Comments on: How to cook dinner for your family every night http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2007/07/13/how-to-cook-dinner-for-your-family-every-night/ Thoughts and commentary on the daily juggle betweek work and family Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:16:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: KathyHowe http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2007/07/13/how-to-cook-dinner-for-your-family-every-night/#comment-241 KathyHowe Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:23:54 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/?p=95#comment-241 P.S. We ALWAYS sit down to dinner together. Always, always, always. I don't care if we do it over slices of pizza. We always sit at the table for dinner. P.S. We ALWAYS sit down to dinner together. Always, always, always. I don’t care if we do it over slices of pizza. We always sit at the table for dinner.

]]> By: KathyHowe http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2007/07/13/how-to-cook-dinner-for-your-family-every-night/#comment-240 KathyHowe Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:21:24 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/?p=95#comment-240 I don't cook and I don't have a spouse. We have a neighbor that cooks for us several times a week. When we don't utilize her fantastic cooking skills we either eat out or I make up some spaghetti or ravioli or pizza or something simple. I have zero guilt about my interest in cooking. I've tried repeatedly to become the mom that cooks nice meals each night and it just isn't me. I don’t cook and I don’t have a spouse. We have a neighbor that cooks for us several times a week. When we don’t utilize her fantastic cooking skills we either eat out or I make up some spaghetti or ravioli or pizza or something simple.

I have zero guilt about my interest in cooking. I’ve tried repeatedly to become the mom that cooks nice meals each night and it just isn’t me.

]]> By: SoftwareMom http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2007/07/13/how-to-cook-dinner-for-your-family-every-night/#comment-238 SoftwareMom Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:46:00 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/?p=95#comment-238 Having a home-cooked meal is important to me -- I know it's more nutritional than most take-out, and also easier on the budget. When my toddler gets a little older I think I will insist on eating dinner as a family as well. Often the culture of the software industry is at odds with this -- even in my kid-free days I had to contend with managers putting pressure on me to stay late and eat take-out provided by the company. When I didn't I was not considered to be a hard worker or a team player despite results to the contrary. I don't think anyone should feel guilty if something different is right for their family -- decide what works best for YOU and lose the guilt! For the mechanics of getting dinner on the table, I have to recommend www.savingdinner.com. I just posted an article about it, "Escaping What's for Dinner?" http://www.workitmom.com/article-231 . I'm not affiliated with the site, just a wildly satisfied customer! Having a home-cooked meal is important to me — I know it’s more nutritional than most take-out, and also easier on the budget. When my toddler gets a little older I think I will insist on eating dinner as a family as well. Often the culture of the software industry is at odds with this — even in my kid-free days I had to contend with managers putting pressure on me to stay late and eat take-out provided by the company. When I didn’t I was not considered to be a hard worker or a team player despite results to the contrary.

I don’t think anyone should feel guilty if something different is right for their family — decide what works best for YOU and lose the guilt!

For the mechanics of getting dinner on the table, I have to recommend http://www.savingdinner.com. I just posted an article about it, “Escaping What’s for Dinner?” http://www.workitmom.com/article-231 . I’m not affiliated with the site, just a wildly satisfied customer!

]]> By: Jen http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2007/07/13/how-to-cook-dinner-for-your-family-every-night/#comment-236 Jen Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:40:15 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/?p=95#comment-236 My husband does most of our cooking. He enjoys it and I don't. The kids and I have eaten out some this week, we brought home a rotisserie chicken one night, and tonight, I actually cooked a healthy meal for the kids. I even tricked them, by replacing fat free plain yogurt for whole cream in the pasta sauce and they have both had seconds. Yay!!! I will do that again! But mostly I place the most emphasis on sitting down together as a family to eat, not on what we are actually eating. There are too many other things to feel guilty about. My husband does most of our cooking. He enjoys it and I don’t. The kids and I have eaten out some this week, we brought home a rotisserie chicken one night, and tonight, I actually cooked a healthy meal for the kids. I even tricked them, by replacing fat free plain yogurt for whole cream in the pasta sauce and they have both had seconds. Yay!!! I will do that again!

But mostly I place the most emphasis on sitting down together as a family to eat, not on what we are actually eating. There are too many other things to feel guilty about.

]]> By: Florinda http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2007/07/13/how-to-cook-dinner-for-your-family-every-night/#comment-234 Florinda Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:23:36 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/?p=95#comment-234 In my first marriage - oh yes, cooked dinner practically every night, unless it was "clean out the fridge" (leftover) night. First Husband was a bit of a traditionalist. After my divorce, relocation, and a much longer commute, I got into the habit of "binge-cooking" on the weekends so I'd have meals ready quickly at night, and I really like that approach. It doesn't work so well since I got married again, though...if it's not freshly made, my husband considers it leftovers, and he has a pretty strict policy against leftovers. (Fortunately, the kids don't feel the same way - when we do end up having leftovers around, they're often my stepdaughter's breakfast the next morning.) Other than the leftover thing though, my husband's actually pretty laid-back about what he considers a decent dinner, and on the nights when my stepkids are at their mother's, sometimes we'll just have sandwiches. When the kids are with us, though, we both think it's important to eat together, at the table, as a family, and have a home-cooked meal (not necessarily from scratch, so I don't say "home-MADE"). Both of us cook, and we tend to rotate among a short list of things we know everyone likes. And since my husband won't eat cooked vegetables (salads only), I can only hope the kids are getting those at their mom's. Also, I am totally on board with the Trader Joe's love! In my first marriage - oh yes, cooked dinner practically every night, unless it was “clean out the fridge” (leftover) night. First Husband was a bit of a traditionalist. After my divorce, relocation, and a much longer commute, I got into the habit of “binge-cooking” on the weekends so I’d have meals ready quickly at night, and I really like that approach. It doesn’t work so well since I got married again, though…if it’s not freshly made, my husband considers it leftovers, and he has a pretty strict policy against leftovers. (Fortunately, the kids don’t feel the same way - when we do end up having leftovers around, they’re often my stepdaughter’s breakfast the next morning.)

Other than the leftover thing though, my husband’s actually pretty laid-back about what he considers a decent dinner, and on the nights when my stepkids are at their mother’s, sometimes we’ll just have sandwiches. When the kids are with us, though, we both think it’s important to eat together, at the table, as a family, and have a home-cooked meal (not necessarily from scratch, so I don’t say “home-MADE”). Both of us cook, and we tend to rotate among a short list of things we know everyone likes. And since my husband won’t eat cooked vegetables (salads only), I can only hope the kids are getting those at their mom’s.

Also, I am totally on board with the Trader Joe’s love!

]]> By: PunditMom http://www.workitmom.com/blog/2007/07/13/how-to-cook-dinner-for-your-family-every-night/#comment-232 PunditMom Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:12:34 +0000 http://www.workitmom.com/blog/?p=95#comment-232 First, I need to say, thank goodness for Trader Joe's! I am so happy there is one nearby (headed there wih PunditGirl shortly!). As for cooking, I was on a cooking binge, if you will, from a great cookbook called The Six O'Clock Scarmble -- until I sliced into my thumb like it was ripe peach. While it makes no sense, I have been off my cooking game ever since. In all seriousness, I still can't figure out a way to please Mr. PunditMom and my seven-year-old with one meal, both in terms of food offerings and timing. I will keep trying, but I'm losing the guilt about it! First, I need to say, thank goodness for Trader Joe’s! I am so happy there is one nearby (headed there wih PunditGirl shortly!).

As for cooking, I was on a cooking binge, if you will, from a great cookbook called The Six O’Clock Scarmble — until I sliced into my thumb like it was ripe peach. While it makes no sense, I have been off my cooking game ever since. In all seriousness, I still can’t figure out a way to please Mr. PunditMom and my seven-year-old with one meal, both in terms of food offerings and timing. I will keep trying, but I’m losing the guilt about it!

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