Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Afternoon Thoughts...
I am having a crazy day so I need a distraction. Something that made you laugh today?
There was a post on WC about how to make cheap meals, cut your food budget, etc. My suggestions were to check out what you've already got in the house, freeze stuff from sales, etc, and to keep some inexpensive, easy food in the house. Grilled cheese and soup, hot dogs, breakfast for dinner, etc is less expensive than takeout and probably healthier (er, less unhealthy?). Some nights you just don't feel like cooking and you're better off having spent $1 on mac and cheese or $4 on a frozen pizza than $10 or $15 picking up McDonald's or Subway.
I feel like the first person in the history of WC to suggest hot dogs for dinner. Everyone else was like "Make rice and beans!" and "Check out my blog's easy tag!"
I'm a good cook, but some nights I get home at 8, I'm absolutely beat, and it's all I can do to not order out, LOL. They are either all more organized, meal-plan sticker to-ers than me, or they're liars who really do have an emergency frozen pizza in the freezer and don't dare to confess it on the internet. 
Re: Afternoon Thoughts...
I usually try to cook actual meals but some of my favorite dinners involve hot dogs. We'll add it to macaroni and cheese (sometimes boxed and sometimes homemade). My favorite way to have hot dogs is to roll them in a cornbread mix and bake them for corn dogs.
I like your suggestions, for the record!
I will sometimes cook a meal, portion it out and freeze it for lunches or to have later in the week if Im feeling lazy, but I also have quick "go to" meals. For example, just this weekend, in my shopping i picked up bagels. great for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch or if im lazy at dinner, they make great bread for home-made pizzas. I always try to multi-purpose some ingredients too. Like if 1 menu calls for peppers, I try to think of 1 or two other recipes that can call for peppers.
When I buy fresh veggies and fruits, I buy them in larger quantities when they are on sale. I will always try to wash, cut, ziplock and freeze some to have later and frozen strawberries make great ice cubes for a fancy pink lemonade or something like that.
Oh and 1 more thing... no matter how energetic I am feeling in a kitchen at the time of food shopping, I will always expect (and plan) at least 1 or two lazy meals knowing that the week may be rough. That may be something as simple as cereal one night or i might buy frozen pizzas or hot pockets. Definitely cheaper than coming home one night saying "whats for dinner?" "uh, i dont know" "uh, ok. lets just hit up that mexican restaurant"
I have never liked hot dogs. Not even when I was a kid. I have to drown them in toppings if I'm going to eat one - like chili-cheese dogs are okay at the ballpark, but a plain one? Ew.
As far as something that made me laugh today ... our senior, Cat, is getting a little forgetful in his old age. This morning he came into my office, walked up to my chair, meowed pitifully until I invited him up, jumped up onto the desk, and then just stood there like "Now why did I want to be up here?" I patted my lap a few times and made head-scratching gestures, but he just stood there looking confused for a couple more minutes before he just jumped back down to the floor. Poor Cat ... I sniggered over that one for a while (in my head - laughing out loud when one is the only human present is kinda weird.)
ETA: My lazy-day meals are naan pizza. Heat oven to 425. Remove frozen TJs naan from freezer. Put toppings on it. Put on pizza stone in oven for 8 minutes. Eat. LOL
I totally keep a frozen pizza (or 2) on hand for dinners like that. Or for an easy weekend lunch.
And hot dogs are seriously a staple in the summer for us. Esp for lunch. When we're outside working or in the pool, it's grill up some dogs, have some chips/fruit and get back to whatever was happening.
Wives Unscripted
LOL.
WOP and I just had a postathon the other day about how people on the internet are liarity-liars and scoff their noses at stuff that's totally normal IRL.
Rice and beans has to be a regional thing. I don't know a soul here that would ever consider that option for dinner. And I'm sorry but plain beans, esp. the ones in the can aren't very good or "high class" either. They're basically good for soup!
And yes, I'm a decent cook but somedays it's mac and cheese and a side of fish squares or frozen pizza. We've been known to have PBJ or nachos too. I'm too far out in Little House on the Praire to even consider takeout and somenights it's 10:30 before H and I ever get to dinner.
Hamburgers on the grill with chips are my easiest go to in the summer.
We have mac and cheese probably once a week. From a box. Generic at that. I love the stuff!
We have hotdogs like once a year though. That's a me thing. I'm not opposed to them but my Dad despised them growing up ("We're cattle farmers for God Sakes! All the great meat in the world and you expect me to eat a hotdog!") so I honestly never had one unless it was at a friend's.
And let's not talk about how H eats his weigh in ham buns (they are not ham sandwiches..here..lol) and Yoplait (Totally nest trashy...but H doesn't even like the "good" yogurt!)
Oh the internet...where people can be great in about 3.5 seconds and a hit of the return key.
They are all-beef hot dogs, if that makes me less trashy.
My "go to" meal? Papa Murphy's. It's still technically cooking because it's a bake-at-home pizza.
I get home later than my H every night, so unless he's cooking, we eat out, have leftovers or everyone eats whatever they can find (DS might turn into a peanut because he loves PB sandwiches lol). And since I'm the one who plans meals, if my weeks get busy and I don't get it planned and go to the store, we scrounge all week. I didn't make it yesterday. Tonight's not a go for the store. Tomorrow morning (before work) isn't looking hot.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
You get a pass..lol. Parents are weird about things. That's my dad's quirk. I also think surprisingly enough hot dogs have gotten much better these days...with all the "know where your food came from trends." Good hotdogs used to be hard to find.
Now I want a hot dog.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
Soup is another good option for us. When I make it, I make a ton and instead of eating it for 3 weeks..I freeze it to pull out later..save so much time.
My cooking irony of the internet: I think it's hilarious when all these gourmet posters say things like, "I do make ahead casseroles I can just pull from the freezer and reheat..tastes like the day I made it!" Maybe I have issues but, it just leaves with me slimy noodles and chewy hamburger....I'd rather have a frozen pizza. And the whole point is, it's a busy night. I obviously didn't remember to thaw something out nor do I have an hour to wait for my casserole to bake...I could've made a fresh one and had it eaten in that time!
I love how people think baked ziti is "gourmet" too....we have it quite often...but Dudettes...where I come from...it's called hotdish and everyone makes it!
Im having a rough day as well (DD is all waaaaaaaa!!), so here are a few things I want to let fly off my chest.
My BFF is having a baby and when she told me she was pregnant, I told her I wanted to help plan her shower. Her step mom has taken charge which at first kinda irked me, but I'm OK with that because she's a really great party thrower/planner, and it's less expense and time on my part. My contribution was to design the invitations. Cool- that's my thing.
So we discussed sending out the invites 3-4 weeks out, and at the 4 week mark, my BFF says she wants to come get the invites from me because her step mom wants them mailed already. I told her they weren't printed yet, but I'd do so that day and have them out the next day (still between the 3-4 week mark). I then get a message on facebook from BFF's sister saying "Hi! Thanks for getting the invites ready. can I come by your house and get them from you? I'd be happy to mail them out for you!"
Um, nope, I got it, thanks. I already told your sister and step mom several times that I'm on it. The shower is 4 weeks away. This isn't a wedding so I think I'm good on the time.
I don't know why it all irritated me so much- I guess I just felt they were on my back about it all, while I was going to get it all taken care of.
Trader Joe's is really awesome for the super fast easy cheap meals. I always have a few bags of various frozen rice dishes in my freezer. I'll throw in some extra fresh veggies or protein, and its a healthy meal in 6 minutes for less than $5.
Or if I run out of frozen stuff, there is always a box of mac and cheese and a can of tuna in the pantry.
DH will only eat home made Mac and Cheese and I can't eat pizza (tomatoes are not my friend) so I have a stash of frozen Mac and DH has a stash of individual pizzas.
Our default meal is orange chicken and vegetarian rice from Trader Joe's. There's always one in the freezer!
My house is a total disaster with the new floors going in so we are eating sandwiches all week!
With 2 kids that have afterschool activities at least 4 days a week and a husband that coaches soccer most nights I am short on time to cook and actually fit in when they eat it! I don't remember the last time we had hot dogs but I do cook up kielbasa pretty often. My kids actually prefer the Jenny-O turkey kind. I just cut it up and brown it in a skillet. If I have the time our favorite way to have it is with potatoes and onions but sometimes I make it with sauerkraut and apples for my husband and the girls like it with mac-n-cheese (like easy mac shells and cheese, haha). Add in a side of some fresh fruit and we're good to go!
Occasionally I'll make double of something to freeze for later (like baked ziti) but really the most realistic time saver is to brown up a big pack of ground beef and portion it out into freezer bags. We almost always have either a jar of spaghetti sauce and noodles or fixings to make tacos on hand and it only takes about 5 minutes for the meat to thaw out on the stovetop with the spaghetti sauce or taco seasoning stuff.
Most often the reason I end up not cooking is because I don't have any chicken thawed out.
Man, now I'm super hungry.
What's everyone having for dinner tonight?
I'm making spinach calzones.
There's a chuck roast cooking in the crockpot. I think I'm going to make broccoli to go with it.
This reminds me of the fact that I had never had hamburger helper until I was in college. I'll make it every now and then because I think it's good but my husband HATES it, haha. I even made a homemade recipe of it once and he said that it tasted just like the box kind which is easier, faster and cheaper so if I'm going to make it, I go the box route!
I made enchiladas and we'll have a guacamole salad with it (diced avocado, pico de gallo + lettuce)
Oh yum. I want that instead.
Hahahaha.
Papa Murphy's lolol. Oh man. I'm awful.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
Chinese takeout on a stick. (Seriously) Recipe here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chinese-Takeout-on-a-stick
I haven't had that since i was a kid! I used to love hamburger helper. It was a staple in my single working mom's household.
oops. meant to quote this -
"This reminds me of the fact that I had never had hamburger helper until I was in college. I'll make it every now and then because I think it's good but my husband HATES it, haha. I even made a homemade recipe of it once and he said that it tasted just like the box kind which is easier, faster and cheaper so if I'm going to make it, I go the box route!"
I don't keep those kind of convenience foods around usually. Seriously. If I know we're going out I'll get a frozen pizza for the teen.
But that's because if I'm having a lazy meal, I'm eating cereal. From a cup. In front of the TV. While my kids eat PB&J or the one convenience food I never let myself run out of - spaghettios.
---------
Sorry, nothing to add laugh-wise. It was really boring day.