It’s 5 pm. My kids are hangry and scream crying. Okay, only my toddler is screaming, but the others are loudly complaining about their hungry tummies. I’m trying to fend them off from eating snacks so that they will eat their healthy dinner, while trying to be a genius in the kitchen and whip up some magical creation that my children will want to eat and not describe as ‘it tastes like feet’. Ten minutes later, I am sweaty from rushing around and standing over the hot stove, my toddler is already eating bread in the highchair because I can’t stand the crying, and my children now are grimacing at their meal that I have dumped onto the table. My kitchen is trashed and there is spaghetti sauce everywhere. It turns out that I am not a genius in the kitchen and the dinner, in fact, does taste like feet. I end up feeding everyone bread and butter and my husband spends half an hour cleaning up after the kids go to bed.
Has anyone else had this situation?
One of the reasons I started this blog is to learn simple living. Sometimes my life feels overly busy and hurried. I want to enjoy my life and I am hoping that by simplifying aspects, I will be able to become less busy, less hurried and do more of the things that really matter. So the topic is dinners. There are seven dinners each week. I have read a number of articles about ideas for what to cook but rarely about when is the best time to cook?
You might want to consider these questions when deciding the most suitable time for cooking:
- How many minutes do you want to cook for?
- What time of day do you enjoy cooking the most?
- What time of day does it suit you to cook?
- How many pots and pans do you want to cook with?
- Do you mind re-heating food or do you like it hot and fresh?
- Do the people in your household eat at the same time?
Cooking is incredibly personal and every situation is different, so I don’t want to give advice here. Plus, you might have gleaned from the story above that I am a terrible cook! However, I will share my answers and where I have landed in terms of simplifying dinners to suit my own family situation. Here are my answers to the questions:
- How many minutes do you want to cook for? As little as possible! 5 minutes max!
- What time of day do you enjoy cooking the most? First thing in the morning is when I am most energetic.
- What time of day does it suit you to cook? I have more time in the mornings. There is usually a few spare minutes.
- How many pots and pans do you want to cook with? One pot! And I want the pot to be dishwasher safe so I have minimal cleaning!
- Do you mind re-heating food or do you like it hot and fresh? Hot and fresh, please.
- Do the people in your household eat at the same time? Not all the time. Sometimes, the toddler gets very hungry!
Now based on my answers, I’ve decided that the slow cooker/crockpot is the best fit for our family, so I have been transitioning to frequent slow cooker meals for dinner. There is also the added bonus that meat in the slow cooker tends to be a bit cheaper.
Now, my answers are purely about what works for my family in our current stage of life. You should ask yourself the above questions and work out what best fits your circumstances.
I am enjoying finding my simple life!
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What great insights. It has always been the same for working families but I do remember something my mum used to talk about. She called meal time 6 o’clock rock (also the name of an Australian music show with Johnny O’Keefe). She of course was not working, so it goes back along way. When my girls were young I prepared dinner early and ate with them. Their families eat dinner later, all together. Good luck and I hope you find some great recipes!