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selena 31
05-10-2010, 04:00 PM
Hi there i am thinking of currently offering cooked meals for my mindees and could do with a few menus idears.

Also do you give cooked meal at dinner time or tea time?

i am not sure what would be best as it would be better for minded children to have cooked at dinner and snack at tea but then i have to give my 3 children cooked meal at tea time.

just wounderd what worked best for everybody else and do you charge extra for cooked meal?

thanks x :)

Wheelybug
05-10-2010, 04:56 PM
Hi ya
I give mindees a cooked meal at lunch and my own children a cooked meal in the evenings. For ages I gave the mindees their cooked meal in the evening but it was such a rush and a nightmare when parents turned up early. Now whatever we have the day before, I cook extra and this is what the mindees have for lunch the following day. Its the only way I can find to get it to work. Its very hectic in my house once I have collected my 4 children from school and I find its much easier to give mindees a sandwich then trying to rush to prepare the main meal in an hour an a half, because although mindees are not supposed to be collected until 6, if its a particularly hectic evening they have a habit of turning up early:)
I don't charge extra for cooked meals but my hourly rate is one of the more expensive in my area.

hayleychildcare
05-10-2010, 05:02 PM
My mindess get a sandwich or something similar at lunch and a small cooked snack at tea time. Like beans on taost or eggs and soldiers.

Then i cook my kids there tea at 6pm from the slow cooker when mindees leave.

Parents are fine with this

Chatterbox Childcare
05-10-2010, 05:22 PM
I provide a cooked meal each day and an uncooked meal each day. Which way round it is served depends on what I am doing. If we are having a picnic then they eat cold at lunchtime and cooked at tea time. Usually what I cook one evening is lunch for the next day (unless hubby tidies up like he did tonight and throws away all the leftovers!)

mushpea
05-10-2010, 05:26 PM
mine get a cold lunch as i dont want to have to be at home each day to cook lunch and then they get a snack before going home at 5.30pm, they have tea at home,,, i used to do a cooked meal but it was getting to be to much of a rush plus i was finding it difficult to cook tea and make sure all the kids were behaving in the other room plus my kids have got older and dont need their tea so early so i stopped doing hot evening meals...
i think you have to go with your family routine and let the mindees fit around that.

maisiemog
05-10-2010, 07:11 PM
I do snacky type lunch i.e sandwich or something on toast.
Cooked meals in the evening, we all have the same but DH and I eat ours later on in the evening.
Don't charge any extra for meals, all included in my price but considering changing that or increasing my fees.

jumpinjen
05-10-2010, 07:46 PM
I like Debbie do cold or hot depending on whether we are in or out. I find a slow cooker is a must!! I found doing eveniing hot meals tricky as like others have said when parents turn up early it can disrupt all the children and no-one eats then, but I did really enjoy sitting downa nd eating supper with them all and having a good old chat.... son't have any that late at the mo so do snack after school and hot/cold lunch in middle of the day.

ideas are: jacket pots with various toppings, home made soup, pasta bakes, casserole, chilli and rice, shepherds pie, lentil bolognaise, moussaka, potato gratin, sweet potato curry, risotto, home made pizza, mini toad in the holes, bangers and mash, three bean casserole, chicken and white bean stew, fish pie, can't remember any more off the top of my head

HTH,

jen x

selena 31
05-10-2010, 08:12 PM
Thank you for all your replies i was thinking of offering hot meals as many of my enquiries seem to be dissapointed when i was saying that they had to provide lunch especially for the young ones as most nursery seem to offer healthy hot meals and parents seem to want this when at work.
I dont mind just thought it would be hard work but i could make extra night before and keep for mindees lunch.
I do have slow cooker so i will get it out and think of some suitable menus :)

Noomie
05-10-2010, 08:34 PM
I do hot teas at 5pm as I know my mindees have packed lunches already. My daughter eats with them. My husband and I just have it reheated later on. It means we have lots of meals that are readily reheated and fairly quick to put on during 'quiet time / nap times' during the day - cottage pie, spag bol, stews, etc. Or things that are easy to cook - throw some chicken pieces (whatever coating you like) in the oven and serve with pots and veg.

Friday nights is pizza night. I spend 10 mins making the dough duirng the day and the children roll the dough out in the afternoons and put their toppings on. My hubby and I do ours later on. Good quick dinner that's a hit with us all!

Helcatt
05-10-2010, 08:59 PM
Mine all have cooked meals

When one lad started, mum told me he didn't like sandwiches so for months, I made a point of taking food with us to places that I knew I could re-heat, or heading home for cooked lunch. Then the summer came and he happily tucked in to a picnic

I am convinced that mum said that so she could get away with just doing a sandwich in the evening, knowing he had had a good lunch!

tbh - I rarely do snacky stuff, its mostly last nights left overs re-heated but its a hot lunch.

Evening meal can be hard to sort and that does take a bit of planning, though if all goes well and two of them have a nap after lunch, prep is done then and it gets thrown in the cooker, so yes, lots of easy meals. Some days its just easy stuff.

Trying to remember what is on this weeks menu

Macaroni cheese with peas and brocolli is popular
Chicken fajita wraps
mousakka
pasta with roasted med veg
chicken and mushroom risotto

fish goujons
meatballs and pasta
marinated chicken with couscous
chicken satay
nasi goreng

We often have a friday lunch in the cafe, I claim its to help with their socialisation skills, but it cos I can't be arsed with cooking and cleaning again :blush:

Hx

Noomie
06-10-2010, 06:44 PM
Love the idea of having dinner or lunch out! May take that one on...

selena 31
07-10-2010, 03:43 PM
While i have decided and taken the plunge how does this sample menu sound-
monday- veg rice jumble with chicken, sugar free jelly and fruit
tues- sheperds pie and veg with fruit crumbl and custard
wed- homemade chicken nuggets, potatoes and peas with creamed rice pudding
thurs- spaghetti bolognaise and garlic bread with fresh fruit salad and yoghurt
friday-homemade veg pizza with slad crudities with banana custard

this is just a sample and was thinking of doing it 4 weekly menus what do you think?:idea: