God love you, you have THREE babies to take care of!! Of COURSE you are exhausted. Don't even worry about trying to learn how to cook right now, my advice is to wait until your twins are in kindergarten and THEN take a fun hands-on cooking class @ a community college or at the classes they have @ the Farmer 's Market. Your main job right now is just to stay SANE - I also had twins and then another - three in diapers at once - and I know this can be the most demanding job on the planet. But it WILL get easier. Can you start a Babysitting Co-op with friends from Church? This way you can leave your kids in a safe place for a few hours and go home and SLEEP or watch your cooking shows with NO little people distracting you. Hang in there!
Here's a few easy recipes.
Take a loaf of french bread.
Slice french bread length ways. You can slice as thick as you want.
Sprinkle with olive oil.
Apply a layer of mozzerrella cheese
" " " of sliced tomatoes
Sprinkle salt/pepper... oregano (optional oregano)
Apply a layer of pepper jack cheese
Put in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes; until french bread looks toasty/cheese appears melted. You can alter this recipe with cheddar cheese.
serve with salad
Does your family like beans? There's various types of packaged beans with seasoning packets. Really easy...
soak the beans the night before
drain beans
pour beans into a crock pot
pour about three cans of chicken broth enough to cover the beans
add seasoning packet
add half an onion; sliced
add a link of smoke turkey sausage; sliced
cook on high if you want this within four/five hours. if later in the evening... cook on low for about seven hours.
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Pot Roast
Chuck roast
One package of dry onion soup mix
One can of cream of mushroom soup
One or half can of water
slice a bellpepper, onion, garlic pod
mix all of this together in a crock pot
put chuck roast in the mixture
cook for about four-five hours on high.
Sometimes I slice the roast in 1/4 slices and cook that way.
Then serve this over rice. Get a rice cooker. They are the best way to cook rice. Pour rice/water/push the lever!!!
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mac and cheese box mix
slice up smoke sausage (cook in the microwave for about 1 minute or so)
about two cups of sliced frozen brocolli (cook in microwave for about 2 minutes or until they appear tender)
mix the sausage/brocolli/ and prepared mac/cheese together
serve with sliced tomatoes.
good luck.
I see you have received many responses already. I just wanted to add that I love Angela M advice. Take it slow, and perfect one thing at a time. Also a must have in my opinion is the book The Joy of Cooking. Many basic receipes and it teaches you terms and how to do many techniques as well.
The only thing that gets food on my table is planning, planning and more planning.
My husband (a chef) also just suggested putting a dry erase board on the fridge and keep a list of what is in there.
I forget what we even have pushed to the back and things go to waste-so far it has been a great help and keeps that part a no brainer.
I have a hard time cooking as well. I try but have never been good at it. One thing I do sometimes is get together with my sister and mom on the weekend and we cook together(they are great cooks). Then we divide up the food and that way I have some things to heat up during the week. It also is a good time for us to get together and for my kids to play with their cousins.
I know the feeling!!! I feel like I turn out a good meal about 50% of the time an the rest it is average or below. My guess is that you have the same problem that I have and that is distraction. I have a 2.5 yr old daughter and a 1 yr old son and it is nearly impossible to concentrate on following a recipe with the two of them running around screaming. I have this idea that it would be great to cook 1 or 2 times a month and fill up my freezer so I could be my own Super Suppers but I haven't found the full day I think will be necessary for that or the recipes but I know they are out there.
I do like Rachel Ray's 30 minute recipes. They generally take me about an hour but that is OK. I also try to do recipes with fewer ingredients, that seems to be a more workable solution for me.
Good Luck!
I'll just add two quick things I didn't see in the other responses.
1- HomemadeGourmet.com had great packets of ingredients ready to go. All you do is add one or two fresh ingredients, bake, and you have a great meal. The name says it all.
2- And as far as cooking goes, sometimes you shouldn't follow the recipe exactly. For example, my oven runs hot. So, when a recipe says I should bake something for 30 minutes, I set my timer for 20 minutes and check on it then. Meals in my oven are usually ready in around 22-25 minutes.
So, if your cooking issue is that meats are too tough, meals are dried out, or things are getting burned, you might want to experiment with temperatures or cooking times. Your appliances might be like mine and may be running too hot.
Feel free to write back with the specifics of your cooking issues if there is something else I can help with.
Hope this helps, good luck!
Malini, I think you are trying to hard and already have it set in your head that everything will turn out bad. I love to cook and I am planning on opening a resturant soon. I know it is difficult to cook with little ones around, so I put them to work with me. I would start off with something simple like a casserole. One of my families favorite is a creamy chicken casserole. I take chicken and cut it into cubes, then cut up some onions and celery. Add about 2tbl spoons of butter to a saute pan. Saute the chicken, celery and onions. Then you can do one of many things, I sometimes use lansanga noodles and layer the chicken mixture, cream of mushroom soup, and cheese (mozz or chedder). Make about 3-4 layers depending on how much you want to make, then pop it in the over @ 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until it is golden brown. You can also make macroni noodles and mix cream of mushroom soup and chicken mixer. Put cheese on top and pop it in the over @ 350 for 30-45 mintutes. Or use rice. You can add veggie is you want too. My family loves it and the kids like to mix stuff together. Just make it fun and if it does not come out just right it is okay. I was lucky my mom had us in the kitchen from the time we could walk. I do the same thing with my kids. Have fun!!! And good luck.
Hello Malini, wow you sure received lots of support from other stay at home moms! Sounds like you were given great ideas.
I wanted to share with you some cookbooks that I would recommend. We are just about to add them to our family online store as we are a distributor for the SUE GREGG Cookbooks. Sue Gregg cookbooks are great and have nutritious recipes. They offer a master plan cookbook that encourages planning one month at a time in a limited timeframe! they have recipes for breakfasts, lunch, main meals, and more. they encourage whole foods and raw fruits and vegetables. Here is an email I recently mailed out to many on my email list. Please feel free to email me for more information.
SUE GREGG COOKBOOKS
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Meals in Minutes
From Freezer to Table: Five o'clock has past. Long ago you breakfasted a husband, let the dog out, chauffeured the kids, splotched your best blouse, crashed the computer, answered a home equity loan phone solicitation, skipped lunch, napped the baby but not you, were called and begged by your old boss to fill in tomorrow at the office, heaped up two shopping carts at the supermarket, forgot to return your mother-in-law's call, picked up toys, and let the dog back in. You are tired, tired, tired. Five-thirty approaches. You haven't even begun to think about dinner. The pitter-patter of small feet approaches. Heavier footsteps will follow. What to have? Call for pizza? Again? Out for dinner? Not with your tribe on your budget. You know it is futile to check the cupboards, and the pantry is hopeless. Where to go for inspiration? The refrigerator? You open the door and stare at the shelves. They stare back. You need a plan!
What would it be like to have a freezer full of "use me" dishes waiting for the times when you're too busy, too late, and too tired?
Now you can prepare freezer dishes once a week or once a month or just increase your recipe on any given day and freeze the extra. Double, triple, or quadruple recipes for large families. Single? Divide into smaller portions. With a freezer full of twenty-six Meals in Minutes recipes you can manage convenience and control costs without compromising low fat-high fiber nutritional standards. By six you can still say, "Dinner's ready!" PRICE: $8.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Main Dishes
Main Dishes: With 140 complete menus, Main Dishes is an American style cookbook combining nutritional quality and appetizing taste without the health food shock! A cookbook that eases meat ‘n potatoes, biscuits ‘n gravy, dumplings ‘n chicken, and even fries ‘n burgers diehards into some higher fiber/lower fat fare with a little California Lite on the side.
Appetites are satisfied with quality ingredient alternatives to refined flours, sugar and hydrogenated shortening. Costs are controlled with low budget menu plans along with a printed cost analysis of each recipe and menu.
Vegetarian alternatives. Considerations for allergies and special diets. Exchange values for diabetics and weight watchers. Nutritional analysis for each recipe and menu. Sue Gregg's Main Dishes shows you how to eat better, one recipe at a time.
Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 286 pages, 3rd Edition. PRICE: $19.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Breakfasts
Breakfast with Blender Batter Baking & Allergy Alternatives: From Dairyless Shakes to Wheatless Coffee Cake.
Recipes & menus that balance convenience and cost, nutrional value and appetite appeal. Enjoy fresh whole grain waffles and pancakes even if you don't own a grain mill yet. Recipes so versatile that you can choose from buckwheat, barley, corn, oats, millet, rice, rye, kamut grain, spelt, and varieties of wheat.
Muffin, coffee cake & crepe batters ready to pour in five minutes. Made possible with blender batter baking recipes.
Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 300 pages, 3rd Edition. PRICE: $19.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking
An Intro to Whole Grain Baking: This new cookbook from Sue Gregg teaches you the basics of whole grain baking by two methods: Both with the conventional approach, and with the "Two-Step Process" that utilizes the techniques of soaking, sprouting and fermenting to unlock grain's nutritional potential. An important purpose of this introduction is teaching how to adapt the process to all whole grain recipes, whether found in Sue's cookbooks, or others. This book provides the basics you need for real proficiency.
Use with Curriculum, or Without: The next book listed below on this Web page, is Sue's curriculum for teaching High Schooler's baking, at home. This "Intro" book stands on its own, or you can use it with the High School curriculum, for which it serves as the instructional text book.
PowerPoint CD Included: With the Introduction to Whole Grain Baking book, you receive Sue's Whole Grain Baking CD (shown at left) with over 30 step by step demonstrations that show you clearly how to prepare the recipes in the book. The close up color photos will bring the recipe steps to life. The slide format allows you to proceed at your own pace, and even go back and review as you wish. Even without the High School curriculum shown below, this Intro book serves as an excellent introductory cookbook in baking, for all ages. Book measures 5-1/2" x 8-1/2".
Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 173 pages. Also includes CD. PRICE: $22.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Curriculum for Baking with Whole Grains
A Comprehensive One-Semester Course for families of High School students. You'll master 16 basic whole grain recipes for waffles, pancakes, coffee cakes, crepes, cornbread, muffins, scones, biscuits, tortillas, quick loaf breads, cinnamon rolls and sour dough. Introduces blender batter baking, fresh flour quick breads, and whole grain yeast breads. Balances academic research and practical applications. Emphasizes a Biblical creator/creation perspective, nutritional value, convenience, taste appeal, cost control, and research. Lessons are structured and sequential, but there are also opportunities for creative activities, bonus projects, and serving others.
Included: This set incudes the 284 page Student Notebook and the Test and Answer Keys CD. Both are illustrated at left. Notebook measures 8-1/2" x 11". Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 284 pages, 2nd Edition. Also includes CD.
Required: This curriculum also requires the use of the book An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking, available above and that book is not included with this set. (We list and price this set separately in case you already have the Whole Grain Baking book.) PRICE: $39.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Lunches & Snacks
Lunches & Snacks with lessons for children: Capture children's curiosity about food and food preparation at the opportune moments. Beginning reader-ready lessons help young cooks understand the "why" as they practice the "how," from set up to clean up.
Recipes written by the numbers help avoid confusion. Nutrition questions for discussion highlight the value of key ingredients. Help your children discover how to satisfy appetites with quality alternatives to refined flours, sugar and hydrogenated shortening. This cookbook applies the philosophy parents understand well — If they make it, they'll eat it!
Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 180 pages, 3rd Edition. PRICE: 13.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Cooking with Children Curriculum CD: Available with or without Cookbook
Now recipes come alive to children before kitchen activities begin. They can view step-by-step recipe photo demonstrations on the computer. This speeds the learning process because parents do not have to master the recipe and then model it for the child. Parents and children can learn together! For ages 3 to 13.
This set helps parents tap into in-built interests and channel opportunities for children to learn to serve as well as to be served. Take a little extra time once or twice a week to teach a new recipe. Then let the young cooks repeat the recipes on their own. Practice builds competence. Competence builds confidence. By age 13 they'll be doing the cooking for you!
Choose: Choose either the "book + CD" (the first Buy Button below), or, if you already own the Lunches & Snacks cookbook, you can purchase the CD alone (the second Buy Button below.) Note: This book is also available without the CD. See the book above.
PRICE: Set of Lunches & Snacks + CWC/CD $23.90
CD Cooking w/Children: $9.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Soups & Muffins
Soups & Muffins with menu combinations: Muffins…so versatile they enhance any meal. Soups that serve as light appetizers or satisfying main dishes. Together they combine for heart warming lunches or hearty dinners.
Save nutrients with soup stock. Get whole grain high fiber with low fat. Versatile recipes with allergy alternatives. Enjoy flavors without nutritional negatives. Combine cost control with convenience.
Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 104 pages, 3rd edition. PRICE: 8.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Desserts
Desserts: with low fat & allergy alternatives. From "no fat" Angel food cake and "fat free" oatmeal cookies to three minute refreshing Fruit Shrub, these recipes balance nutritional value and convenience.
Here is a cookbook that preserves appetite appeal in chocolate chip cookies and German chocolate cake without resorting to nutritional negatives. No hydrogenated fats, refined flour or sugar.
Allergy alternatives for chocolate, milk, eggs, wheat and corn make desserts a pleasure for everyone.
With one third of the recipes calculating at 30% or less fat (by calorie count), you can cut back on the fat without losing the yum!
Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 171 pages, 2nd Edition. PRICE: $12.95
Sue Gregg Cookbook: Master Index Menu Planner
Here's a reference book that answers questions: Which cookbook was the Applesauce Muffin recipe in? What is Kamut? Is is pronounced Kam-Ut or Ku-moot? Where can I find recipes that avoid my allergy? How much sugar is there in that recipe? Why can't I find the perfect diet? How can I make the best use of leftovers? Where do I get started with menu planning? Which recipes freeze well? When should solids be introduced to my baby? Where can I find a curriculum for teaching healthy cooking? How can I make my yeast breads rise higher? This is the book that… Helps you find answers by referencing the resources in all of Sue Gregg's Cookbooks with an Ingredient Index, a Subject Index, and a Recipe Index.
Shows you how to incorporate your favorite family recipes along with Eating Better Cookbook recipes into monthly menu plans. Researches the baby books to answer questions mothers have about feeding babies and children wholefoods. Addresses concerns cooks have about improving taste and appetite appeal without sacrificing nutritional quality. Shows you how to manage to maximize convenience and save time and money. Spiral-Bound with plastic cover sheets, 281 pages, 3rd Edition. PRICE: $12.95
Shipping prices are reasonable. I can email them to you, if you are interested.
Hope this can benefit you or anyone reading this email.
Blessings
Carmen
Inspiring the Wellness In You!
www.pebblecrossing.com
Well, I actually used to be a chef and went to culinary school, so I am a good cook. I have one piece of advice for you. Get the cookbook "The Joy of Cooking". It is a classic and is very easy to follow and has every basic recipe you could ever dream of. It is the only cookbook I ever refer to even though I have hundreds. My first instructor in culinary school was asked once if she could only have one cookbook what would it be and that is what she said and I could't agree more. You could search forever but would never find a better tool for learning to cook! Good luck!!!