How do you do family dinners?

[Phoebe]

I am looking for some recipes or to hear other people's comments on how their handle their family dinners. DH usually arrives home right as my kids are getting ready for bed. He likes them to eat before he gets home and I am hungry before 7:30. So I have been feeding the kids and myself and fixing something simple for DH (or he does his own) after the kids go to bed.

I would like to streamline work in the kitchen. We usually grill out food for ourselves and my kids aren't big meat eaters so I haven't found meals that I can make for the whole family. DH ends up eating egg sandwiches and frozen pizzas which I feel bad about. The other night I made a taco casserole with taco meat, spanish rice and cheese. The kids actually liked it, but DH doesn't eat any type of pasta because he wants to watch his carb intake. I am tired of shift work in the kitchen.

How do dinners work in your house? Do you have any easy recipes to share?

Jennifer

I usually make whatever my son and I want and let DH either eat the leftovers, fend for himself of subtly suggest that he grab something at the hospital cafeteria (which is actually not too bad here). However, let me know what your kids like to eat, and I might have some ideas because I rarely spend over 30 mins from start to finish on my meals.

We also eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly. DH has read some journals that recommend eating PB at least once a day, so that offsets the guilt!!! It is my fav to fix my son for lunch.

:yum:

I meant to add, DH won't eat any cheese or creamy, so that throws a kink in the casserole-lover in me. I understand the frustration of trying to please everyone.

[Vanquisher]

I just don't try to please everyone. If people don't like what I make, then they don't have to eat it, and they can get their own food. I am not a short order cook.

I do leave beans out of dh's things, because I know he detests them, but other than that, I don't care what he likes and doesn't. He can pick out bits if he has to.

The kids don't get separate meals either.

[migirl]

I just don't try to please everyone. If people don't like what I make, then they don't have to eat it, and they can get their own food. I am not a short order cook.

This is the rule in our house as well... "if you don't like it, you can make something else yourself."

Anyway, we don't really have the same situation, but when DH is on clinicals he'll sometimes get home after 6pm. Since dinner is at 6:00 sharp in our house, I sit down to eat whether he's home or not and he just heats up whatever I've made when he gets home. It works out well for us since I don't have to sit around and wait to make him something when he gets home and I get to eat when I'm hungry.

[DCJenn]

It depends entirely on how motivated I am to 'cook'. Some days (rarely now) I'm actually motivated to chop onions and saute garlic, etc. Most days these days, I'm throwing together something from the freezer. (i.e. frozen shrimp tossed with some TJ's frozen veggies becomes 'homemade' Chinese)

I don't ever factor my husband into my day. There are weeks when he doesn't get home until 9pm. Now he's doing a rotation at Children's so he's home pretty regularly before 6. I feed Nikolai whatever I've made unless it's something that I know he won't eat or that I don't want him to eat. (I've heard too many horror stories about refried beans and guacamole diapers- so he doesn't get to do Mexican) I feed him and then he plays for a while. He goes to bed between 7:30 and 8pm and then we eat. I'd love to do family style dining, but I figure family style breakfast and lunch (Nikolai and Mom) are good enough for the moment.

Maybe once we're done with training. But I doubt it.

Jenn

[Sheherezade]

During training, we fed the kids separately and then ate later - together if he was home. I was always frustrated in any attempts to do a "family dinner". I felt better when I gave up that idea for training. The best thing we did during training was try to have a "movie and pizza" night regularly. I'd order pizza, we'd pull out the sofa bed and curl up and watch a movie. Daddy would make it home for that sometimes - and it was just the right energy level for a tired, tired fellow. For us, I made a lot of crock pot things. Black beans, stews, soups..... they'd stay ready forever.

Now, we have a family dinner maybe 3-4 times a week. DH has 2 regularly scheduled "late" nights - we don't count on him at all and he takes care of himself. If he isn't going to show a different night, he has to get word to me by 6:30 or else. That happens maybe 30% of the time? (Not often, but sometimes.) On the weekends, we do one big family meal and go out one night. It helps that the kids are older (6 and 9). The days have a lot of structure with school and activities.

[Meenah]

In the hospital cafeteria!!!
Luanne

[Amiens]

We eat dinner around 6 pm, and if Matt is home by then on a call night then woohoo he gets to eat with us. I stopped waiting around for him during training. I will make up a plate if I know he will be home around 8 pm. He usually grabs food at the hospital if he is going to be really late.

As far as what to cook. My kids have learned I am not a short order cook. They know what we have at the table is what is being served, and as harsh as this may sound--- if they get down and only ate a bite of everything and are still hungry later they get their plate back. This is fine for Brigham because he is a grazer on occasion- will eat then get down, come back and eat more, then get down. Anyway, I try to include one thing that I know they will eat usually will do something like applesauce, fruit, or particular vegetable. Brigham will eat anything, but Emma is more picky. We have the "one bite" rule, although now Emma is three almost four years old and she will take 2 or 3 bites of something before getting down. Also we take a night or two a month and plan our meals out, that way Matt can have somewhat of a say.

HTH,
Crystal