Help with Meal Ideas

Try allrecipes.com. There ia an ingredient search option so you can input what you have on hand and it pulls up recipes with those items. You can also search based on meat or even cut of meat. I use it all the time when I can't think of anything to make.

If you go to Kraft.com they normally have great ideas for all meals and they tend to be kid friendly too!

I plan my meals weekly (primarily focusing on dinners) and that helps me out tremendously. My planner indicates how long the dish takes to prepare and cook - so if I'm short on time one day, I just swap a dinner idea from another night. I've been using this system for the past month and it has helped me tremendously. I now have 6 weeks of planned dinners with NO repeats. I started this by writing down everything I could cook without a recipe (ex. tacos, chili, apricot chicken, salmon, burgers & dogs, sloppy joes). Then I chose a couple of my favorite cookbook recipes - trying to combine those ideas within the same week so that I'm only referencing one cookbook each week. Additionally, because I have a 3 & 5 year old - I ALWAYS include a noodle or rice side dish that I know my children will eat. (Then, even if they don't like the main course chicken, they can fill up on the rice and vegetables).

The other lifesaver for me is my crockpot. I can make anything from roasts to soups and even enchiladas. I'd be happy to email you my menu plan, with sample menu ideas if you give me your email addy.

I learned how to make this quick meal at work. I find myself making this more than my kids like!

(1) 1 lb. box of Mosticolli noodles (not sure if I spelled it right!)
(1) can of Diced Tomatoes
(1) can of water
(1) can of Tomato soup
1 lb. of Hamburger.
Onions
approx. 1/4 c. brown sugar (more or less for taste)

First, I put the Diced Tomatoes, Tomato soup, can of water and brown sugar into my crock pot. Then I brown the hamburger along with onions. I then add that to the sauce. When heated through, cook your noodles and then add to the crock pot.

My Mom just gave me this great recipe and it's quick, easy and very healthy. My 13month old loves it!!! Just make sure to cut up the ravioli into small peices before serving.

Greek Ravioli

1 Pkg (1lb.9oz.) frozen cheese ravioli
1 lb. ground beef (I use extra lean)
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano, undrained
1 can (6 oz.) tomato sauce
Salt & pepper to taste (doesn't require much; I don't use any),optional
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or 1/2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained)
1 can black olives, 1/2 chopped, leave the rest whole
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Cook ravioli according to pkg. directions; drain. Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown beef, crumbling well; drain.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and salt & pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat to medium/ medium low. Add spinach,
cook 5-7 minutes. Add olives. Gently stir in cooked ravioli and cook 3 minutes more, then sprinkle the crumbled
feta cheese. Cook about 3-5 minutes more.
Garlic bread and salad goes nicely on the side.

I take care of my 5 youngest grandchildren ages 4,5,6,8,9. It's tough to keep meals from getting boring. I have found an abundance of really terriffic ideas at these two web sites. One is KRAFTFOODS.COM they will send you a free magazine every couple months with new ideas. The other web site I like is PILLSBURY.COM . They have a monthly magazine that is marvelous with lots of coupons etc. It cost $20 a year but is well worth it. Both web sites have a feature where you can choose a recipe for your weekly menu and with a click of the button all the ingredients needed for that recipe are added onto a grocery list. There should be quite alot suitable for your son. Perhaps not as much suitable for you daughter. MarthaStewart.com has some truly delicious recipes although they sometimes get a little complicated. Depends on how much time you have to devote to meal preperation. Hope these help. Gramma Renee', ____@____.com

I would highly recommend a cookbook called More With Less. I've used it exclusively for over a year and loved every recipe. They're very simple and have a lot of vegetables and whole grains. I also have a recipe book called Simply Natural Baby Food by Cathe Olson that has recipes for kids from first solids through the toddler years. Again, very simple and very healthy. Hope that helps!

My husband does most of our cooking and he tends to get wonderful ideas from a show on PBS called Cooks Illustrated. They also have a website - the best part is it is normal everyday foods (mac and cheese, steak, etc) but how to cook them WELL and why the recipe works. Its really amazing and full of quick ideas, low fat ideas, side dishes, make ahead meals... tons of cook books too. We have even found a lot of the cook books at Costco for cheaper then the website.

Good luck!

My son is 17 months old and for him he likes the tyson breaded chicken tenders as a quick easy meal. But one good idea that take little or no preparation is baked chicken. Last night I took boneless skinless chicken breast and cut slits in them and poured on a lite zesty italian dressing leaving about 1/2inch in the bottom of the pan and baked at 350 for 40 minutes. Every now and then I basted it again with the dressing in the pan to keep it moist. Then I popped some frozen veggies in the microwave following the directions on the side of the bag, drained it and added parmesan cheese to it and some garlic salt. It was great. I hope this helps!!

Hello T. R!

Check out this website http://www.dinnerthymeonline.com/. Not only are there recipes but they prepare them for you as well. You just go box up your meals and take them home to cook.

T.,
go to www.savingdinner.com you can choose a category of recipes that fits your family and lifestyle.. from healthy to family to freezer meals (make ahead meals to freeze and pull out when you need them). it's made a real difference in the way we eat and keeping boredom at bay.

:o)
L.

www.savingdinner.com

They have menu mailers of all kinds. (and free ones to try too)
She gives you the dinner, recipe, shopping list, suggested side dishes and nutrition content for an entire week at a time. There is the regular list, low carb, frugal, crock pot, heart healthy and the mega menu mailer which is freezer meals. I highly recommend checking it out. Pretty much everything is servable to my 2 1/2 yr old....whether Mr. Picky chooses to eat it is another story entirely!

C., BC

When I had trouble someone reccommended a book called Feed Me I'm Yours by Vicki Lanski. Not sure of the author's spelling but it's a little cook/tips book for infant and toddler aged kids. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Here is something that is VERY easy! My mom used to make this for us as kids (she was a working mom). I personally am a stay-at-home mom, but I HATE to cook!

Just boil some noodles of your choice (we use egg noodles), and pour a can of Chunky Soup on top! Again, your choice of what kind, but we prefer the Beef with Country Vegetables. So that's it. Chunky Soup over noodles. Delicious and super easy!

I don't know if your 10 month old eats meat yet, but you can always take it out; otherwise, just make sure it's chopped up real small for her. (My son is only 19 months old and for the life of me, I cannot remember how hold he was when he started eating meat!)

HI! Fajitas are my families favorite. They are quick and easy. I use orange, yellow and red peppers, onions and chicken. I cook peppers and onions in a pan until soft but still a bit firm and cook the chicken strips in another pan until done. For seasoning I just use Cumin to taste on the chicken. Then add the peppers and onions. I add a splash of water to help the cumin coat evenly. Serve them on flour tortilias with cheese lettuce tomatos salsa and what ever else your family would like. (if you can't tell, I don't use a reciepe for this)
I get a lot of good ideas from Kraftfoods.com If you register, for free, you can save recipes on the site in your own recipe box. You can also sign up for e-mails and they send recipe books a few time a year in the mail.
I have found some good ideas on the back of cheeses in the dairy section.
I also love to goto Supper Thyme USA and make meals to put in the freezer. There are many different companies, such as Main Dish Kitchen and Super suppers, that are the same concept. I do 12 meals and they last about 3 months. It puts a little variety in the menu. I've found that the cost (199.00 for 12 at supper thyme) is a really good deal considering the cost to have all the spices and other supplies on hand. Also, it only takes about 2 hours to prepare and package all 12 meals. So, it's a great time saver. I serve just about all of the meals to my 21 month old, she loves to eat. Not ideal for picky eaters though. Good luck and happy cooking!

try this site kraftfoods.com, they have a ton of recipes and kid happy as well. Good Luck!

Yes go to kraftfoods.com thay have great recipes but also you can sign up to get there free mag. every four months in the mail I love it

I got a book called First Meals by Annabel Karmel. I make all of my daughters food from this (she is 8 months) But it starts with ideas from when babies start solids to they are 7 years old. The recipies for toddlers are things I make for my husband and I. They are simple, yet creative and fun, looking like they took hours! You should dheck it out!

Try out savingdinner.com

It has a bunch of recipe ideas and I love the freezer meals that can be prepared ahead of time for those of us that can't find time to prepare and cook a meal every day! You make them once a month of so - mess up your kitchen just that one day and have meals for the month! It gives you shopping lists and side dish ideas - everything you need to keep your sanity!!

It goes hand-in-hand with a website called flylady.net where stay-at-home Moms or side-tracked home executives as they call us, can get ideas on how to keep the house organized, clean and company-ready at all times without being overwhelming...

Good luck!

Hi T.,

I was reading some of the reponses you have gotten and I must say that the lady who recommended Annabel Karmel got it spot on. Annabel is amazing.

My husband is British and enjoys his veggies... we do a lot of roasted veggies. Parsnip, potatos, carrots, brussel sprouts. A typical meal in our home... one that is so simple is is crazy!!

I will ususally roast or bake a whole chicken (sometimes I will use frozen chicken breast)

for the Whole Chicken
Preheat oven to 275
Prepare Chicken : drizzle evoo (extra virgin olive oil) onto ckn... season with a bit of salt and pepper... then give the ckn a nice rub down. (Wash hands)
Place ckn in oven to bake for approx. 2 hrs.

( I know that seems like it takes ages to cook but my husband gets home from work at 5:30-6:00 so I throw the bird in the oven at around 3:30..)

Roast veggies,
Peel carrots and parsnips, chop them into nice bit size chunks. Cut potatos *with skins into bits size chunks, half brussel sprouts, drizzle with evoo season with a bit of salt and pepper and about a half hour before the ckn is done throw them in the oven above the chicken change from bake to broil at 500 degrees.

The chicken will be so moist it will fall off the bone... slow cooking poultry or most meats for that matter will keep them moist.
The veggies will have a lovely crunchy outside with a tender inside.

Very yummy