Do you cook multiple times a week?

Sep5Bride · April 2014

I lurk on the meal planning threads sometimes, and I have to say I'm really impressed with those of you who are cooking multiple times a week. I love to cook, and before DD I cooked more often, but ever since DD I have the hardest time finding the time. I pick DD up from DC at 5 and everybody is hungry and wanting to eat by about 5:30. The only days I have time to cook are when I happen to get done with work early and get most of the cooking done before picking up DD. If I try to cook with DD home, she is crying at my legs, wanting me to pick her up and play with her. Then of course there is all the cleanup waiting for me at the end of the meal. By the time DD goes to bed, the kitchen is cleaned up, and her food is prepared for the next day at DC, it's 9:00 and I'm exhausted. DH isn't able to help very much because he's in school and his evenings have to be pretty devoted to studying.

So here are a few questions I have for those of you who have managed to figure this one out!
1. How much time do you spend preparing dinner on a typical day?
2. What is your LO doing while you are cooking?
3. Does DH help at all with the cooking or clean up?

princessbmw · April 2014

Sounds like the slow cooker could be your best friend! Plop a few ingredients in it in the morning and it would be ready and waiting by the time you get home!

1. I usually spend about a half hour cooking, especially if I'm on my own to prep the meal. I can do a more elaborate meal if dh is there to watch ds.
2. I let him play in the kitchen/dining room. He basically takes stuff in and out of drawers. Yes, I have to put it back afterwards but it keeps him occupied.
3. Sometimes dh helps with cooking. For clean up, one of us takes care of ds while the other cleans.

JJsMum · April 2014

I probably cook 4-5 times a week, depends on how many left overs we have. We only eat out once or twice a month.

I spend about 30-45 min cooking. Sometimes less, but that's probably the average. I do a lot of meal planning, use my crock pot at least once a week, and will make common ingredients (like meatballs, ground beef, or diced chicken) in bulk on the weekends. Then I just need to pull it out of the freezer, mostly thaw it, and throw it in sauce or stir fry and we are good to go.

The boys are pretty good about playing together while I cook, or I give them some Kix cereal to munch on (and play with).

DH isn't allowed to cook in my kitchen after he ruined a couple pots and pans. He does handle all the clean up though. I try to be good about cleaning as I go, but it's not always possible with two kids under foot.

this decaf life · April 2014

1. How much time do you spend preparing dinner on a typical day? 30-40 minutes, I usually give DD her dinner while I'm cooking if it's going to take longer than that amount of time.

2. What is your LO doing while you are cooking? DH is bathing her/she's asleep. DD still goes to sleep at about 615 pm so we eat between 630-7ish

3. Does DH help at all with the cooking or clean up? Depends, we have a helper that finishes dishes in the morning if we don't get to them at night.

ungraceful13 · April 2014

I cook 5 days a week. If my week is very busy then I plan lots of crockpot meals. I get off at 3 though and DH gets off by 4. 1.It typically takes me about 30 minutes. 2.DD is playing with DH, or watching Sheriff Callie, or destroying my tuberware drawer. 3.DH does clean up.

emja0214 · April 2014

I cook every night, typically for 30 minutes or so, sometimes longer. My slow cooker is my best friend. There have been times I cook two meals in my slow cookers, yes I have 2, on the weekends so I just have to reheat during the week. While I am cooking DD likes to bang on our other pots and pans while sitting at my feet. She also plays with our drawers. If I am desperate I give her the iPad. There are a ton of apps she loves on there that keep her occupied. She also know how to take pictures on it which she thinks is hilarious and loves to do. As for the dishes DH and I switch off. We do not have a dishwasher so everything is done by hand. It is usually 8 or 8:30 before everything is done and food is prepped for the next day.

RN2011 · April 2014

I usually don't get home during the week until close to 7 after picking up DD and traffic. On Sunday mornings I make about 2-3 meals so that during the week I reheat or make the side dish to go with the main meal. DH will cook some meals during the week if he gets home before me. Our DD usually hangs out with me in the kitchen bringing her toys in or playing with the dog's toys :-) ..My DH will clean up some nights or I will just because I'd rather he spend sometime with our DD before we put her down for bed.

BabyHope2013 · April 2014

1. How much time do you spend preparing dinner on a typical day?

I do all of the cooking usually at least 6 days a week (unless we are grilling, then I hand DH a plate of food for him to grill that is generally seasoned and ready to just be thrown on). I spend about 30 minutes a night prepping and cooking dinners. I have to meal plan every weekend, otherwise I end up resorting to ordering in or picking up carry out. I try hard to make one to two meals on Sunday afternoons and either freeze it or plan to eat it Monday and Tuesday.
2. What is your LO doing while you are cooking?

I pick up DS every day from daycare a little before 6 p.m. We come home, let the dog out, change clothes and I will give him a bath every other night and then we go straight to the kitchen. I am usually cooking dinner by 6:15 p.m. DH is home by 6:30-6:45 p.m. and we eat right away. While I am cooking I try to entertain DS with kitchen stuff that I have put in a lower drawer that I have made to be his. Sometimes if he is really whiny and fussy, I will bribe him with a few pretzels or goldfish. If all else fails, I carry him on my hip and cook (which is getting more difficult now that he is getting older). Now that he is getting older he does like to help stir (not hot things on the stove obviously).
3. Does DH help at all with the cooking or clean up?

DH isn't a very good cook---I have learned that the hard way over the years. If he does cook, I try to stick with having him reheat things or something else that he can't screw up. He does help clean up---we clean up together or one of us cleans up while the other plays with DS before we start his bedtime routine between 8 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Its definitely all a challenge and I feel like I run a marathon from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. but it's just become my routine now. I envy moms who can use their crock pot during the week---I leave the house at 6:45 a.m.----so by the time that I get home it is usually overcooked. My best advice, plan out what you are having for the week and then I like to have at least one or two meals made so I just have to throw in the oven or reheat quickly. Also, if you are willing to eat breakfast for dinner----that is generally super quick and easy to make too.

martha919 · April 2014

Well, DH has been working late for the past six months since he started a new job, and it was supposed to wind down so I don't cook much at all. He doesn't eat dinner when he works late, so I'm not going to waste energy on a meal from scratch just for me because DD will eat two bites. Nope.

==N== · April 2014

We cook every night. But when I say "we" I mean dh does and I throw some frozen veggies in a pot at the end.

He gets home earlier and has more time because it's just him and ds, and ds is old enough to entertain himself. Plus he doesn't burn stuff as much as I do.

jobiann · April 2014

1. How much time do you spend preparing dinner on a typical day?

We cook pretty easy meals, 5-10 minutes prep time. Now that it's spring we'll grill until the snow falls again so the meals are pretty easy, Usually involves chicken or steak which we marinate in the morning before we leave for work, some kind of grilled veggie that I just have to cut up and maybe an Uncle Ben's microwave minute rice. I also make some crock pot meals that I put together in the AM and let cook all day. I use the crock pot liners to clean up is a BREEZE.

2. What is your LO doing while you are cooking?

Usually the one who isn't cooking occupies DS, if there is something we really really need to do where we cannot keep after him we are guilty of throwing in a DVD for him. It usually only buys us 10 minutes at the most. Otherwise, he is usually just in the kitchen playing while we prep/cook.

3. Does DH help at all with the cooking or clean up?

DH honestly does most of the cooking, I help with prep and we both do clean up.

Mom2anAngel2 · April 2014

1. We eat a home cooked meal every night. We rarely go out. That being said, I font cook every night. Many times I make 2 or 3 meals at once. This makes prep work easier. I leave instruction for DH on how the meal needs to be heated/cooked while I am at work. For instance, on Monday I made a pork stir-fry, 3 cheese Mac and cheese as well as stuffed peppers. I probably only took 30-35 minutes to make the meals for 3 nights. We had the stir-fry on Monday, Mac and cheese last night and stuffed peppers will be tonight's dinner.

2. DS is usually playing with toys in the kitchen, coloring with crayons on his high chair that I pull up to our island while I prep the food or I let him play with food that I am prepping (a scoop of mashed potatoes mixed with flour makes a quick play dough).

3. As long as DH is home, he takes care of the clean up while I do bath time or changing into PJ's.

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