Traveltalkonline.com Forums


TTOL Sponsors
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics38,428
Posts310,024
Members26,538
Most Online2,218
Jan 21st, 2020
Top Posters(30 Days)
RonDon 114
pat 43
jazzgal 41
Todd 40
Member Spotlight
Whale Tail
Whale Tail
Ontario Canada
Posts: 795
Joined: March 2020
Show All Member Profiles 
Today's Birthdays
ecco, OceanDrop, vincent
Who's Online Now
3 registered members (MNsnowbird, cacapasa, 1 invisible), 809 guests, and 70 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead #8008
05/04/2009 08:05 PM
05/04/2009 08:05 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
evandnic Offline OP
Traveler
evandnic  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
I have to have surgery in a couple of weeks and I would like to make it as easy as possible on my husband to take care of me and yet feed us and the 2 kids. Kid #1 is a really picky eater (no casseroles) kid #2 likes escargot... so I'm stumped for what will work for us. I will probably be off my feet for 2 weeks, so the more the merrier!

Please share your easy make ahead meals ideas (other than the standard red sauce pasta bake meals) and we will be eternally grateful! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: evandnic] #8009
05/05/2009 08:03 AM
05/05/2009 08:03 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
peconic Offline
Traveler
peconic  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
OH Boy...
if you leave out casseroles, that's a tough question...
I've looked in my recipe folder and have come up with nothing... sorry...
Two weeks of Take-Out??? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

You could try this website:
http://www.chiff.com/cooking/make-ahead.htm

or GOOGLE "make ahead recipes"...


[color:"blue"]Life with my wife... It's not just a marriage, It's an Adventure![/color]
"Only Sailors Get Blown Offshore" <*}}}><{
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: peconic] #8010
05/05/2009 08:24 AM
05/05/2009 08:24 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 347
Tennessee
seaside2 Offline
Traveler
seaside2  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 347
Tennessee
I don't know about your area, but around the Memphis area there are several places that make up meals to "heat and eat". They do these on a variety of time frames (three days, weekly, etc). They vary, at your choice, from mundane to really gourmet. They are almost like private chefs, and not terribly expensive. You might try that.

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: peconic] #8011
05/05/2009 08:35 AM
05/05/2009 08:35 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
wow, that's what I was thinking--no casseroles?? OK, then, how about soups??


Carol Hill
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: evandnic] #8012
05/05/2009 09:14 AM
05/05/2009 09:14 AM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 694
NC
J
judyinnc Offline
Traveler
judyinnc  Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 694
NC
What about making spaghetti sauce and freezing it? I do have a spaghetti pie recipe if you would like that. If you are members of a church, they usually feed someone who is having surgery. At least for a week. You can also pre-patty hamburgers and your husband can throw them on the grill.

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: Carol_Hill] #8013
05/05/2009 09:23 AM
05/05/2009 09:23 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
peconic Offline
Traveler
peconic  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
Ah... soups... good idea... I have a few to post!
BUT... I don't think soup everyday for two weeks would work...
Good for one or two nights though... along with a nice baguette!

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: peconic] #8014
05/05/2009 10:02 AM
05/05/2009 10:02 AM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 925
Chesapeake - deliveries worldw...
Auspicious Offline
Traveler
Auspicious  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 925
Chesapeake - deliveries worldw...
Look at the Once-A-Month-Cooking forum at Recipezaar: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=23


dave

S/V Auspicious
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: Carol_Hill] #8015
05/05/2009 10:16 AM
05/05/2009 10:16 AM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
evandnic Offline OP
Traveler
evandnic  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
ok - you guys all had the same problem I did... I couldn't think of anything but casseroles! I'll just do the usual - feed the three of us who love good food a cassarole, and have available for the difficult child his usual selection of pasta, grilled chicken, pizza and veges.

Bring on the good casserole recipes - he will just have to deal with the boredom (as usual). <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: evandnic] #8016
05/05/2009 03:08 PM
05/05/2009 03:08 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901
Maine
Breeze Offline
Traveler
Breeze  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901
Maine
No recipes here, but just a "method to prevent madness".... perhaps?

While you are still up and cooking, stock in a lot of ziplock bags and a bunch of the covered plastic containers that can stack in the freezer.

Make extra of the things your family loves to eat and instead of having the leftovers tomorrow, package the leftovers for the freezer. If you do some portion control and creative packing, you'll have home-cooked "MREs" in your freezer that won't take long to thaw or heat.

Rather than convalescent casserole cuisine, you can have a selection of familiar family favorites on hand that may need only a frozen vegetable, a salad, a baguette or a garlic bread as a side dish. A little portion control makes it possible for different taste buds to have what they want, even at the same meal.

Lasagne freezes beautfully, for instance. Make a bigger one than your family would eat in one meal. Once it has cooled, cut it in serving size portions and slide each portion into a sandwich size ziplock bag. Seal it up, label it with Lasagne and date it, park it in the freezer.

Making meatloaf? Make two, eat one. Slice the other one up and portion it, label and freeze.

Beef stew? Double the recipe, freeze the overage in single portion sizes.

Find chicken breasts on sale? Buy'em up, cook'em up the way your family likes them, freeze the extras in single portions.

You can stock in a whole bunch of meals ( or meal starters) this way.

zip lock baggies WILL go into a pot of boiling water to reheat the contents, they will not melt. They will also microwave well if you vent the seal.

There are a bazillion * 2 of effortless options for side dishes in any grocery store. Stock up,and DEFINITELY point out to the Other Half that boiling water and punching microwave buttons are good and necessary survival skills.

I'm sorry you will be down for a timeout count, but you do still have time to enable a good outcome~

Breeze

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: Breeze] #8017
05/05/2009 05:26 PM
05/05/2009 05:26 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 925
Chesapeake - deliveries worldw...
Auspicious Offline
Traveler
Auspicious  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 925
Chesapeake - deliveries worldw...
Quote
Breeze said:
zip lock baggies WILL go into a pot of boiling water to reheat the contents, they will not melt.


Put a trivet or a folded dish towel in the bottom of the pot of boiling water to protect the Ziploc bag


dave

S/V Auspicious
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: evandnic] #8018
05/05/2009 05:50 PM
05/05/2009 05:50 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
peconic Offline
Traveler
peconic  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
ev,
also consider getting one of those vaccuum baggers...
Great for sealing cooked food for freezing...
and food can be nuked (vent first) or boiled right in the bag...

You can get a Black & Decker for around $20+ or spend up to $260 or so for a high end FoodSaver...
If we were to get one I'd probably go with this model FoodSaver for $80 as we wouldn't use it on a daily basis...


[color:"blue"]Life with my wife... It's not just a marriage, It's an Adventure![/color]
"Only Sailors Get Blown Offshore" <*}}}><{
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: peconic] #8019
05/05/2009 06:24 PM
05/05/2009 06:24 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 6,150
Florida
annie Offline
Traveler
annie  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 6,150
Florida
Brian, I am on my second Food Saver and they are worth their weight in gold! I vacuum pack just about everything!

Annie

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: annie] #8020
05/05/2009 06:31 PM
05/05/2009 06:31 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
peconic Offline
Traveler
peconic  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
annie, That's perfect for you now, as you are now cooking for one most times! I'm sure you get a lot of use out of it!

I have a friend who has a side job, during hunting season...
He butchers deer for people in his garage where he has a full butcher shop set up...
For some extra $$$ he will vaccuum pack all the meat for his clients...
He has an industrial model he bought from a seafood packer...


[color:"blue"]Life with my wife... It's not just a marriage, It's an Adventure![/color]
"Only Sailors Get Blown Offshore" <*}}}><{
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: peconic] #8021
05/05/2009 07:26 PM
05/05/2009 07:26 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 6,150
Florida
annie Offline
Traveler
annie  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 6,150
Florida
Brian, I do get a lot of use out of it! I love soup and make a variety of them and I have some 2 cup square Rubbermaid containers that hold just enough soup for my lunch. So I freeze the soup in them and when frozen pop the soup out and vacuum pack. Have about 30 packs of soup in the freezer now.

A full butcher shop in his garage! Wow! That must be something. My father used to bring a lot of game home with him many, many moons ago!

Annie

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: annie] #8022
05/05/2009 07:31 PM
05/05/2009 07:31 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
peconic Offline
Traveler
peconic  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
He does 500-700 deer at about $150 each a year...
has a couple of guys (butchers from local supermarkets) that work with him...
Nice income supplement! and a cash business to boot...

Sorry for the HiJack! This isn't helping ev... back to the original topic now!


[color:"blue"]Life with my wife... It's not just a marriage, It's an Adventure![/color]
"Only Sailors Get Blown Offshore" <*}}}><{
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: judyinnc] #8023
05/05/2009 07:45 PM
05/05/2009 07:45 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
evandnic Offline OP
Traveler
evandnic  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
Judy,

I feel like a medical mishap (3rd major surgery in the last 6 years)- I'm trying to stay below the radar so I don't become the source of "gossip". 45 years old and a partial knee replacement. Good Lord. What a mess I am! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: peconic] #8024
05/05/2009 07:47 PM
05/05/2009 07:47 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
evandnic Offline OP
Traveler
evandnic  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
Hey guys,

Just hearing all the great ideas and all the support means the world to me. Thanks for caring to post. You should see me now just grinning at the monitor! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: evandnic] #8025
05/05/2009 07:53 PM
05/05/2009 07:53 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Sounds like you are ready to go through a very rough patch. Our thoughts are with you !


Carol Hill
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: Carol_Hill] #8026
05/06/2009 08:04 AM
05/06/2009 08:04 AM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,278
Virginia Beach, VA
SarahJane Offline
Traveler
SarahJane  Offline
Traveler
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,278
Virginia Beach, VA
Don't forget the rotisserie chickens at your local supermarket, I am sure you could freeze a whole one or he can stop in and quickly grab one on the way home. As far as boiling things in a ziploc bag, I don't do the cooking in plastic thing, I feel it is one of the reasons children today have so many allergies and so much asthma. Leave the plastic out of the heat! You could also pick up a honey baked ham or a spiral sliced ham (which you would have to cook yourself) at the store and cut it up and freeze it so it is available for a few meals and for sandwiches. There is nothing wrong with subs for dinner a few times either. You can always mix things up and have breakfast for dinner, nothing wrong with pancakes and eggs in the evening and simple to cook. Good luck with your surgery and don't sweat your kids eating, if they are hungry they will find something to eat and a couple weeks of mom out of commission won't kill them. Burgers and hot dogs on the grill are easy too and perhaps the kids can even help with that.


Sarah
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: SarahJane] #8027
05/06/2009 09:56 AM
05/06/2009 09:56 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
peconic Offline
Traveler
peconic  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,406
Basking Ridge, NJ Southold, NY...
Spiral Ham... Good Idea! cook according to directions, remove from the bone, and freeze in small portions!
It does freeze well...
we just bought two spiral hams (on sale), smoked in applewood, for $1.29/lb... 12-13 lbs. each... at A&P...
Great in a scalloped potato casserole...


[color:"blue"]Life with my wife... It's not just a marriage, It's an Adventure![/color]
"Only Sailors Get Blown Offshore" <*}}}><{
Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: peconic] #8028
05/06/2009 11:31 AM
05/06/2009 11:31 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,141
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
islandgem Offline
Traveler
islandgem  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,141
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Ham and scalloped potatoes is always delicious!
Also home made baked beans can be frozen and served with ham and makes a nice nutritious meal with a fresh salad on the side. Since it is barbeque season, hubby should be able to grill a different meat each night with vegetables on the grill too and served with fresh rolls or salad, everyone should be happy!




Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: evandnic] #8029
05/06/2009 11:41 AM
05/06/2009 11:41 AM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 4,214
Toledo, OH, USA
Orange_Burst Offline
Traveler
Orange_Burst  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 4,214
Toledo, OH, USA
I just returned from a visit with my daughter in Seattle. She has a newborn and decided to do the "Let's Dish" meals. I went with them to prepare their meals. The selection was fantastic, ingredients fresh, and tasted delicious. You make up your meals, but into ziplocks, add cooking instruction stickers and freeze them. The best part is no clean up! The price was reasonable too. Looking at their website there is a location in Fairfax. Check out their menus on line.

Good Luck with your surgery!


Colleen

[Linked Image]


Re: Help Needed - Recipes to make ahead [Re: Orange_Burst] #8030
05/07/2009 02:16 PM
05/07/2009 02:16 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
evandnic Offline OP
Traveler
evandnic  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 236
Fairfax, VA
Thank you all for the good wishes and excellent ideas. I'll probably start planning/cooking this weekend.


Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1