The last few days it's been homemade turkey spaghetti sauce. We've been using different things to go under the sauce, including pasta (usually whole wheat instead of white) quinoa, brown rice/quinoa, mixed fresh sautéed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, pea pods, etc) or whatever catches our fancy. Tonight we're using some of the sauce as a base for homemade pizza. We've also frozen some of the sauce for later use.
Last week we had homemade chili. Well, I used canned beans, not dry, but that doesn't count. We used some of the chili to make sloppy joe's, which is a hit in our family. Again, we froze some of the chili to use again in a few weeks.
Next week I'm pondering doing a veggie stir fry although I may wait a bit for some more early spring veggies to come in.
In the winter, we often make hearty meals like spaghetti, chile, homemade lasagna, et., that we can use for several meals that also freeze well for later use. I know that I get frustrated and tired of having to make dinner every night, and keeping it fresh so the kids will eat it. That's when I make things like spaghetti and chili, I try to spice it up with the thing that do under/with it so things don't get boring. Also, to help with the meal planning, I try to make foods that last for more than one meal, so I'm not cooking ever night. Freezing also helps, if you have the space, for those crazy nights when you just don't have the time/energy to cook.
Also, I often engage my nieces in helping me cook dinner, and they look it. Maybe you can involve your kids in the cooking or meal planning? Would that be a help?
Can't wait to see what others have to say. I need some new ideas.
