Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

I'm really super lazy. I use the microwave whenever I can.

I do make lunches for the kids and that takes sandwichmaking and cutting of the fruit/veg. I cut extra and leave that out for the rest of us for the day. Breakfast is oatmeal or cold cereal with soy/almond milk. Lunch is usually PB&J with the cut up veg/fruit.

Dinner is the same 4 or 5 things over and over. As long as the kids eat that, I'm happy. I make 2 diff. kinds of pasta, noodles, tostadas, veg. burgers, baked twice stuffed potatoes, chili in a slow cooker, veg. sloppy joes.

I used to spend so much time getting a recipe, shopping, preparing, being invested in a dinner and then get crushed when no one liked it. Not anymore. Life is too short. No one complains (to my suprise) over eating the same dinners. So to put a number to it not counting grocery shopping, I probably spend an hour a day.

Hmmm. Not sure.

I try to keep things simple. I use a lot of frozen, pre-chopped veggies, for example.

Also, I like to cook but just not with little ones wanting my attention every 5 seconds. So I often cook after the kids are in bed and then just have to reheat the next day.

I make mine and DH's oatmeal the night before (5 min.) and the kids usually have Van's frozen waffles or toast or sometimes oatmeal for breakfast (5 min.).

Lunch usually leftovers from the night before and just reheating in the microwave. Cutting up some fruit, etc. about 10 min.

Dinner usually takes me the most time. Usually about 30 min.-to an hour. This includes making salad, baking times, any desert made, stove top time.

I also usually make the kids smoothies in the afternoon which takes about 5 min.

On the weekends, usually pancakes, hashbrowns which takes a little longer.

Kelli

I rarely spend more than 15 minutes in the kitchen, however I don't count time cooking things like soup where you walk away and just check on it from time to time. I've worked hard to learn how to quickly chop veggies like a professional chef, even DH is now very proficient with a knive.

I also try to limit my cooking utensils - life is too short to spend it washing pots and pans.

Has anyone noticed how much easier it is to keep the kitchen (the stove, in particular) clean? No more grease all over the place. Ah, the little things in life!