I used to be pretty good at weekend cooking marathons, where I'd make a couple of big dishes from scratch, to eat throughout the week, or use as a base for other meals (big pot of rice, etc.).
Then I got pregnant. LOL. That plan has gone right out the window along with all motivation to cook 95% of the time!
Dried beans vs. canned beans are a big one: easy to soak overnight, lower in sodium, cheaper, etc.
Pizza dough, which you can now buy organic or whole wheat in grocery store's is another great one to leave out in a bowl overnight with a towel, and it will rise by dinnertime, and can be made quickly & cheaply into dinner. Rich once used a rolling pin to really thin out the dough, divide it in half, and we got 2 thin-crust pizzas from it, which led to us both eating less and having more leftover.
Quiche is another cheap, make-ahead goodie: 2 frozen pie crusts, assorted veggies, cook 2 pies at once, freeze one for later. Heats in seconds in the microwave. Good with salads. Both pizza & quiche are great with soy cheese: the fake cheese stays extra gooey extra long! I'll toss some sharp cheddar or herbed havarti in with mostly soy mozz on a quiche for extra flavor.
Do you have a slow cooker? We got one in the fall, but haven't gotten into regular use or favorite recipes yet. Works great for snow-day, overnight steel-cut oatmeal though. :)
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2013-03-21 04:23 pm (UTC)Then I got pregnant. LOL. That plan has gone right out the window along with all motivation to cook 95% of the time!
Dried beans vs. canned beans are a big one: easy to soak overnight, lower in sodium, cheaper, etc.
Pizza dough, which you can now buy organic or whole wheat in grocery store's is another great one to leave out in a bowl overnight with a towel, and it will rise by dinnertime, and can be made quickly & cheaply into dinner. Rich once used a rolling pin to really thin out the dough, divide it in half, and we got 2 thin-crust pizzas from it, which led to us both eating less and having more leftover.
Quiche is another cheap, make-ahead goodie: 2 frozen pie crusts, assorted veggies, cook 2 pies at once, freeze one for later. Heats in seconds in the microwave. Good with salads. Both pizza & quiche are great with soy cheese: the fake cheese stays extra gooey extra long! I'll toss some sharp cheddar or herbed havarti in with mostly soy mozz on a quiche for extra flavor.
Do you have a slow cooker? We got one in the fall, but haven't gotten into regular use or favorite recipes yet. Works great for snow-day, overnight steel-cut oatmeal though. :)