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These are some great ideas! My husband did help me out toward the end of the school year because I had terrible acid reflux and couldn't stand eating at 8, so he would get dinner ready by 7. However, I've been able to cope with that a bit better now (drinking a lot more water really helps!), but I do worry about when I'm back to teaching until 7pm. And I know hubby works hard at work all day so I feel bad making him cook, though he did it gladly for me.

But these ideas are wonderful. They take a lot of planning and that has been my downfall most of the time. Usually what happens is even if I plan a meal for that day, I'll not feel like doing all the work to make it when I get home and end up throwing on a pizza or some chicken nuggets. That gets old really fast!

Please, please, please let you husband do some cooking for you if he indeed loves it! You'll all eat better, you'll be saner and have less reflux, and he gets to show you how much he cares about you all! Don't feel guilty, feel loved!

I believe that women still take on more than half of the domestic responsibilities because we were taught that we should, and that it was our duty. This is exhausting, and eventually can make men feel like they are living in their wives homes, and not their own. (Perhaps this doesn't apply to your marriage at all, so ignore me if this doesn't resonate!)

I know that whenever my husband has been more engaged in 'my' domestic routines, we all benefit. I get more job related work done and have more energy at the end of the day, he appreciates me more, and he feels more included as part of the necessary infrastructure that makes the house run.

I think it brings peace to our marriage since now he knows how to do all 'my' tasks and when I am working 15 hour days or travelling for work (I am a freelance consultant) he knows that I am killing myself, and that it wouldn't be fair to expect me to return from a marathon like that and have to eat cereal for dinner or resort to wearing bikini bottoms for underwear b/c he didn't do any laundry for weeks while I was away (come on, you KNOW you've been there!). He knows that I only have so much energy, and sometimes I do everything, and sometimes, he has to pick up the slack and handle most of the big stuff.

Anyhow, not knowing your situation, it might not make sense for your hubby to cook a lot, but if he has the time and energy to help at all, and if he likes it, don't feel bad! You don't want him to feel bad when you cook, right? So just enjoy it when he is there for you! He sounds like a doll!

Just my .02!

Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals cookbooks are great.
I like the "investment prep." that Minniemae posted. This prep can take a 30 minute meal into a 20 minute meal.

This is another gem!

Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes

Today's my first week of the fall semester, and I don't finish teaching until at least 6:30 each day. So I took the easy way out and bought a crock pot meal kit for today, and some Stauffers Chicken Enchaladas for tomorrow. I guess I'll have to get to work for the rest of the week!

This planning ahead stuff is working out great so far! I browned 6 lbs of ground beef, put taco seasoning in one so its ready for tacos, and froze em all. I also thawed chicken breasts so i wouldn't have to do that later. So chicken and rice for tonight, taco salad tomorrow, etc. I guess the key is to plan and not eat so much whatever you're in the mood for at the time, which is what I usually do. Thanks guys!

Along with ground beef, I boil chicken breasts and cut in cubes then freeze.

I place flour tortillas on the electric griddle. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese and cubed chicken. When cheese melts fold over and continue heating till tortillas are crispy. These freeze and refrigerate well and are a convenient for the boys to reheat in the microwave.

I also use the cooked frozen chicken on top of lettuce salad or in canned soup.

Also easy…..Boil mustacholli noodles, place in casserole dish , top with a jar of alfredo sauce and cooked frozen chicken, cover with foil and bake till heated through. Easy to make ahead of time and easy for kids to dish up when I am teaching..


I am getting hungry.

I just stop teaching at 7pm and we eat then - something quick like pasta or fancy salads. My wife's a vegetarian, so that makes things a LOT simpler. (And healthier, too!)

My wife's work schedule is also odd, so she's frequently at work overnight or odd hours, or she may not get lunch until 3 or 4 in the afternoon, so we just catch food whenever we can.

My husband grills something most weekends, so in addition to whatever we're having that night, I have him grill up several boneless chicken breasts (how much would depend on how big your family is and how many meals you want to get from it) and then freeze or...if I'm going to use in the next day or two, just put them in the fridge.

You can reheat or use them cold in salads. I don't add any seasoning when they're cooking and that way I can use them with any kind of dish.

While the grill is hot you might as well cook multiple meals!

Mrs. A,
Do you toss the alfredo sauce in with the chicken and noodles or is this all just layered?
Grease the pan?
Thanks

I make sure the noodles are covered with Alfredo so they don't dry out. I don't grease the pan because I don't let it get that hot.

This is a favorite of my boys but when they dished up the noodles and spooned on the alfredo separately it was mess to clean up. And the cooked noodles dried out quickly. Now I put it all in glass 9x13 pan and heat it so it is easier for them to dish up.

I feed a family of six. I use 1 to 1 1/2lb of mustacholli noodles (1 and 1/2 box), two jars of alfredo and a couple handfulls of chicken (that was cooked previously and frozen.)

Serve with a green vegetable and garlic bread.

This isn't fancy but it is easy.

That's dinner tomorrow night at our house, thanks Mrs. A.

I can't imagine how difficult this would be for a family. My wife and I both teach in the evenings and it's one of the reasons we decided not to have kids. Works out fine with just the two of us as whoever finishes teaching first does the cooking. The only problem I have is that my wife often runs late with her last student so I never quite know when to get things ready for.

BTW, what's a 'crock pot'?

I've been wondering what a "crock pot" is too!

I always taught back to back and skipped dinner- just ate late when I was finished teaching, but then I was very ill and ended up in hospital. My doctor nearly killed me for not eating regularly (I've been a diabetic for many years).
Now I make sure to take a break for 30 mins at 5.30 each evening. Whatever about eating, I find it's great to take a break from students and clear my head before I start on round 2 for the evening!
I usually try to cook earlier in the day and have my dinner ready to zap in the microwave, or else I eat salads, or sometimes it's just beans on toast which doesn't take long to do.
It's important to eat, no matter what the state of your health. I learned the hard way

I used to live overseas, and the thing I missed the most was my crock pot! It is possible to find them for 220 volts. Here's one:

http://www.eastwestintl.com/showprod.asp?catid=65

(If the link doesn't work, google European crock pot). The problem I had with Internet orders is that most only shipped to the US (intended for US military overseas.)

It is a slow cooker that plugs in and cooks all day without burning. Most meals are ready in 8 to 12 hours, and it doesn't matter if it cooks longer. Meat becomes very tender in it, and it is safe to leave alone. I bought one in Europe at an Edeka restaurant supply store. It wasn't as good as the ones in the US - did tend to burn if left too long - but it did the job.

Luckily it's just myself and my husband here, and I teach from home. I have a self-imposed cut-off time of 7:30pm for teaching because I really value my evenings with my husband. He usually gets home around 7.

I try to get as much prepared for dinner as I can in advance. (pre-chop veggies, etc.) I get dinner ready by 8. We are just used to eating at that time.

I know this doesn't work for everyone because you may have kids, or you may need to teach in the later evenings to make enough income. I feel really lucky to have the schedule I do.