Re stretching a meal, two ideas: 1) think of dinners you can make with shelf-stable ingredients, and 2) plan on stocking your freezer.
1) You can pretty easily modify a stir-fry for unexpected guests (and for most allergies). Get some jarred sauce, then you need protein (meat, eggs, peanuts, cashews, canned beans, canned fish), and you need veggies (we often use a bag of frozen veggies, and you can clean out the random odds and ends in your fridge, too). Put everything in the skillet (think carefully about timing, since you do want any meat to be safely cooked, and raw carrots will take longer to cook than, say, fresh spinach). Serve over rice. A lot of these things you can keep in your freezer/pantry relatively long-term and have them magically available for doubling a meal.
Along these lines, we sometimes do a sheet pan with italian (or other) sausage, peppers, onions, etc.. Those things are less shelf-stable but they don't go bad in three days, so it's fairly easy to keep extras on hand (and use them up with other meals before they're bad).
We don't normally make separate food for kids, but if we have frozen chicken nuggets or something on hand, then the kids can eat those and there's more adult food for the adults.
2) Sometimes I'm better at this than other times but when I'm in the groove it works well. I like having a freezer stocked with leftovers that I can warm up for lunch later (or have on hand to give away, if a friend has a baby during a time when I'm really busy). One way to do this is to plan to make double what your family needs and freeze half of it. If you're already planning on this, you'll have enough to make for unexpected guests (and then just not stock your freezer that time).
Lesson learned: The two weeks of August when I was at the pool every morning with a couple other families made a big difference. I should figure out some strategic ways to increase my casual path-crossing. Maybe there *is* an advantage to signing the kids up for (judiciously chosen, with planned free/buffer/play time) organized activities...!
I didn't get around to asking for someone to come over during a chore, but I've had that idea on my mind for quite a while and I want to make a plan to make it happen!
Please tell me if you do! I've been hearing about people wanting companies for chores since I was on book tour for Building the Benedict Option ten years ago!
A chore is hard but a project is easier! We invited some friends to help paint a room and everyone had fun and we fed them lunch, and a few weeks later we came to their house to help with their basement remodel, we did some sanding and sweeping and painting. It's more fun, and not really a drag, when you're also hanging out with friends. A couple times I've done freezer food prep together with pregnant friends.
Another good way to break the ice on this is to change the laundry while your friends are with you, it just takes a minute and helps to normalize it.
Re stretching a meal, two ideas: 1) think of dinners you can make with shelf-stable ingredients, and 2) plan on stocking your freezer.
1) You can pretty easily modify a stir-fry for unexpected guests (and for most allergies). Get some jarred sauce, then you need protein (meat, eggs, peanuts, cashews, canned beans, canned fish), and you need veggies (we often use a bag of frozen veggies, and you can clean out the random odds and ends in your fridge, too). Put everything in the skillet (think carefully about timing, since you do want any meat to be safely cooked, and raw carrots will take longer to cook than, say, fresh spinach). Serve over rice. A lot of these things you can keep in your freezer/pantry relatively long-term and have them magically available for doubling a meal.
Along these lines, we sometimes do a sheet pan with italian (or other) sausage, peppers, onions, etc.. Those things are less shelf-stable but they don't go bad in three days, so it's fairly easy to keep extras on hand (and use them up with other meals before they're bad).
We don't normally make separate food for kids, but if we have frozen chicken nuggets or something on hand, then the kids can eat those and there's more adult food for the adults.
2) Sometimes I'm better at this than other times but when I'm in the groove it works well. I like having a freezer stocked with leftovers that I can warm up for lunch later (or have on hand to give away, if a friend has a baby during a time when I'm really busy). One way to do this is to plan to make double what your family needs and freeze half of it. If you're already planning on this, you'll have enough to make for unexpected guests (and then just not stock your freezer that time).
This is doing a lot to sell me on stocking more frozen veggies.
PS How do we contact you re fall/spring book tour?
You can email me at leah dot libresco at gmail!
Strawberries are better each year, so not all is lost!
- Sincerely, a woman who had a baby last summer and neglected the strawberries....this year brought plenty of abundance into sticky toddler hands!
Lesson learned: The two weeks of August when I was at the pool every morning with a couple other families made a big difference. I should figure out some strategic ways to increase my casual path-crossing. Maybe there *is* an advantage to signing the kids up for (judiciously chosen, with planned free/buffer/play time) organized activities...!
I didn't get around to asking for someone to come over during a chore, but I've had that idea on my mind for quite a while and I want to make a plan to make it happen!
Please tell me if you do! I've been hearing about people wanting companies for chores since I was on book tour for Building the Benedict Option ten years ago!
A chore is hard but a project is easier! We invited some friends to help paint a room and everyone had fun and we fed them lunch, and a few weeks later we came to their house to help with their basement remodel, we did some sanding and sweeping and painting. It's more fun, and not really a drag, when you're also hanging out with friends. A couple times I've done freezer food prep together with pregnant friends.
Another good way to break the ice on this is to change the laundry while your friends are with you, it just takes a minute and helps to normalize it.
This is so helpful. Thanks for the entry-point ideas!