically, I guess you could call this a resolution but saying that makes it so formal and like something I have to do which just seems like I am setting myself up for failure. What? Its or I am complicated. Whatever.)
One of the things that I am going to try and do more this year, it make dinner at home.
I know, I know, this is a lofty goal because like you, I am busy and sometimes it is so much easier to just call the local pizza place or go through the drive through. And don’t get me wrong, I am still going to do that but I want to try and do it less than I did last year.
So that being said, I now have to make dinner just about every night and that brings up the most dreaded question of all…
“What’s for dinner?”
Well, I have a plan for that. You see, long ago while my triplets were babies, I needed to make dinner in a hurry. It had to be something that all the kids would eat, something healthy and something easy.
I can up with my one pot meal plan.
All you need to for this meal plan is these four ingredients.
- A protein.
- A sauce
- A paste
- A vegetable.
If you keep these four things stocked in your pantry and/or fridge then your ideas for dinner are endless. Here let me give you some examples.
- Ground turkey browned, red sauce like spaghetti sauce, sauteed zucchini and penne pasta.
- Chicken breast cut up and cooked, jarred Alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli and rotini pasta.
- Shrimp sauteed, butter with garlic, frozen peas and spaghetti noodles.
- Cubed ham from deli counter, jarred Alfredo sauce, frozen peas and penne pasta.
- Smoked sausage, tomato sauce, spinach chopped and brown rice.
See, easy. You just cook the meat, boil the pasta (or rice) and then mix in the sauce and vegetables and dinner is done in about 30 minutes or less.
If you use this method and a little creativity the possibilities are endless and always tasty.
What are your tricks for making a quick and easy meal to feed your multiples?
Share any tips you have, I am always on the look out for new ideas.
Ha! i just posted today about a "one-pot wonder" that one of my twins cooked up today — he loves to come up with his own kitchen concoctions, and this one was actually pretty good. You can find out more about it here: http://www.learningmommy.com/2011/01/is-too-little-play-problem-for-children.html
YUM…the sausage one sounds fantastic!
Fabulous! One way I get my kids to eat when they're out of sorts is to have them make a salad. It has to have veggies (of course) and the meal must contain some sort of protein. A complex carbohydrate can go in the salad or be a side. My girls have come up with the following, so far:
* Shredded cabbage with taco meat and crumbled ramen, with a ramen-spice dressing.
* Baby spinach and grated carrots with fajita chicken, with tortillas on the side.
* Jicama and raisins, chicken nuggets, and dinner rolls.
* Mixed greens with crushed chips, plus baked fish.
I try to make a meal that I can have leftovers to make another meal. I make my own spaghetti sauce and will double or triple it and use it for spaghetti, lasagna, and/or baked ziti.
Another simple meal that all of my kids like is my version of chicken potpie. A bag of mixed frozen veggies, 1-2 cans of cream of chicken, a little milk. Boil a couple chicken breasts, cut up and put in a casserole dish, add in the cream of chicken, and some milk to make it creamy. This can be cooked in the crock pot or in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 mins. With 20 mins remaining, I cook up some biscuits and throw them on top of the casserole.
Awesome, ideas ladies. Thank you!