Kitchen

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

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?

[travelin grandma]

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

[ValuSkr]

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

[PA Mom-mom]

@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!

[KathyM23]

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.

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

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

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

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.

[RedTop]

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.   

[coffee drinker]

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

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

@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.