Help us not starve!
February 23, 2016 6:58 PM Subscribe
Short version: The family's primary cook and caregiver is in the hospital for an unknown length of time. It'll be two weeks minimum, could be a lot longer. Then she'll have a long recovery period at home. Her husband and I both theoretically can cook, though he's not very good, and I have medical complications. Between us we have to feed each other and a couple teenagers. Meal planning's fallen to me, but most of the shopping and cooking is on him. We need to survive until his wife's out of the hospital. Help?
John and Jane (not their real names) have been together for 20 years. They have 3 kids, the youngest two of whom live at home. (The eldest is in college nearby, and may be home for weekends, etc., that I don't know about.) Jane's been a SAHM for 18 years. She does virtually all of the meal planning, meal prep, cooking, all of it. John sometimes drives her to the grocery store since she doesn't drive, but that's about it.
I live with the family because my health persists in getting more and more interesting as time goes on. The last time I set foot in the kitchen was probably September. Relevant info there: I have severe unexplained weakness, muscle spasms and shakiness, and have some crazy phobias around kitchen things like cooking, washing dishes, and using knives. I am currently unable to drive for myriad reasons. Jane's my primary carer. She cooks and brings me food, empties my bedside commode, and makes sure I'm almost never alone, since that's not exactly safe right now.
Jane's been in the hospital for a week and a half now, two counties over, about an hour's drive away from home. She had one surgery last week, and is going to need at least one more - possibly as many as 4. It's looking like she's going to be either in the hospital or a rehab facility for at least the next 2 weeks. (She had 90% of her small intestine removed after 2 hernias choked it off.) Nobody knows when she's going to be able to come home, or how long a recovery she's going to have once she's back.
John's trying to juggle taking care of Jane, taking care of the kids, taking care of me, work, all the things. I offered to take meal planning off his plate, since I can't do much of the rest of the work that needs doing. I'd like to help at least a little with meal prep, too, but it's almost going to have to be from my desk in my room, across the house from the kitchen. Me getting to the kitchen is a near impossibility at this point, though that may change in the near future if we can figure out some logistics.
I haven't meal planned since the turn of the century, and back then I was feeding a basketball team of toddlers and a baseball team of my then-husband's co-workers. Nobody was picky, and nobody cared about nutrition. Now, I have picky teens to feed, need as much nutrition in every bite as I can wrangle, and can't actually cook anything myself. I also need to keep the bottom line as itty bitty as possible, since John's work hours have had to vanish so he can take care of everybody.
We've got access to Kroger, Save-a-Lot, Aldi, Costco, Walmart, and Trader Joe's. (My feelings won't be hurt if you tell me not to grocery shop at Walmart. I hate the place.) I'm looking for recipes, pre-made meals, tips, tricks, anything that's going to help get meals planned and prepared for the foreseeable future.
John and Jane (not their real names) have been together for 20 years. They have 3 kids, the youngest two of whom live at home. (The eldest is in college nearby, and may be home for weekends, etc., that I don't know about.) Jane's been a SAHM for 18 years. She does virtually all of the meal planning, meal prep, cooking, all of it. John sometimes drives her to the grocery store since she doesn't drive, but that's about it.
I live with the family because my health persists in getting more and more interesting as time goes on. The last time I set foot in the kitchen was probably September. Relevant info there: I have severe unexplained weakness, muscle spasms and shakiness, and have some crazy phobias around kitchen things like cooking, washing dishes, and using knives. I am currently unable to drive for myriad reasons. Jane's my primary carer. She cooks and brings me food, empties my bedside commode, and makes sure I'm almost never alone, since that's not exactly safe right now.
Jane's been in the hospital for a week and a half now, two counties over, about an hour's drive away from home. She had one surgery last week, and is going to need at least one more - possibly as many as 4. It's looking like she's going to be either in the hospital or a rehab facility for at least the next 2 weeks. (She had 90% of her small intestine removed after 2 hernias choked it off.) Nobody knows when she's going to be able to come home, or how long a recovery she's going to have once she's back.
John's trying to juggle taking care of Jane, taking care of the kids, taking care of me, work, all the things. I offered to take meal planning off his plate, since I can't do much of the rest of the work that needs doing. I'd like to help at least a little with meal prep, too, but it's almost going to have to be from my desk in my room, across the house from the kitchen. Me getting to the kitchen is a near impossibility at this point, though that may change in the near future if we can figure out some logistics.
I haven't meal planned since the turn of the century, and back then I was feeding a basketball team of toddlers and a baseball team of my then-husband's co-workers. Nobody was picky, and nobody cared about nutrition. Now, I have picky teens to feed, need as much nutrition in every bite as I can wrangle, and can't actually cook anything myself. I also need to keep the bottom line as itty bitty as possible, since John's work hours have had to vanish so he can take care of everybody.
We've got access to Kroger, Save-a-Lot, Aldi, Costco, Walmart, and Trader Joe's. (My feelings won't be hurt if you tell me not to grocery shop at Walmart. I hate the place.) I'm looking for recipes, pre-made meals, tips, tricks, anything that's going to help get meals planned and prepared for the foreseeable future.
If the budget will allow it, Trader Joe's has frozen meals that are surprisingly tasty and healthy for frozen meals. Won't work for everything, but having a stash of them in the freezer will be helpful in a pinch.
I'd also suggest getting the teenagers involved. Even if they are starting from no knowledge, they can learn the basics - boil a pot of pasta, heat up a jar of sauce, maybe even fry some ground meat and/or chop some vegies to add in. Would your medical condition allow you to instruct them from your room while they learn? It won't be gourmet, but it should be edible.
On preview: a slow cooker is an excellent idea, and something the kids could very easily learn to do.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 7:10 PM on February 23, 2016 [11 favorites]
I'd also suggest getting the teenagers involved. Even if they are starting from no knowledge, they can learn the basics - boil a pot of pasta, heat up a jar of sauce, maybe even fry some ground meat and/or chop some vegies to add in. Would your medical condition allow you to instruct them from your room while they learn? It won't be gourmet, but it should be edible.
On preview: a slow cooker is an excellent idea, and something the kids could very easily learn to do.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 7:10 PM on February 23, 2016 [11 favorites]
Is there any reason the teens can't help? This sounds like a family emergency where everyone needs to pitch in. Children as young as 10 can put a basic meal together, though I'm guessing these don't have basic cooking skills (or if they do, you don't mention it). I like the crock pot idea, but it will probably involve a lot of chopping. Can the teens do that? And just how picky are they? If this is short term, it won't kill them to eat a lot of sandwiches or macaroni and cheese. Eggs are also pretty cheap and something teens can learn to cook.
posted by FencingGal at 7:15 PM on February 23, 2016 [28 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 7:15 PM on February 23, 2016 [28 favorites]
Yeah, and to explain a bit more, what that slow cooker link has is a meal plan where someone can pre-package 20 meals in 90 minutes of kitchen prep time. ("2 tablespoons soy sauce in bag #1... 1/2 c of soy sauce in bag #9..."). Every morning someone just starts one of the bags, and then there is a bit of final work to do (e.g., shredding the now-very-well-cooked chicken and putting shredded chicken into taco shells) at the end.
posted by salvia at 7:21 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by salvia at 7:21 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I am still deep in limerance with my Instant Pot, so every nail looks ripe for my favorite hammer, but it has kind of changed my life.
In short, it is (among other functions) an electric pressure cooker, and what you can make in it without getting terribly fancy is like crock pot meals, except each meal (as in 6-10 servings depending on how hardcore you go) is completely done in 20-45 minutes. And, if you had someone to bring you the ingredients, you actually could use it at your desk.
Example quick recipes:
1 lb frozen meatballs, 1lb bag of pasta, 1 jar pasta sauce + the jar full of water, 6 minutes high pressure, quick release (here, and you can safely double that).
Bean Soup Mix, and I don't soak my beans.
Pot Roast
Honey Sesame Chicken and Broccoli Beef (I make both of these nearly weekly. The chicken could not be easier, the broccoli beef requires some kind of extensive cutting prep but you might actually have a grocery store that sells pre-cut flank or skirt steak for tacos.)
I used to spend all day Saturday pre-cooking for the week, and now I just throw dinner in the Pot at 5:00 or 6:00 every other night (leftovers in between). I use these to store/freeze double servings of leftovers because they take up the least amount of space (they also have a smaller size). You can make rice in the Instant Pot but I mostly just let my tiny little $20 rice cooker from Target ride shotgun.
If you go that route, MeMail me. I'm in the middle of a recipe curation project to provide my kitchen-timid husband with a solid stack of recipes to do on his own, and I will gladly share my results with you as I test them.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:25 PM on February 23, 2016 [15 favorites]
In short, it is (among other functions) an electric pressure cooker, and what you can make in it without getting terribly fancy is like crock pot meals, except each meal (as in 6-10 servings depending on how hardcore you go) is completely done in 20-45 minutes. And, if you had someone to bring you the ingredients, you actually could use it at your desk.
Example quick recipes:
1 lb frozen meatballs, 1lb bag of pasta, 1 jar pasta sauce + the jar full of water, 6 minutes high pressure, quick release (here, and you can safely double that).
Bean Soup Mix, and I don't soak my beans.
Pot Roast
Honey Sesame Chicken and Broccoli Beef (I make both of these nearly weekly. The chicken could not be easier, the broccoli beef requires some kind of extensive cutting prep but you might actually have a grocery store that sells pre-cut flank or skirt steak for tacos.)
I used to spend all day Saturday pre-cooking for the week, and now I just throw dinner in the Pot at 5:00 or 6:00 every other night (leftovers in between). I use these to store/freeze double servings of leftovers because they take up the least amount of space (they also have a smaller size). You can make rice in the Instant Pot but I mostly just let my tiny little $20 rice cooker from Target ride shotgun.
If you go that route, MeMail me. I'm in the middle of a recipe curation project to provide my kitchen-timid husband with a solid stack of recipes to do on his own, and I will gladly share my results with you as I test them.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:25 PM on February 23, 2016 [15 favorites]
One of my girlfriends uses this cookbook from Weight Watchers that's been a total godsend for me because the meals only require 5 ingredients but feed a lot of people. It might make planning meals and grocery shopping a lot easier.
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:26 PM on February 23, 2016
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:26 PM on February 23, 2016
It would help a lot if you said what kitchen equipment is in the house (e.g. Toaster oven? Slow cooker? Microwave? Blender? Reasonable assortment of baking pans?) and what kinds of things the kids are willing to eat.
The high calorie food I feed my kids is quiche: 12 oz cream (or half and half), 3 eggs, 1-2 cups cheese, ~1/2 cup chopped deli meat or sausage, 1 cup frozen vegetables (I thaw them in the microwave first). Mix and pour into a refrigerated pie crust that you've put in a pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. It's as easy to make 2 as it is 1 (the refrigerated pie crusts come two to a box), you can bake them together, and freeze one. It thaws in the fridge.
posted by telepanda at 7:30 PM on February 23, 2016
The high calorie food I feed my kids is quiche: 12 oz cream (or half and half), 3 eggs, 1-2 cups cheese, ~1/2 cup chopped deli meat or sausage, 1 cup frozen vegetables (I thaw them in the microwave first). Mix and pour into a refrigerated pie crust that you've put in a pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. It's as easy to make 2 as it is 1 (the refrigerated pie crusts come two to a box), you can bake them together, and freeze one. It thaws in the fridge.
posted by telepanda at 7:30 PM on February 23, 2016
This sounds stressful and I'm sorry about your friend's health. I hope she's able to have a full recovery.
Meal planning: There's a reason taco Tuesday is a thing. It's easy to remember and tacos can be adapted to fit different preferences. On shopping day, shopper could buy a rotisserie chicken or two and tortillas. Shred chicken, add cheese, lettuce, salsa, avocado. Low-carb eaters can have taco salad, vegetarians can have veggie tacos. Make some rice if there's time (I keep a box of minute rice around because it's not the best, but kids almost always eat rice and it will do). Next night you could make a quick soup with leftover chicken, add some pasta, carrots and celery. Did you even make a stock with the rotisserie bones in the crock pot? Look at you, Martha Stewart! If there's leftover rice, you could do stir fry the next night. Use a bag of frozen veggies for max efficiency. Tofu, beans or frozen shrimp are the easiest proteins to add.
There's no shame at all in having sandwich night once or twice a week. Egg sandwiches can be really delicious. Add a smoothie to fill it out. The teenagers could definitely handle this night and if they take this opportunity to master cooking eggs well, they will have learned a great life skill!
We also often do "snack night" where we have crudités, cheese and crackers, maybe pickles and deli meats. Kids usually like this too. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and your friends.
posted by areaperson at 7:33 PM on February 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
Meal planning: There's a reason taco Tuesday is a thing. It's easy to remember and tacos can be adapted to fit different preferences. On shopping day, shopper could buy a rotisserie chicken or two and tortillas. Shred chicken, add cheese, lettuce, salsa, avocado. Low-carb eaters can have taco salad, vegetarians can have veggie tacos. Make some rice if there's time (I keep a box of minute rice around because it's not the best, but kids almost always eat rice and it will do). Next night you could make a quick soup with leftover chicken, add some pasta, carrots and celery. Did you even make a stock with the rotisserie bones in the crock pot? Look at you, Martha Stewart! If there's leftover rice, you could do stir fry the next night. Use a bag of frozen veggies for max efficiency. Tofu, beans or frozen shrimp are the easiest proteins to add.
There's no shame at all in having sandwich night once or twice a week. Egg sandwiches can be really delicious. Add a smoothie to fill it out. The teenagers could definitely handle this night and if they take this opportunity to master cooking eggs well, they will have learned a great life skill!
We also often do "snack night" where we have crudités, cheese and crackers, maybe pickles and deli meats. Kids usually like this too. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and your friends.
posted by areaperson at 7:33 PM on February 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
Mind you, I am coming at this from the "easy" angle, not the "nutrition" angle necessarily.
You may find the question I asked about cooking with just pantry ingredients helpful. You'd be surprised what you can make even when you haven't been to the grocery store in a while for fresh produce.
When the blizzard hit the DC area last month, I was a big fan of the Washington Post's "make the most of your blizzard food stash" - because it had broader applications than just preparing for a possible snowed-in power outage. Whenever you need easy quick food, these are the "prepare in advance" tricks that you'll be thanking yourself for later:
■ Boil up a pound of pasta or rice or your favorite grain; it’ll be good to have on hand for building a bowl like the one Dorie Greenspan’s sending your way this weekend, in her Everyday Dorie column. Same goes for eggs; hard-cook four or six of them. Same goes for a couple of sweet potatoes; roast or boil a few.
■ Saute or oven-roast two batches of fresh, chunked vegetables that have been tossed with a light application of oil, salt and pepper; puree some of it for soup and save the rest for easy eating.
■ Toast or pan-grill a half dozen (or more!) pieces of unadorned bread; cool completely and store in an airtight container. They’ll be good for crostini, soup croutons [...] and sandwiches.
■ Brown up some of the ground meat you have on hand; it’ll be more immediately useful to you in its cooked state for a few days, or you can try freezing it right away if you think longer-term storage will be needed in your future.
Also, to be honest? Sandwiches. Get your sandwich bread, whatever condiments/spreads, deli meats, cheeses etc that you and the kids like, and then everyone is always able to make their own sandwiches. Quick, cheap, easy, customizable.
I also like to have tortillas and shredded cheese in the house, for quesadillas - or you can do up tacos/burritos (black beans from a can, tortillas, shredded cheddar, salsa, maybe some sour cream and hot sauce, boom it's done**). Cheap bags of tortilla chips and salsa from Aldi. Mixed nuts, apples, clementine oranges, hard boiled eggs, frozen pizzas or frozen pierogies, etc.
**My partner has mastered making his own tortillas (easier and faster than you'd think) and his own refried beans, which he then rolls up with whatever carnitas or shredded chicken or about-to-expire ground beef and makes like 20 burritos to stick in the freezer. You can throw your shredded cheddar in 'em too before freezing. Easy grab-and-go. You don't have to DIY the tortillas or refried beans, just buy them ready made and spend twenty minutes throwing a ton together while you watch TV, wrap them in a paper towel and saran wrap, shove in the freezer. Everyone (hopefully) is now happy. And they are way cheaper, and way tastier than the frozen burritos you buy at the store...
posted by nightrecordings at 7:34 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
You may find the question I asked about cooking with just pantry ingredients helpful. You'd be surprised what you can make even when you haven't been to the grocery store in a while for fresh produce.
When the blizzard hit the DC area last month, I was a big fan of the Washington Post's "make the most of your blizzard food stash" - because it had broader applications than just preparing for a possible snowed-in power outage. Whenever you need easy quick food, these are the "prepare in advance" tricks that you'll be thanking yourself for later:
■ Boil up a pound of pasta or rice or your favorite grain; it’ll be good to have on hand for building a bowl like the one Dorie Greenspan’s sending your way this weekend, in her Everyday Dorie column. Same goes for eggs; hard-cook four or six of them. Same goes for a couple of sweet potatoes; roast or boil a few.
■ Saute or oven-roast two batches of fresh, chunked vegetables that have been tossed with a light application of oil, salt and pepper; puree some of it for soup and save the rest for easy eating.
■ Toast or pan-grill a half dozen (or more!) pieces of unadorned bread; cool completely and store in an airtight container. They’ll be good for crostini, soup croutons [...] and sandwiches.
■ Brown up some of the ground meat you have on hand; it’ll be more immediately useful to you in its cooked state for a few days, or you can try freezing it right away if you think longer-term storage will be needed in your future.
Also, to be honest? Sandwiches. Get your sandwich bread, whatever condiments/spreads, deli meats, cheeses etc that you and the kids like, and then everyone is always able to make their own sandwiches. Quick, cheap, easy, customizable.
I also like to have tortillas and shredded cheese in the house, for quesadillas - or you can do up tacos/burritos (black beans from a can, tortillas, shredded cheddar, salsa, maybe some sour cream and hot sauce, boom it's done**). Cheap bags of tortilla chips and salsa from Aldi. Mixed nuts, apples, clementine oranges, hard boiled eggs, frozen pizzas or frozen pierogies, etc.
**My partner has mastered making his own tortillas (easier and faster than you'd think) and his own refried beans, which he then rolls up with whatever carnitas or shredded chicken or about-to-expire ground beef and makes like 20 burritos to stick in the freezer. You can throw your shredded cheddar in 'em too before freezing. Easy grab-and-go. You don't have to DIY the tortillas or refried beans, just buy them ready made and spend twenty minutes throwing a ton together while you watch TV, wrap them in a paper towel and saran wrap, shove in the freezer. Everyone (hopefully) is now happy. And they are way cheaper, and way tastier than the frozen burritos you buy at the store...
posted by nightrecordings at 7:34 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Can you supervise and train the teenagers while they learn to cook? That could potentially be a really awesome gift tho them and their parents,which could yield benefits for a lifetime.
Maybe do some research for excellent youth-oriented cookbooks with nutritious recipes and info on meal planning (someone will have written something good for this age group,surely). If you can be in the kitchen with them so they can ask you questions,and you can direct them to the fire extinguisher and/or notice if a pot books over or some onions burn I believe this could be a really great thing.typically
posted by amtho at 7:41 PM on February 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Maybe do some research for excellent youth-oriented cookbooks with nutritious recipes and info on meal planning (someone will have written something good for this age group,surely). If you can be in the kitchen with them so they can ask you questions,and you can direct them to the fire extinguisher and/or notice if a pot books over or some onions burn I believe this could be a really great thing.typically
posted by amtho at 7:41 PM on February 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Nth getting those kids involved. They'll likely need a foreman to organize, point out priority tasks and provide basic instruction, but you can serve that role and free their dad to concentrate on other household operations.
Even if they won't admit it, having some role in their mother's care and recovery -- by stepping up so she won't worry about them while she's down -- should help them feel like they are contributing. And if they're picky eaters, involving them in meal planning and preparation just makes sense.
I would probably let them suggest meals they want and are willing to take responsibility for serving. Frozen pizza with a fresh salad, homemade tacos, grilled cheese and soup, chicken breast wraps, even build-it-yourself cold cut sandwich night ... things like this are easy, friendly and will do as starters. Once everyone has shown they're on board, pull out an easy cookbook and encourage them to expand their repertoires.
posted by peakcomm at 7:42 PM on February 23, 2016 [8 favorites]
Even if they won't admit it, having some role in their mother's care and recovery -- by stepping up so she won't worry about them while she's down -- should help them feel like they are contributing. And if they're picky eaters, involving them in meal planning and preparation just makes sense.
I would probably let them suggest meals they want and are willing to take responsibility for serving. Frozen pizza with a fresh salad, homemade tacos, grilled cheese and soup, chicken breast wraps, even build-it-yourself cold cut sandwich night ... things like this are easy, friendly and will do as starters. Once everyone has shown they're on board, pull out an easy cookbook and encourage them to expand their repertoires.
posted by peakcomm at 7:42 PM on February 23, 2016 [8 favorites]
Check out BudgetBytes lots of delicious dollar conscious recipes that are simple enough for even this bachelor to follow, picture directions too
posted by TheAdamist at 7:42 PM on February 23, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by TheAdamist at 7:42 PM on February 23, 2016 [7 favorites]
I find that lots of frozen and/or pre-prepped vegetables are very helpful when I don't feel like cooking much, but want to still eat healthy. I am aware it is more expensive than chopping it all up myself but sometimes I don't have the energy.
Cooking things in the oven is great because I generally just put them in, set the timer and don't need to stay in the kitchen watching it (salmon fillets, trays of preprepped or frozen vegetables). Ditto for the rice cooker, if you want an easy way to prep some carbs.
Maybe the kids could manage getting some things started in the oven or rice cooker under your direction (less than a minutes work to shake out frozen veg onto a tray and stick into the oven), to cut down on John's load.
I could make specific suggestions about some easy combos, but with picky kids who are probably having a hard time right now, I would want to know a bit more about what they will/won't eat.
posted by AnnaRat at 7:43 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Cooking things in the oven is great because I generally just put them in, set the timer and don't need to stay in the kitchen watching it (salmon fillets, trays of preprepped or frozen vegetables). Ditto for the rice cooker, if you want an easy way to prep some carbs.
Maybe the kids could manage getting some things started in the oven or rice cooker under your direction (less than a minutes work to shake out frozen veg onto a tray and stick into the oven), to cut down on John's load.
I could make specific suggestions about some easy combos, but with picky kids who are probably having a hard time right now, I would want to know a bit more about what they will/won't eat.
posted by AnnaRat at 7:43 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Frozen chopped vegetable mix is one of my occasional lazy shortcuts. I'm actually not convinced that frozen veggies are more expensive than chopping your own, because the frozen ones don't rot before you get around to using them.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:45 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:45 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I expect that teens could easily make this salad, which is basically pizza in a bowl.
posted by bunderful at 7:47 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bunderful at 7:47 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
For a brief emergency period, I would have the teens come to the grocery store and pick out some easy to make meals including frozen dinners.
posted by AugustWest at 8:17 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by AugustWest at 8:17 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I love breakfast for dinner. I think it's the simplicity of it that appeals to me. Easy to prepare and yummy.
Pancakes, bacon, orange slices
Quiche
Omelets
Roast beef hash, eggs, smoothies
Waffles, ham, fruit
Cinnamon crisps (tortillas on a griddles, spread with a little butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar), side of applesauce, maybe some sausage or protein
Cereal
Non breakfast ideas:
Toasted cheese sandwiches and canned soup
Pizza and salad (just buy the bagged prepackaged salad kits)
"Flop overs" - tortilla spread with a layer of refried beans, sprinkle with cheese. Cook on a griddle, fold in half. Serve with salsa
Salad bar - let people put their own salads together. Just set out various toppings - cucumber, tomato, cheese, ham, garbanzo beans, sprouts, etc.
Baked potato bar with a wide variety of toppings
Hot dogs and coleslaw
This is crisis mode - go for super simple. No one will starve. You may not have big complicated dinners - and that's ok. Sometimes you may not be able to formally prepare anything at all - that's when you pull out cheese and crackers and apples and whatever you've got and just let people eat whatever. Sometimes I don't make a thing for dinner and my husband and kids (age 9-15) figure it out. They forage, eat cereal, make toast with peanut butter. They never starve. And I dont always cook or prepare anything.
If the budget allows - paper plates, cups and plastic ware. Throw everything away when done.
If someone asks how they can help it's because they want to help. Let them.
posted by Sassyfras at 8:18 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Pancakes, bacon, orange slices
Quiche
Omelets
Roast beef hash, eggs, smoothies
Waffles, ham, fruit
Cinnamon crisps (tortillas on a griddles, spread with a little butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar), side of applesauce, maybe some sausage or protein
Cereal
Non breakfast ideas:
Toasted cheese sandwiches and canned soup
Pizza and salad (just buy the bagged prepackaged salad kits)
"Flop overs" - tortilla spread with a layer of refried beans, sprinkle with cheese. Cook on a griddle, fold in half. Serve with salsa
Salad bar - let people put their own salads together. Just set out various toppings - cucumber, tomato, cheese, ham, garbanzo beans, sprouts, etc.
Baked potato bar with a wide variety of toppings
Hot dogs and coleslaw
This is crisis mode - go for super simple. No one will starve. You may not have big complicated dinners - and that's ok. Sometimes you may not be able to formally prepare anything at all - that's when you pull out cheese and crackers and apples and whatever you've got and just let people eat whatever. Sometimes I don't make a thing for dinner and my husband and kids (age 9-15) figure it out. They forage, eat cereal, make toast with peanut butter. They never starve. And I dont always cook or prepare anything.
If the budget allows - paper plates, cups and plastic ware. Throw everything away when done.
If someone asks how they can help it's because they want to help. Let them.
posted by Sassyfras at 8:18 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I would second Budget Bytes, which is fantastic. Cheap and Good is also great, although some of the recipes are easier than others (but there are plenty of easy ones), plus it is free to download! The Sheet Pan Suppers cookbook is also great -- you will have to be a little careful thinking about cost as some of the recipes she includes include pricier ingredients, but everything I have made from that cookbook has been simple and delicious.
I would definitely try to come up with a rotation of maybe 4 or 5 meals that seem realistic for dad or dad/teens to make with some help from you. Trying to learn a brand new recipe every night is just not realistic. Sure, it will be kind of boring...but it's not forever. And, don't expect perfection -- everyone should go into this with the recognition that this may not be amazing/perfect food for a while, and that will have to be okay.
Some ideas:
1. Chicken breast or thighs baked in the oven + salad + starch (find those boxes of quinoa or brown rice at the store rather than trying to make entirely from scratch)
2. Whole wheat pasta + jarred spaghetti sauce. As skills build, can saute onions, peppers, sausage, etc. to add to the sauce, and/or add a bag of baby spinach at the last minute. Can add fruit or salad on the side. If teens are hungry, my grocery store also sells super cheap frozen garlic bread that you could have on the side to bulk up the meal cheaply (not the healthiest, but won't kill them for a while).
3. Breakfast for dinner. Frittatas (basically a crustless quiche) sound fancy but are super easy to make, and you can include all sorts of veg and/or meat to taste. Add some whole wheat toast and fruit on the side.
4. Taco night. Ground turkey + taco seasoning, beans from a can, shredded lettuce, salsa, chopped avocado in tortillas. Fillings can of course be varied, but the ones I have listed here are super easy. Simple salad on the side.
5. Soup and sandwiches. Grilled cheese sandwiches plus soup from a can/container (Trader Joe's has some great ones in cardboard boxes). As skills increase, folks could try their hand at making a simple vegetable soup, although I would not start there -- keep it simple at first. Add carrot or cucumber sticks on the side for a veg.
6. Depending on what the teenagers will eat, curry. Trader Joe's has several excellent jarred curry sauces, as do many local supermarkets. Cube up chicken (or tofu, or whatever other protein you like) and brown it in a pan, add one or two veggies, add the sauce, and simmer until everything is tender. This is extra easy if you add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables for the vegetable portion, since then there is no chopping! Serve with minute rice or the packaged naan they have at Trader Joe's (in the freezer section).
7. Big salads. Pick a protein (could be baked chicken, or deli ham/turkey cut into strips, or the pre-cooked chicken you can get at many stores these days), and add to a bunch of lettuce + 2 other crunchy veggies (i.e. bell pepper, cucumber, carrots, snap peas, etc.) Choose one or two "fun" things to add (i.e. croutons, crumbled cheese, nuts), and a store bought dressing, and toss together.
8. Chicken drumsticks tossed with BBQ sauce and baked in the oven. You can roast a vegetable in the oven at the same time.
posted by rainbowbrite at 8:34 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I would definitely try to come up with a rotation of maybe 4 or 5 meals that seem realistic for dad or dad/teens to make with some help from you. Trying to learn a brand new recipe every night is just not realistic. Sure, it will be kind of boring...but it's not forever. And, don't expect perfection -- everyone should go into this with the recognition that this may not be amazing/perfect food for a while, and that will have to be okay.
Some ideas:
1. Chicken breast or thighs baked in the oven + salad + starch (find those boxes of quinoa or brown rice at the store rather than trying to make entirely from scratch)
2. Whole wheat pasta + jarred spaghetti sauce. As skills build, can saute onions, peppers, sausage, etc. to add to the sauce, and/or add a bag of baby spinach at the last minute. Can add fruit or salad on the side. If teens are hungry, my grocery store also sells super cheap frozen garlic bread that you could have on the side to bulk up the meal cheaply (not the healthiest, but won't kill them for a while).
3. Breakfast for dinner. Frittatas (basically a crustless quiche) sound fancy but are super easy to make, and you can include all sorts of veg and/or meat to taste. Add some whole wheat toast and fruit on the side.
4. Taco night. Ground turkey + taco seasoning, beans from a can, shredded lettuce, salsa, chopped avocado in tortillas. Fillings can of course be varied, but the ones I have listed here are super easy. Simple salad on the side.
5. Soup and sandwiches. Grilled cheese sandwiches plus soup from a can/container (Trader Joe's has some great ones in cardboard boxes). As skills increase, folks could try their hand at making a simple vegetable soup, although I would not start there -- keep it simple at first. Add carrot or cucumber sticks on the side for a veg.
6. Depending on what the teenagers will eat, curry. Trader Joe's has several excellent jarred curry sauces, as do many local supermarkets. Cube up chicken (or tofu, or whatever other protein you like) and brown it in a pan, add one or two veggies, add the sauce, and simmer until everything is tender. This is extra easy if you add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables for the vegetable portion, since then there is no chopping! Serve with minute rice or the packaged naan they have at Trader Joe's (in the freezer section).
7. Big salads. Pick a protein (could be baked chicken, or deli ham/turkey cut into strips, or the pre-cooked chicken you can get at many stores these days), and add to a bunch of lettuce + 2 other crunchy veggies (i.e. bell pepper, cucumber, carrots, snap peas, etc.) Choose one or two "fun" things to add (i.e. croutons, crumbled cheese, nuts), and a store bought dressing, and toss together.
8. Chicken drumsticks tossed with BBQ sauce and baked in the oven. You can roast a vegetable in the oven at the same time.
posted by rainbowbrite at 8:34 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also! If you have any connection at all to a religious community or have other friends you can lean on, please ask for people to bring meals! I know I am very happy to pitch in with providing meals when people in my social network/church need it. If you can do the organizing/asking, that would take a big load off of John. I can't remember the specific website, but there are quite a few out there I think mostly designed for new moms that lets you set up a calendar and friends can sign up to bring meals.
posted by rainbowbrite at 8:37 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by rainbowbrite at 8:37 PM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Frozen premade pasta and stir-fry dishes in a bag (generic stuff, not fancy Trader Joes ones) cost like $7 and can feed your entire family reasonably nutritiously. I think if you really compare the cost (including ingredient wastage) of actual home cooking, they are cheaper.
posted by miyabo at 8:40 PM on February 23, 2016
posted by miyabo at 8:40 PM on February 23, 2016
2 to 4 weeks of sandwiches is not a crisis. The teenagers should be feeding themselves -- and you if you've got limited mobility. I encourage you to share the great suggestions here and let them pick their favorites. Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything is great, too. Whole chapters on salads, pasta, etc.
posted by jessca84 at 9:00 PM on February 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by jessca84 at 9:00 PM on February 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
If your budget allows, or if people are asking how they can help, get compostable paper plates and silverware. These days they are pretty sturdy and honestly taking dishwashing out of the equation is a huge help.
Of course there will still be cooking vessels to clean, knives and cutting boards, but this is exactly the kind of job the kids can do, and do very well. There's no pressure of doing a bad job as long as they actually do it.
I think soup would be good to focus on. If you make a big batch of each family member's favorite soup, you can portion it out into single servings and freeze it. Then each person can choose one for a snack or lunch, or two plus a sandwich for a hearty meal, and it is really easy to make sure a picky person has something they will eat.
Sometimes soup doesn't really feel like a meal, but there are lots of add-ons that can change that. Any type of cooked pasta or grain like barley or brown rice, extra protein like chunks of chicken or those little precooked tiny shrimp or roasted tofu or chickpeas or baked meatballs, all of these can be added to a premade reheated soup to bulk it up, and they can be cooked up and stored in the fridge ahead of time. You can also do any kind of salad or slaw on the side, as well as any toasted sandwich or bruschetta.
There is also my dad's favorite food: English muffin pizzas. Assemble your favorite pizza toppings, shredded cheese, tomato sauce. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, preheat oven to 375F. Place muffin halves open side up on cookie sheet and assign them to each diner. Have everyone build their own mini pizzas. My secret is to put a little cheese on top of the toppings to sort of lock them down. Bake them up until the cheese begins to brown. Kids can make these two at a time in the toaster oven, of course, and they are a good way to use up little bits of vegetables and other leftovers. Getting together to make these is also a stealth excuse to have family togetherness with an easy conversation topic (I made a face with olives! You like peppers, gross!) even if everyone splits up afterwards.
posted by Mizu at 9:01 PM on February 23, 2016
Of course there will still be cooking vessels to clean, knives and cutting boards, but this is exactly the kind of job the kids can do, and do very well. There's no pressure of doing a bad job as long as they actually do it.
I think soup would be good to focus on. If you make a big batch of each family member's favorite soup, you can portion it out into single servings and freeze it. Then each person can choose one for a snack or lunch, or two plus a sandwich for a hearty meal, and it is really easy to make sure a picky person has something they will eat.
Sometimes soup doesn't really feel like a meal, but there are lots of add-ons that can change that. Any type of cooked pasta or grain like barley or brown rice, extra protein like chunks of chicken or those little precooked tiny shrimp or roasted tofu or chickpeas or baked meatballs, all of these can be added to a premade reheated soup to bulk it up, and they can be cooked up and stored in the fridge ahead of time. You can also do any kind of salad or slaw on the side, as well as any toasted sandwich or bruschetta.
There is also my dad's favorite food: English muffin pizzas. Assemble your favorite pizza toppings, shredded cheese, tomato sauce. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, preheat oven to 375F. Place muffin halves open side up on cookie sheet and assign them to each diner. Have everyone build their own mini pizzas. My secret is to put a little cheese on top of the toppings to sort of lock them down. Bake them up until the cheese begins to brown. Kids can make these two at a time in the toaster oven, of course, and they are a good way to use up little bits of vegetables and other leftovers. Getting together to make these is also a stealth excuse to have family togetherness with an easy conversation topic (I made a face with olives! You like peppers, gross!) even if everyone splits up afterwards.
posted by Mizu at 9:01 PM on February 23, 2016
Response by poster: Kitchen equipment available: Oven, stovetop, toaster, microwave, multiple crockpots, rice cooker, blender. Decent assortment of pots and pans. No food processor or grill.
No idea at all what the ability level of the kids might be.
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 9:02 PM on February 23, 2016
No idea at all what the ability level of the kids might be.
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 9:02 PM on February 23, 2016
The cheapest way to eat is kind of labour intensive (e.g. couponing, prepping and portioning stuff to freeze, cooking batches of things from scratch and storing them, etc.). Maybe balance that approach with having a few convenience meals to hand, like frozen pizza? (I think the kids do need to be involved. Maybe give each of them a job and make it sound important.)
I'm guessing John can't easily zip around from store to store - could you plan for two shops a week, around the sales? Maybe, go through the flyers, and choose the store with the best deal on a protein (estimating say 100-150 grams per kid per meal, 200 grams per teen or adult - I get 3-4 meals out of a smallish chicken, for example). Also pick up other good deals at that store (cheese and other dairy, frozen greens; toilet paper, toothpaste, whatever needs replacing soon. You can freeze cheese, which I only learned recently, so that's a stockable thing). Next shopping day, go for the store with a great deal on another kind of protein. (Nice roasts aren't cheap, if you see something like that, go for it.) If you can stock up on those days, great - bigger up-front cost, cheaper over the weeks. Get what makes sense budget-wise that week, though.
If John has some time to pick through things - sometimes, there's really beautiful meat that's on sale because it's its "best by" date. (So you can get like 50% off filet mignon - nice treat.) That stuff's still good, it just needs to be cooked or frozen that day.
Rotating different kinds of meat through the week helps you get as much of the good and as little of the bad from any of it.
Local, seasonal stuff is likely to be cheapest. Fresh greens are expensive - frozen is just as nutritious and less likely to spoil, but the texture's not always great. Best thing for that (imo) is to use that in soups or casseroles. Aim for the colours of the rainbow to get the vitamins in - get red and orange veg and fruit, and dark or bright greens. Get some kind of fibrous veg in every day (e.g. broccoli).
Beans and lentils are filling, because they've got both protein and fibre. Some of that every day in a side or soup will go a long way towards promoting satiety. I like this red bean mash for a side, for e.g.
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:06 PM on February 23, 2016
I'm guessing John can't easily zip around from store to store - could you plan for two shops a week, around the sales? Maybe, go through the flyers, and choose the store with the best deal on a protein (estimating say 100-150 grams per kid per meal, 200 grams per teen or adult - I get 3-4 meals out of a smallish chicken, for example). Also pick up other good deals at that store (cheese and other dairy, frozen greens; toilet paper, toothpaste, whatever needs replacing soon. You can freeze cheese, which I only learned recently, so that's a stockable thing). Next shopping day, go for the store with a great deal on another kind of protein. (Nice roasts aren't cheap, if you see something like that, go for it.) If you can stock up on those days, great - bigger up-front cost, cheaper over the weeks. Get what makes sense budget-wise that week, though.
If John has some time to pick through things - sometimes, there's really beautiful meat that's on sale because it's its "best by" date. (So you can get like 50% off filet mignon - nice treat.) That stuff's still good, it just needs to be cooked or frozen that day.
Rotating different kinds of meat through the week helps you get as much of the good and as little of the bad from any of it.
Local, seasonal stuff is likely to be cheapest. Fresh greens are expensive - frozen is just as nutritious and less likely to spoil, but the texture's not always great. Best thing for that (imo) is to use that in soups or casseroles. Aim for the colours of the rainbow to get the vitamins in - get red and orange veg and fruit, and dark or bright greens. Get some kind of fibrous veg in every day (e.g. broccoli).
Beans and lentils are filling, because they've got both protein and fibre. Some of that every day in a side or soup will go a long way towards promoting satiety. I like this red bean mash for a side, for e.g.
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:06 PM on February 23, 2016
Another vote here for telling the teens they'll have to --- not "can if they want to" --- step up. Teens are MORE than old enough to do the grocery shopping, plan and cook meals for the family and clean up afterwards. They are also plenty old enough to clean the house and do laundry, both for themselves and for others. And it's past time they contribute, if they haven't already: after all, it's their MOTHER who is sick, not their maid.
Right off the bat: tell those teens that they are completely responsible for their own breakfasts, lunches, and personal laundry. (Got nothing clean to wear? Gee, that's tough --- you should've washed your stuff last night, I guess.) That brings it down to one meal a day, which should lighten the load considerably. And what the heck, the occasional cold-cuts sandwich dinner (just dump the fixings on the table and tell them to make their own) or pizza won't kill anyone. And for anybody "picky", if they don't like whatever options they're presented with: tell them there's the kitchen, go make your own dinner. Heck, they'll have to learn to cook someday, they might as well start now.
posted by easily confused at 1:53 AM on February 24, 2016 [11 favorites]
Right off the bat: tell those teens that they are completely responsible for their own breakfasts, lunches, and personal laundry. (Got nothing clean to wear? Gee, that's tough --- you should've washed your stuff last night, I guess.) That brings it down to one meal a day, which should lighten the load considerably. And what the heck, the occasional cold-cuts sandwich dinner (just dump the fixings on the table and tell them to make their own) or pizza won't kill anyone. And for anybody "picky", if they don't like whatever options they're presented with: tell them there's the kitchen, go make your own dinner. Heck, they'll have to learn to cook someday, they might as well start now.
posted by easily confused at 1:53 AM on February 24, 2016 [11 favorites]
Two teenagers should be more than capable of cooking a family dinner. By that age they should already be taking care of their own breakfasts and lunches anyway. I also agree that they're old enough to do laundry and other household chores. If they're not already doing these things then now is the perfect time for them to step up and learn to be adults.
A really quick and easy meal that anyone can make - make some rice in the rice cooker (add a stock cube for extra flavour) then chuck in some frozen veggies and pre-cooked protein of choice near the end to warm through. Takes 30 minutes tops and you can make as much as your rice cooker will hold so there's plenty for a family of 4 and left overs.
posted by missmagenta at 4:07 AM on February 24, 2016
A really quick and easy meal that anyone can make - make some rice in the rice cooker (add a stock cube for extra flavour) then chuck in some frozen veggies and pre-cooked protein of choice near the end to warm through. Takes 30 minutes tops and you can make as much as your rice cooker will hold so there's plenty for a family of 4 and left overs.
posted by missmagenta at 4:07 AM on February 24, 2016
Don't worry about ability level for the teenagers. Any teenager can make a sandwich.
I'd get everything from TJ's. Cereal for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch with some nuts and dried fruit. It's totally ok to get frozen dinners for everyone for the next four weeks if no one is up for cooking. Friday night is pizza night. Saturday and Sunday help the teenagers plan and make spaghetti or something easy.
posted by betsybetsy at 4:50 AM on February 24, 2016
I'd get everything from TJ's. Cereal for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch with some nuts and dried fruit. It's totally ok to get frozen dinners for everyone for the next four weeks if no one is up for cooking. Friday night is pizza night. Saturday and Sunday help the teenagers plan and make spaghetti or something easy.
posted by betsybetsy at 4:50 AM on February 24, 2016
I'm going to suggest the teenagers too. Teenagers (like most everyone else, really) can be awesome cooks if they're taught some of the basics. Picky eaters often turn out to be especially meticulous in their food preparation. And since the basics of food preparation ought to be taught to teenagers anyway, this is a great educational project with the bonus of experiencing some (possibly extra-motivating) true-life responsibility.
Looking for meal suggestions, perhaps replace the phrase "quick and easy" with "at least relatively easy, but always really good." Or, in short, religiously avoid slapdash cooking followed by a bad eating experience, which not only would be making everyone miserable but also teach the wrong things to the kids.
If you can't enter the kitchen in person, maybe you could be a coach nevertheless? Otherwise, if there aren't any cookbooks in your home there's always the internet, our else get them to get some cookbooks.
posted by Namlit at 4:55 AM on February 24, 2016
Looking for meal suggestions, perhaps replace the phrase "quick and easy" with "at least relatively easy, but always really good." Or, in short, religiously avoid slapdash cooking followed by a bad eating experience, which not only would be making everyone miserable but also teach the wrong things to the kids.
If you can't enter the kitchen in person, maybe you could be a coach nevertheless? Otherwise, if there aren't any cookbooks in your home there's always the internet, our else get them to get some cookbooks.
posted by Namlit at 4:55 AM on February 24, 2016
(I am assuming that my costco has the same things as yours, I hope that is true!)
Costco has frozen fish and frozen chicken that is packaged individually. We get the mahi mahi from there, often the one that is already seasoned (it's more expensive than the non-seasoned one, but good and easier). Pull it out of the freezer the night before and stick in the fridge in a bowl of water, or leave on the counter for a few hours in a bowl of water, and then all you have to do is grill/bake it. They also have large packages of fresh chicken breasts for less than the grocery stores near me (I don't normally shop at walmart, so that might be cheaper), if you know you're going to use them and have room to store.
I also like getting the bottles of marinade from the grocery store, and putting defrosted chicken in the marinade in the fridge overnight. The individually wrapped chicken makes it easy to defrost - pull out the number of chicken breasts you need, defrost in a bowl of water, and then put in a ziploc to marinate. If you make twice as much chicken as you need, and get a bag of salad (which I find to be cheaper at places like costco), you can have salad the next day with the leftover chicken.
The costco brand microwave bacon is also pretty good, and comes in a large package - if you wanted to do a breakfast for dinner night (or even for breakfast), it might be a good solution.
Other easy to make things we get at costco - precooked chicken skewers, which were a hit with our niece before she stopped eating chicken. You heat them up in the oven, turning them once, and serve with honey mustard or something. Easy enough to fix, and should require minimal supervision of the teenagers.
They have huge packs of lunchmeat there. Also, a kirkland brand pulled pork with no sauce which is pretty good.
They also have premade caesar salads and pasta stuff, etc - some of it is ready to eat, other parts of it need to be cooked. They also have cooked rotisserie chickens, which you could pair with salad, or some sort of fries/tater tot thing that can be heated up in the oven. Again, pretty low maintenance things for the teens to do with minimal supervision from you. (And a great first step in learning to cook.) (I see that you can't go into the kitchen - can you set timers and remind them to check things when they go off? That seems to be the problem my niece has the most - forgetting the timer and burning things.)
This rosemary and roasted garlic meatloaf goes over pretty well at my house, with professed non-meatloaf lovers. It's pretty simple, with the hardest part being cutting up the rosemary and roasting the garlic ahead of time, the rest is just mixing and baking. (You could probably skip the rosemary chopping and use either dried rosemary or something in the tube from the produce section at the grocery store.) We normally have it with salad, because it is a little greasy. It reheats pretty well, so I sometimes make it the night before, and then we don't have to wait forever for it.
Other things that work well - throwing a roast in the crockpot with beef broth (or french onion soup), adding mini potatoes (the little red ones you get at the store. you can also get larger potatoes and cut them up, but then you have to cut things.) and carrots, and cooking it - it makes a pretty simple to prepare meal, and you can also add things like onions. They have premade spice pouches at the grocery store, and I think you can also get crockpot liners to put in so that it is easier to clean (again, which might make it easy for the teens to help out with).
We've also put chicken breasts in the crockpot with a container of salsa, and then used the meat for burritos or tacos.
posted by needlegrrl at 5:24 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Costco has frozen fish and frozen chicken that is packaged individually. We get the mahi mahi from there, often the one that is already seasoned (it's more expensive than the non-seasoned one, but good and easier). Pull it out of the freezer the night before and stick in the fridge in a bowl of water, or leave on the counter for a few hours in a bowl of water, and then all you have to do is grill/bake it. They also have large packages of fresh chicken breasts for less than the grocery stores near me (I don't normally shop at walmart, so that might be cheaper), if you know you're going to use them and have room to store.
I also like getting the bottles of marinade from the grocery store, and putting defrosted chicken in the marinade in the fridge overnight. The individually wrapped chicken makes it easy to defrost - pull out the number of chicken breasts you need, defrost in a bowl of water, and then put in a ziploc to marinate. If you make twice as much chicken as you need, and get a bag of salad (which I find to be cheaper at places like costco), you can have salad the next day with the leftover chicken.
The costco brand microwave bacon is also pretty good, and comes in a large package - if you wanted to do a breakfast for dinner night (or even for breakfast), it might be a good solution.
Other easy to make things we get at costco - precooked chicken skewers, which were a hit with our niece before she stopped eating chicken. You heat them up in the oven, turning them once, and serve with honey mustard or something. Easy enough to fix, and should require minimal supervision of the teenagers.
They have huge packs of lunchmeat there. Also, a kirkland brand pulled pork with no sauce which is pretty good.
They also have premade caesar salads and pasta stuff, etc - some of it is ready to eat, other parts of it need to be cooked. They also have cooked rotisserie chickens, which you could pair with salad, or some sort of fries/tater tot thing that can be heated up in the oven. Again, pretty low maintenance things for the teens to do with minimal supervision from you. (And a great first step in learning to cook.) (I see that you can't go into the kitchen - can you set timers and remind them to check things when they go off? That seems to be the problem my niece has the most - forgetting the timer and burning things.)
This rosemary and roasted garlic meatloaf goes over pretty well at my house, with professed non-meatloaf lovers. It's pretty simple, with the hardest part being cutting up the rosemary and roasting the garlic ahead of time, the rest is just mixing and baking. (You could probably skip the rosemary chopping and use either dried rosemary or something in the tube from the produce section at the grocery store.) We normally have it with salad, because it is a little greasy. It reheats pretty well, so I sometimes make it the night before, and then we don't have to wait forever for it.
Other things that work well - throwing a roast in the crockpot with beef broth (or french onion soup), adding mini potatoes (the little red ones you get at the store. you can also get larger potatoes and cut them up, but then you have to cut things.) and carrots, and cooking it - it makes a pretty simple to prepare meal, and you can also add things like onions. They have premade spice pouches at the grocery store, and I think you can also get crockpot liners to put in so that it is easier to clean (again, which might make it easy for the teens to help out with).
We've also put chicken breasts in the crockpot with a container of salsa, and then used the meat for burritos or tacos.
posted by needlegrrl at 5:24 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Another vote for the teens learning to cook and plan meals.
Apart from "How to Cook Everything", Three Good Things is a good cookbook for beginners.
Things teens can do without much guidance and not ruin completely:
- home-made burgers: you can buy the buns, the patties and all the condiments and vegs - and frozen fries to heat in the oven. Remember to season the patties if they are not pre-seasoned, and remember the pan has to be hot before you put on the meat.
- pizza: buy the pre-made dough, crushed tomatoes, shredded cheese and pepperoni. Bake at highest possible heat. I've taught five year olds to make pizza with dough from scratch. Very simple and fast.
- salads with pre-cut meat or tuna and hard-boiled eggs, served with good bread. Whatever ingredients the teens like.
- sandwiches. Whatever ingredients the teens like.
- pasta with red gravy: find simple recipe on the internet, buy ingredients, follow instructions. If time is allowed for simmering, all the mistakes one might make will be evened out.
- minestrone: find simple recipe on the internet, buy ingredients, follow instructions - serve with good bread
- macaroni cheese from a package is simple, if they like it
- stews in the crockpot + rice from the rice cooker are simple. Find recipes, follow instructions
- a hamburger, boiled potatoes and a salad or steamed vegs is simple
If they get started with these things, they can start studying cookbooks and doing more advanced stuff where you need to understand and follow instructions.
Dealing with whole meat and/or poultry and/or fish is more advanced.
White sauces/gravies are more advanced.
Baking is advanced.
One can survive for years without cooking anything complicated, but my own experience with teens has been that once they got started they became very ambitious. Cooking is fun!
posted by mumimor at 5:47 AM on February 24, 2016
Apart from "How to Cook Everything", Three Good Things is a good cookbook for beginners.
Things teens can do without much guidance and not ruin completely:
- home-made burgers: you can buy the buns, the patties and all the condiments and vegs - and frozen fries to heat in the oven. Remember to season the patties if they are not pre-seasoned, and remember the pan has to be hot before you put on the meat.
- pizza: buy the pre-made dough, crushed tomatoes, shredded cheese and pepperoni. Bake at highest possible heat. I've taught five year olds to make pizza with dough from scratch. Very simple and fast.
- salads with pre-cut meat or tuna and hard-boiled eggs, served with good bread. Whatever ingredients the teens like.
- sandwiches. Whatever ingredients the teens like.
- pasta with red gravy: find simple recipe on the internet, buy ingredients, follow instructions. If time is allowed for simmering, all the mistakes one might make will be evened out.
- minestrone: find simple recipe on the internet, buy ingredients, follow instructions - serve with good bread
- macaroni cheese from a package is simple, if they like it
- stews in the crockpot + rice from the rice cooker are simple. Find recipes, follow instructions
- a hamburger, boiled potatoes and a salad or steamed vegs is simple
If they get started with these things, they can start studying cookbooks and doing more advanced stuff where you need to understand and follow instructions.
Dealing with whole meat and/or poultry and/or fish is more advanced.
White sauces/gravies are more advanced.
Baking is advanced.
One can survive for years without cooking anything complicated, but my own experience with teens has been that once they got started they became very ambitious. Cooking is fun!
posted by mumimor at 5:47 AM on February 24, 2016
Oh, and specifically the teens & grocery shopping, assuming at least one can drive: make out a list, give them enough cash, and tell them you want both your change and the receipt when they get back. Yes, this is very doable --- my own parents actually cheered when I got my driving license, because that meant that from then on I had a new weekly chore: the family grocery shopping.
Just make the shopping list in some sort of order.... either group similar items (vegetables, dairy, meat, canned goods, frozen, etc.) or list things in the order in which they're encountered as you'd walk through the store.
posted by easily confused at 6:07 AM on February 24, 2016
Just make the shopping list in some sort of order.... either group similar items (vegetables, dairy, meat, canned goods, frozen, etc.) or list things in the order in which they're encountered as you'd walk through the store.
posted by easily confused at 6:07 AM on February 24, 2016
The teenagers should absolutely be contributing, especially because once their mother returns, she should have multiple people to rely on for help. As someone above said: this is their mother, not a maid. And a person recovering from surgery shouldn't feel the need to launch back into taking care of an entire household full of people the second they return. The idea that multiple people are eating sandwiches for two weeks while they wait for the 'cook' to come home is not a generous image. Everyone in that house should take this opportunity to learn how to cook, plan, buy groceries, whatever matches with their physical capabilities. (There are so many easy things, like fritattas, slow cooker meals, curries, fried rice, salad with a fried egg on top, roast chicken, baked potatoes, etc.)
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 6:31 AM on February 24, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 6:31 AM on February 24, 2016 [8 favorites]
Of your choices, I'd probably stick to Aldi for most of your day to day basics--it's cheap, and there's only one or two choices, so there's no fear of being paralyzed by decisions. Costco would be best for things the family would go through fast--meat, milk, some basic produce that would be used in lots of dishes and keeps for a while. Costco's cheap rotisserie chickens can be the foundation of many a quick, healthy meal. Trader Joe's is good if you need something ready that requires no prep, but some of their ready-made stuff goes way overboard on the sodium.
The kids could, at bare minimum, serve as soux chef, and help with the chopping, peeling, etc.
As for dishes, soups would be great--chop up onion, carrot, celery, add the meat from the rotisserie chicken and make your own broth with those bones and the veggie scraps by simmering it in a slow cooker for 12-24 hours. That's the base for a ton of soups. Quiche, tacos, pasta tossed with some meat and veg, all are good, simple beginner recipes that can be healthy.
Budget Bytes is awesome for low-cost recipe breakdowns, relatively healthy, and easy to understand recipes. I'm also fond of Brokeass Gourmet. I also like America's Test Kitchen--I really like this cookbook of theirs (maybe the library has it?).
posted by PearlRose at 6:37 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
The kids could, at bare minimum, serve as soux chef, and help with the chopping, peeling, etc.
As for dishes, soups would be great--chop up onion, carrot, celery, add the meat from the rotisserie chicken and make your own broth with those bones and the veggie scraps by simmering it in a slow cooker for 12-24 hours. That's the base for a ton of soups. Quiche, tacos, pasta tossed with some meat and veg, all are good, simple beginner recipes that can be healthy.
Budget Bytes is awesome for low-cost recipe breakdowns, relatively healthy, and easy to understand recipes. I'm also fond of Brokeass Gourmet. I also like America's Test Kitchen--I really like this cookbook of theirs (maybe the library has it?).
posted by PearlRose at 6:37 AM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
When I was in college and we'd have a bunch of friends over, we'd make Fantastic World Foods Vegetarian Chili and some Jiffy Cornbread. Super easy and cheap. You can usually buy the chili mix in the "ethnic" area of the grocery store, or you can get it in bulk on Amazon.
posted by radioamy at 9:48 AM on February 24, 2016
posted by radioamy at 9:48 AM on February 24, 2016
Take it from a Midwesterner: Hot dish is your friend. Protein, noodle or starch, can of soup, 350°F for 30 minutes = dinner.
E.g. tuna casserole - 1-2 cans of tuna, half a bag of cooked egg noodles, a cup or two of frozen peas, can of cream of celery soup. 350°F for half an hour.
Tater tot hit dish - 1-2 lbs of ground meat, browned; pour a can or two of cream soup (mushroom, celery, etc.) over the top, layer of frozen tater tots, 350°F for 20 minutes, then add a layer of cheese, back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Meals are simple, filling, cheap, and usually end up with leftovers, so there's enough for another day in there as well.
If you have a warehouse club or food service place nearby (the kind of place that sells large frozen meals) the big pans of pre-made lasagna are a winner as well - throw it in the oven, dinner is done.
posted by caution live frogs at 9:55 AM on February 24, 2016
E.g. tuna casserole - 1-2 cans of tuna, half a bag of cooked egg noodles, a cup or two of frozen peas, can of cream of celery soup. 350°F for half an hour.
Tater tot hit dish - 1-2 lbs of ground meat, browned; pour a can or two of cream soup (mushroom, celery, etc.) over the top, layer of frozen tater tots, 350°F for 20 minutes, then add a layer of cheese, back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Meals are simple, filling, cheap, and usually end up with leftovers, so there's enough for another day in there as well.
If you have a warehouse club or food service place nearby (the kind of place that sells large frozen meals) the big pans of pre-made lasagna are a winner as well - throw it in the oven, dinner is done.
posted by caution live frogs at 9:55 AM on February 24, 2016
Tuna casserole absolutely - but it is heresy to make tuna casserole with cream of celery soup. Cream of mushroom is the only way to go. Possibly diluted with half a soup-can of milk.
Don't forget to sprinkle cheese on top.
(Wow, flood of nostalgia... this was one of my parents' go-tos)
posted by telepanda at 10:26 AM on February 24, 2016
Don't forget to sprinkle cheese on top.
(Wow, flood of nostalgia... this was one of my parents' go-tos)
posted by telepanda at 10:26 AM on February 24, 2016
Nthing people who have suggested crockpots and also getting the teenagers involved. Buzzfeed has a ton of lists of pretty easy, inexpensive, and quick meals and posts more all the time. Budget Bytes, as suggested by a few previous posters, is also great.
posted by naturalog at 12:56 PM on February 24, 2016
posted by naturalog at 12:56 PM on February 24, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by salvia at 7:06 PM on February 23, 2016 [6 favorites]