How much cooking do you do?

[PerkyEars]

At the mo, providing meals is really not working for me, and I wondered what everyone else does.

I've always included a cooked hot meal in my fees. In theory I try to do a mix of simple things like beans on toast, and cooked meals like pasta bolognaise, with fruit snacks in between. I've always done the cooking during naps, and it's been ok. But now I'm lacking a cooking break during the day. I've got assorted crawlers and screamers who can't really be left alone while I cook and don't nap at convenient times. My kitchen is tiny with no room for a play pen. Sometimes I'll make what I've planned to, but more often than not I'll end up just giving up and serving pre-made baby food and philly on toast. Trying to cook nice food when rushed tends to land me with stuff noone understandably wants to eat.

I'm seriously considering giving up on hot prepared meals and just doing a cold lunch of assorted sandwiches, cold meats, fruits, pasta salads etc. Anyone else have this policy? Those who do cook hot meals - when do you fit it in? Do you get up early, or do it at the weekends and freeze it?

I've got a bunch of fussy eaters, which isn't helping, alongside parents who want me to make sure their kids have a balanced diet and somehow fix the fussy eating. I'm not sure announcing it's sarnies from now on would go down well with some of them. :panic: But I'm at the end of my rope.

[FizzWizz]

I have to confess to cooking all hot meals in batches and freezing in individual containers - pasta with various homemade sauces, shepherds pie, chicken noodle soup etc etc. This works for me as I have a toddler also and I only mind 3 days a week so an hour on a Monday is put aside to prepare a few meals for the week. I do get frustrated with the fussy eaters though - lot of effort for food to be thrown away!

[Milli147]

I used to do hot lunches and it was a nightmare - just as you described!

I only charge extra for hot meals, not cold, and I hoped it would be a deterrent but it didn't work!

I either used to reheat some of last nights dinner (not ideal) or try and cook with them sat in highchairs/boosters with things to do (even worse idea!)
I ended up with a trashed kitchen, bored/hungry little ones and frazzled nerves!

I am not sure exactly how I managed it but I eventually persuaded the parents they would get a better and more nutritious meal if I served a mainly cold meal! Result!

I still have it in my pack that I offer hot lunches but you have just reminded me I must take it out!!

[Monkey26]

I provide a hot lunch to 5 on a Monday and 7 on a Tuesday (+ me and my assistant!) ... I keep on top a variety of ways:
* cooking too much the night before so that there will be enough to reheat for us all the next day
* preparing it all the night before then sticking in slow cooker when I wake
* preparing meals at the weekends and freezing
* occasionally having simple meals like beans on toast
* one pot meals are the quickest and easiest meals I have found to do - can always be bulked out with a side salad or some bread & butter!
* making up a big batch of mince, veg & toms... It can be turned into spag bol, lasagne, chilli (add a few spices), burritos, nachos, shepherds pie etc really quickly :-)

I find the key is to know what you are going to be serving when and sticking to it :-) i am lucky to have an assistant so i can take time away to, for example boil some potatoes or pasta if need be.

Good luck xx

[miffy]

I make a lot of use of my slow cooker - just get up and bung it all in before lo's arrive then it's ready to eat later :thumbsup:

Miffy xx

[Tatjana]

It all depends on how much time I have available, when they all nap at the same time it's easy, but if not I'll do basic one pot wonders. I might season chicken/meat the night before and then all I need to do is put it in the oven or on the hob. Or I might do quickies like stir fries, simple pasta dishes, rice dishes.

[Pipsqueak]

I do a full range of food from simples of sandwiches, rolls, scrambled egg, beans on toast through to full roast dinners. I will batch cook, store/freeze and reheat where possible. I do lots of bung everything in one pot meals.

I prepare/cook in my 'downtime' - ie if kids are asleep or happlily amusing themselves.

i am the quick cook cook

[rosebud]

Mine usually have for lunch whatever we (the family) have had for dinner the night before. I always cook extra and then just reheat it. This week LO has had roast chicken dinner, chilli con carne (cooked fresh rice to go with it), pasta bolognaise and a picnic on Thursday. I also cook batches and freeze so I always have things in the freezer I can just grab and reheat. When we go to toddler groups I put frozen fish pies or shepherds pies (still homemade) in the oven and set it to be done when we get back and sometimes use my slow cooker too. I don't find hot lunch too bad but can't manage hot teas thats too hard.

[flowerpots]

I only provide cold lunches or something on toast but everynight we have a hot home made meal, i have an assistant (oh) which helps but on the days hes not here i set up toys etc for bigger children and sit lo in highchair in kitchen with some crayons and paper or toys but he's a bit of a screamer and its not really working at the mo so im going to start batch cooking of a weekend. :rolleyes:

[stardust]

At the mo, providing meals is really not working for me, and I wondered what everyone else does.

I've always included a cooked hot meal in my fees. In theory I try to do a mix of simple things like beans on toast, and cooked meals like pasta bolognaise, with fruit snacks in between. I've always done the cooking during naps, and it's been ok. But now I'm lacking a cooking break during the day. I've got assorted crawlers and screamers who can't really be left alone while I cook and don't nap at convenient times. My kitchen is tiny with no room for a play pen. Sometimes I'll make what I've planned to, but more often than not I'll end up just giving up and serving pre-made baby food and philly on toast. Trying to cook nice food when rushed tends to land me with stuff noone understandably wants to eat.

I'm seriously considering giving up on hot prepared meals and just doing a cold lunch of assorted sandwiches, cold meats, fruits, pasta salads etc. Anyone else have this policy? Those who do cook hot meals - when do you fit it in? Do you get up early, or do it at the weekends and freeze it?

I've got a bunch of fussy eaters, which isn't helping, alongside parents who want me to make sure their kids have a balanced diet and somehow fix the fussy eating. I'm not sure announcing it's sarnies from now on would go down well with some of them. :panic: But I'm at the end of my rope.

My mindees have the same as what me and family have the night before so Sunday night I will be making a chicken pie with veg and potatoes I'll make a bigger pie than needed me, other half and my son have what we need and the left over is cut into 3 child size portions (my son will have it for lunch again as well but it doesn't seem to bother him) then if there's any left I cut it up and freeze for when it's needed. I then wash baby potatoes and Pop them in a bowl covered with cling film in the fridge with the pie covered with cling film in the fridge. At about 11.30 I'll put the potatoes in water after a quick swill, then put the veg on and about 10 mins before the end I hear the pie in the microwave as it was already cooked. Strap then in high chairs with toys and singing, send older ones to wash hands, whilst I dish up. Then I give older ones knives fork and cups to set the table, they put their own bibs on and set the table. Wash babies hands is warm soapy water, put bibs on and then the food is normally cooled and they eat.
Also do this with lasagna, sheppards pie ect

If you want something quick Could you not do pasta bakes? Pop the pasta on, when it's done mix it with sauce serve and top with cheese?? You can get a variety of sauces. Quick and easy.

[fluff1975]

I plan our family meals so that I can make extra and give to mindees for lunch the next day. All the families are fine with this, actually it was one of them who first suggested I do that as I was getting stressed!

For tea I do what we call a 'tasting plate'. Basically sandwiches with a bit of cheese, cucumber, carrot, tomato, humous you get the idea! It works well as they all come from families who eat at about 6pm so they eat with them again too! I'm not feeling under any pressure either to make sure they've eaten enough!

[winstonian]

Lots of prep the night before, casseroles, pasta, Jacket potato, Roast chicken but with all veg prepared night before

[jumping j]

I do a lot of what's already been said, bulk make meals and freeze them in little containers, with name and date, slow cooker, reheat from night before.

[PerkyEars]

Thanks - lots of ideas there. :) Cooking on the weekend and freezing it in portions looks possible, although sometimes we're away. Love the idea of portions in those little boxes sitting in my freezer just ready to reheat! :)

I have a slow cooker and love it for grownup meals, but I have to have an honest think about what meals like this will be eaten - at the moment everyone is refusing complex flavours like cassaroles, sauces with mince, or pasta sauces. Maybe cooking, say a chicken in the slow cooker and serving it hot and then leftovers cold in sandwiches might work.

Doing prep the night before or on weekends will work for me some nights, but we often have people over for food in the evenings, which takes up time and energy. I think I need to have a hard and realistic look at the weekly schedule and work out when I'm going to do hot meals, and when I'm going to do sandwiches, and stick to the plan.

[caz3007]

I used to have loads of after schools and cooking meals was a nightmare. I used write down at the weekend in my diary what we were having each day, taking into consideration the likes and dislikes of the children on a particular day and it worked for me.

Now I am lucky as only one LO for tea and my own son, so batch cook things like spag bol and casseroles and we sometimes have quick dinners too such as pizza

[mr man]

i switched my hot meal to lunch time, and i wish i'd done it sooner.
i cook their food fresh, while they have free play at that time. i have quite a large open plan home, and can hear all with eyes in my ass too. :laughing:
i work alone and never ahve more than 3. :) im comfortable with this. tea times is sandwiches, wraps, or something on toast when i have around 6-9 children. they dont always want as some have seconds in school, i just tell parents if theyve not.

it is bit a different on a monday though when i have 9 month old. im more preped fro that.
other wise i ask the children what they like, and go from there. ( obviosluy with what i availabel for them).

[funemnx]

I've never done hot lunch (tricky in the summer when we might go out for a picnic) but used to cook dinners - the children all used to make a fuss and as I refused to make chips every day..... :angry:

I don't do a cooked meal any more, if I have children staying late, they will bring food from home for me to heat up, but very rarely now ;)

I always make a substantial snack after the school run - crumpets, tea cakes etc..

[PixiePetal]

I used to have loads of after schools and cooking meals was a nightmare. I used write down at the weekend in my diary what we were having each day, taking into consideration the likes and dislikes of the children on a particular day and it worked for me.

Now I am lucky as only one LO for tea and my own son, so batch cook things like spag bol and casseroles and we sometimes have quick dinners too such as pizza

I write the weeks meals in my diary too - taking into account what the family commitments are at tea time as to whether we can all have something from slow cooker or a portioned meal from freezer for mindees and something else for us later.

Then there are always stand-bys like pasta and pesto with cheese or tuna pasta etc

[PerkyEars]

Right I have just been down Tescos and bought 15 (!) portion sized freezer boxes for lunches. They can all have sandwiches if they're still here at teatime. Cookathon tomorrow! :thumbsup:

[babs]

i do hot lunches and cold pm snacks dont do evening meal.. bulk make and freeze so its a case of pulling it out and reheating.. make dough for pizzas sit children in hgh chairs get them to roll them out place own toppings on while i prepare veg... fruit snacks cut up in morning while they eat breakfast .. i dont spend alot of time cooking anything to make it easier on me..

[MAWI]

I don't provide hot meals. It's packed lunches or lunches that can be reheated/microwaved I.e beans on toast or jacket potatoes if parents provide it.

I used to provide hot meals but not any longer. All mine go by 5 ish, so not really needed to cook thankfully.

[The Juggler]

i don't do dinners any more. I do do some hot meals for lunch but it's all in one pot (pasta with veg), omlettes - very simple.

i used to do proper dinners each night. soooo glad I don't any more :clapping:

[marnieb]

I think I cook far too much, but I want to do hot meals for my own 2 (3 & 8) so I cook the same for all kids who are here. I do a mixture of both - yesterday I made spinach pie and fish pie for during the week, will have leftover pork tomorrow from todays luch, and then I'll do things like pasta a couple of times, sausages, omlette and I'll even do waffles and fish fingers cos you can just bung them in the oven :laughing: - not had any complaints about that yet!!!!!!

[BucksCM]

I have always cooked an evening meal (18 years) as my family eat at that time too (dh is lucky enough to be home-not that he thinks so some evenings when is noisy!)
I prepare what I can in the day when the children are having their naps/at school or nursery and then cook it at tea time.
My view has always been that mothers choose us because we are "home from home" care...therefore I try to provide proper cooked meals, and if that means that I'm in the kitchen while the children play in the playroom, then so be it. It's what would happen at their house.
I very rarely re-heat food...just a personal thing of mine, I do use the microwave to defrost food or par cook bakng potatoes before crisping in the oven!
I registered with the EHO when I started 18 years ago and get checked every 3 years or so. Never had a problem with it. I think that's why some don't want to provide hot food...having to contact the EHO and fill in more forms...well that's what's come across in the many conversations that I've had.
I do take into account what the children like but have been very lucky that very few of my minded children have been "fussy eaters" so that makes mealtimes easier!:)
Like a few others here, I work out the next week's menu so I know what I'm going to cook each day. It makes it much easier! No more panicing at 4 pm because I don't know what I'm cooking. I , too, do have back up food in the freezer, fish/chickenfingers, chips, waffles, burgers in case plans change...but more often than not, we're eating lasagne, spag bol, shepherds pie, fish pie, those new(to me!) "bung it all in the bag and then in the oven" meals, sausages-mash-veg, korma....sorry, there's no nead to list it all:blush:
but you get the idea:)
Planning also keeps waste to a minimum:)

[Rosy Days]

Hi, I provide breakfast, lunch and snacks and do not provide an evening meal. I only work until 4.30pm at the moment though so don't have any late ones. I do either hot or cold lunches, I might just save a small roast dinner from night before/spag bol/homemade soup/cottage pie, or do sandwiches/or fish fingers and sweetcorn/pasta with grated cheese and chopped ham etc.

I feel that I spend enough time in the kitchen as it is cooking for my own family, I really don't want to spend any more time in there if I can help it! I always include vegetables or salad and always give them fruit for dessert. :):) x