topic Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah! in Kitchen

Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 21:37:16 GMT

I put some Rao's sauce in the crockpot (I added some It.Seasoning, garlic), made some meatballs, browned them in the oven a little and in the sauce they went. DD tasted the meatballs and gave 2 thumbs up.

Tomorrow night just cook some pasta while heating the sauce and meatballs, garlic bread in oven. Dinner....done.

Tuesday dor lunch, DD will take a roll and some meatballs to heat a work and have a meatball sandwich. It will be my lunch too.

I love having stuff done ahead of time. I used to do marathon cooking on weekends when I worked but since I retired I just don't usually do stuff ahead as I have all day during the week to do it.

I need to step up my planning ahead game. Do you cook a day or two ahead?

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

travelin grandma — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 21:51:16 GMT

RAOs is great. If you can find it, give Michael's from Brooklyn a try. Someone recommended it and it's amazing, too.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

ValuSkr — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 21:54:33 GMT

Yes, but ... you stll have to make the pasta.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

PA Mom-mom — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:03:02 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 I love Rao's and use it when I make mussels marinara. I'm with you about making meals for the week while I was working. I had it down to a science. Now that I'm retired, I can't quite get out of the habit. Constantly thinking, do we have something for every day until Friday. I usually tried to have three entrees with vegetables to rotate throughout the week. Glad you can relax for a few days!

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

KathyM23 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:06:33 GMT

As we are only two people what DH cooks on Monday is good re-heated on Tuesday and often there is still some for a lunch. Many things are better the next day, people who won't eat left-overs are missing some good tasting meals. He cooks again on Wednesday and that usually takes care of Thursday unless we have Cod or Salmon and that only takes care of one day. Not a lot of cooking as a little cooking goes a long way around here.

Fri or Sat we often get a pizza or eat eggs for dinner or eat out one of those days. Always eat out Sunday and either Fri or Sat.

Actually we had Crockpot stew last week and we ate that for 3 days it was so good and there was so much of it. If he makes a soup with fish, potatoes, carrots, onions and condensed milk, there is so much of it we will eat that for 3 days or 2 days and a lunch.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:12:56 GMT

Filling a pot w/water and throwing in pasta and draining it is nothing.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:17:38 GMT

For years I used Ragu and doctored it up. Now they make it with olive oil and we don't like it.

DD likes Rao's, I'm on the fence about it. It's okay. We have tried several other kinds but come back to Rao's. I' not happy they monkeyed around with the Ragu. I like Prego but DD doesn't.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

RedTop — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:20:58 GMT

No, I do not now, nor have I ever cooked ahead. I don't even have casseroles in my freezer for spur of the moment needs, as I've never felt I needed to do that.

When my girls were in school, I specifically worked night shift and weekends to be available for them. I was here to cook supper every night, and made it easy for my husband to cook on weekends.

Now that he is going thru radiation, I just try to prepare whatever he feels like eating. He's well aware of what foods are stocked in this house and so far has never asked for something I don't have in a freezer or the pantry.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

coffee drinker — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:21:44 GMT

For all you Rao's fans, give Victoria brand a try. A bit less expensive than Rao's, and IMOs, better.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:22:42 GMT

@KathyM23 We like leftovers, soups and stews are better the next day. I don't want days of leftover anything but a couple meals are o.

It's funny, the people I know who balk at leftovers aren't the ones doing the cooking. I would be good, you can cook a whole new meal while I read.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

QVCkitty1 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:27:05 GMT

@coffee drinker wrote:
For all you Rao's fans, give Victoria brand a try. A bit less expensive than Rao's, and IMOs, better.

@coffee drinker , Victoria is ok, but such a small difference in price, I'll stick with my favorite.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

ScrapHappy — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:28:27 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 wrote:
I put some Rao's sauce in the crockpot (I added some It.Seasoning, garlic), made some meatballs, browned them in the oven a little and in the sauce they went. DD tasted the meatballs and gave 2 thumbs up.

Tomorrow night just cook some pasta while heating the sauce and meatballs, garlic bread in oven. Dinner....done.

Tuesday dor lunch, DD will take a roll and some meatballs to heat a work and have a meatball sandwich. It will be my lunch too.

I love having stuff done ahead of time. I used to do marathon cooking on weekends when I worked but since I retired I just don't usually do stuff ahead as I have all day during the week to do it.

I need to step up my planning ahead game. Do you cook a day or two ahead?

I made spaghetti and meatballs today too. We usually have something italian for dinner on Sundays. I don't necessarily cook ahead of time, but sometimes when I cook, I make extra (especially italian). I made extra meatballs today and we also make meatbal parm subs for later in the week. When I make lasagna, I sometimes make two. One for now, freeze one for later.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

coffee drinker — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:30:23 GMT

@QVCkitty1 As I said, it was just my opinion.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

QVCkitty1 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:30:50 GMT

In the warmer months, I do a lot of salads and things that you don't make ahead. Now that it is cooler, I will do soups , sauces , chili, etc. I love having food in the freezer that I just have to nuke.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

bmorechick — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:36:20 GMT

I love when I can walk in the door from work and eat within half hour. Made Bolognese sauce last Sunday. No jar sauce, all homemade stuff. Took me half the day but great Zeus it was unreal and my family ate it Sun, Mon, Tues. I froze the rest and it's enough for just me and hubs. Yep, just cook the pasta...10 minutes.

Gotta dust off slow cooker for winter meals.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

millieshops — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:42:50 GMT

@ValuSkr lol Even a really lazy cook like me doesn't think throwing pasta into a pot of boiling water counts as cooking!

Besides, whenever I prepare pasta, I make extra and freeze it in portion packages. I often add frozen veggies to my pot and add the pasta once the veggies are tender crisp. Sauce and good grated cheese and I have my own version of pasta primavera,

Fast, easy, and good when I don't want meat or fish!

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:50:29 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I love making soups/stews, chili etc. and using the crockpot.

I made a sausage tortellini soup last year that we loved. Now, it is a matter of finding the exact recipe I used. I got it off the internet (umpteen variations) and don't remember the site. That was a great soup.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

house_cat — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 23:04:13 GMT

I've always cooked ahead. Maybe when I'm fully retired I can rethink that, but for now it's the only way I can survive.

I make meatballs and sauce at least one Sunday a month. I buy 3 lbs of ground beef and a pound of ground pork. The day I buy it I make the meatballs and bake them on a cookie sheet. I flash-freeze the meatballs on the cookie sheet and then seal them with my FoodSaver. All I have to do on the day I make my sauce is plop them in frozen and let them cook.

I do the same thing with Salisbury steaks and meatloaf, but I don't cook it before freezing it.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

PA Mom-mom — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 23:18:00 GMT

@RedTop wrote:
No, I do not now, nor have I ever cooked ahead. I don't even have casseroles in my freezer for spur of the moment needs, as I've never felt I needed to do that.

When my girls were in school, I specifically worked night shift and weekends to be available for them. I was here to cook supper every night, and made it easy for my husband to cook on weekends.

Now that he is going thru radiation, I just try to prepare whatever he feels like eating. He's well aware of what foods are stocked in this house and so far has never asked for something I don't have in a freezer or the pantry.

@RedTop I can't agree with you more about being there to cook for your children when they are in school. It gives them confidence that there is a soft landing waiting for them when they get home. I was a substitute teacher during my kids' school days, so I could have their hours. You, I'm sure, stretched the limits of your energy to do what you did. Way to go! And, I'm sure your husband appreciates your thoughtful cooking.

Re: Tomorrow's Dinner Is Done, Yeah!

spumoni99 — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 23:34:58 GMT

I think victoria is better also and the costco house brand is better imho also.