TTC

[Rescinded and Mended]

I'm blinded by your shininess :lol:

You need to send August some onions they are like gold where she lives!!!

My radish are ready, potatoes looking good, my cabbage is puny though :(

My pumpkins didn't sprout properly this year. I only have three, and they'll be dead by winter.

No garden pumpkin pie for me this year. :disgust:

On the other hand, we did get a few palatable grapes this year. We have a tough time keeping the birds away from them, so it's rare we get any grapes to eat. :)

[Anny Nym]

People who are cooking actual fresh food dinners every night after work, how do you do it?? My husband gets home at 8pm, plays with our kids and any dinner that we cook isn't ready until 9pm usually. It's super unhealthy to eat right before bed (he has reflux and can't eat that late), so we just never do it anymore. We used to when we both got home around 7pm, then we could eat at 8 and all that. But it sucks right now, just not possible.

How about pre-preparing? Marinate meat or cut vegetables that should be used on the day before and put them in the freezer :-)

A salad and quick-grill fish/meat is always a favorite. Or mixing raw with cooked like a feta-melon-green leaves salad with ham <- this is a personal favorite for us, super quick, easy and the kids love it.

Making a week-menu plan and shop for it could really save you from stressy time :stir-pot:

Or maybe making a folder for quick recipes together?

For instance, Palatschinken (pancakes) filled with spinach and cheese or slices of ham, tomatoes, carrots,... are a all-kids-always-favorite and super quick, cheap in cost and very stuffing.

[Coconut Flan]

The crock pot is great for a main dish and then add a green or garden salad.

[Ariel]

I cook 2-3 meals on Sunday (at least 2 servings/person) and then just reheat allllllll week.

Also, cook a big piece of meat on the bone on Sunday (roast, chicken, whatever) and use shredded bits of leftovers for soup and sandwiches.

[walnut]

I eat cooked food everyday. I skip one day, I'm all messed up. It's normally long, comfortable table dinner with freshly cooked food. No frozen stuff or anything. It fills me up pleasantly and helps me sleep. During daytime I mostly eat light snacks suck as tofu and fruits. I'm an om(nomnom)nivore.

[Sumeri]

I do quick and fresh during the week. Things like beans I'll start in the morning, leave them to soak all day and then prepare with rice when I get home. Or pasta with veggies or stir fry...that sort of thing. It really doesn't take that long, certainly no longer than a frozen something.

[walnut]

I have seen boxed lunches that took longer to prepare (microwave rice and topping separetly, but first boil the whole lunch box onopened for 10 minutes, wtf?) than a simple fresh meal. It was 7-11 food. And even though I followed through the preparaton instructions, the rice was still sandy, the topping cold.

[snarkopolis]

I just want to chime in from the perspective of someone who has worked in and lived near the impoverished areas of a major city (Chicago). Part of it is definitely the economy. But many chains don't want to set up shop because of crime.

I worked in a HS in the middle of a high-crime, and high-poverty neighborhood that was definitely a food desert. There are shootings in the neighborhood every week. The risk is too high for a chain to set up shop. You might get lucky with a fast food joint or a gas station. For example, if I forgot to bring lunch and I didn't want to eat cafeteria food, my only option was a McDonalds a 10 minute drive away in a 'nicer' area. There were definitely not grocery stores closer than a mile. Of course, the transit system is excellent if outrageously expensive. $2.25 for one way is crazy.

It's not so much crime but profit margin. Supermarket chains have at most a 3% profit margin. So when they set up in urban areas, they tend to be (at least where I live) dependent on those who have government assistance $. The stores tend to be poorly maintained and the produce is not as fresh. When they can't make as much $, they close shop. When areas are really poor there is no incentive ($ to be made) so no stores (look at Camden, some neighborhoods of Philly, Detroit, etc).

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

People who are cooking actual fresh food dinners every night after work, how do you do it?? My husband gets home at 8pm, plays with our kids and any dinner that we cook isn't ready until 9pm usually. It's super unhealthy to eat right before bed (he has reflux and can't eat that late), so we just never do it anymore. We used to when we both got home around 7pm, then we could eat at 8 and all that. But it sucks right now, just not possible.

I bought Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals. I make them a bit healthier (although they are pretty healthy!). Took me 17 minutes to make the first one I tried, it was delicious!!!

[lilith]

It's hard to get motivated to cook after both partners have worked a long day, but once you work it into your routine it's very doable and will save you a fortune.

Try to cook a few meals on the weekend and freeze them in single serving sizes, so they defrost and hear quickly. Prep your veggies when you buy them and store them in Tupperware type containers. When you do cook, cook double and freeze the second portion for another meal.

Once you've got used to it and made it your routine it's not too time consuming or difficult. I'm not working outside the home at the moment, but when I was I'd have the kids in the kitchen doing their homework so I could help or supervise while I cooked.

[formergothardite]

Advice for people who live in places where onions cost a fortune, if you buy a container and fill it with dirt, you can replant the onion roots and they will usually grow another onion. I tried it this year with an onion I bought at a regular grocery store and it worked. I only did one because I didn't think it would actually work, but it did.

[walnut]

Advice for people who live in places where onions cost a fortune, if you buy a container and fill it with dirt, you can replant the onion roots and they will usually grow another onion. I tried it this year with an onion I bought at a regular grocery store and it worked. I only did one because I didn't think it would actually work, but it did.

Whaaaa? Where I come from, onions are considered one of the cheapest veggies, like potatoes. People who are on a low budget eat a lot of cabbage, onions and potatoes and there are is a wide variety of recipes for just a few ingredients including these veggies that'll make a nice, filling, cozy bowl of food. These things fit in any food budget, now matter how tight it is. Onion and potato jokes to us are what ramen noodle jokes are to some people in some societies, except that onions and potatoes are nice and yummy and not nearly as unhealthy as "Broke and Wasted" noodles. :)

[formergothardite]

Whaaaa? Where I come from, onions are considered one of the cheapest veggies, like potatoes. People who are on a low budget eat a lot of cabbage, onions and potatoes and there are is a wide variety of recipes for just a few ingredients including these veggies that'll make a nice, filling, cozy bowl of food. These things fit in any food budget, now matter how tight it is. Onion and potato jokes to us are what ramen noodle jokes are to some people in some societies, except that onions and potatoes are nice and yummy and not nearly as unhealthy as "Broke and Wasted" noodles. :)

I've always found them to be super cheap too, but August has lived places where they are considered an expensive food item.

[walnut]

Thank you, I didn't know that!

[Ralar]

That chickenetti is so foul I can't even. BUT

1 package spaghetti noodles switch for spirals, less slimy

3 cups diced, cooked chicken

1/4 cup chopped green pepper add chopped red pepper too, make a whole one of each

Now this bit...

1 cup chicken broth

1 pound cheese (Velveeta)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can diced tomatoes

The broth is both giving chicken flavor and helping with consistency. You want chickeny flavor, so browning onions and chicken and then deglazing the pan should account for the broth.

The CoC soup should by rights be switched for a white sauce, which combined with the velveeta gives you an (ungodly bastard stepchild of) mac and cheese. Which is fine. You could make normal mac and cheese, using the chicken pan to make the white sauce, add tomatoes, chicken and peppers. That is very tasty, make it all the time (butternut is great, too, you can cube and pan fry/roast/saute it).

Instead of the diced tinned tomatoes just toss in cherry tomatoes, they cook in the oven and taste lovely.

Alternatively, you could oven roast tomatoes, toss with cream, parmesan, chicken, red peppers and pasta for a lighter creamy tomato chicken.

Maybe we should forward this version of chickenetti to Anna. It looks edible.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/02/baked-chicken-spaghetti-pie.html

[Avalondaughter]

This thread went on so long and went in so many different directions I was wondering if I should give my contribution or not.

I was once tempted to make TTC Duggar style, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead I made an almost-homemade version with mushrooms on homemade white sauce, frozen broccoli cuts, ground turkey cooked with garlic and onion, and of course, a topping of tots. Pretty good, but not worth making twice.

As for what makes a "salad" I like the definition given by chef and author Tamar Adler. A salad is anything cut up small, dressed with fat and acid, and presented nicely in a plate or bowl.

[Miggy]

Love that definition of a salad. I'm going to use that a lot next summer, when we have to take a salad to share at parties.

As for TTC, I made it ages ago and realised it was just a poor copy of a Shepherds Pie. So, when cost & time aren't an issue (1) use fresh mushrooms, lightly sautéed (2) make your own white sauce (3) use chicken or turkey breast or thigh instead of mince/ground meat (4) stir in some veges - it's amazing what you can hide from kids in a pie (5) top with mashed potato instead of tater tots. Delicious! The traditional version of this uses stewed beef in gravy instead of the chicken/turkey and white sauce. Also absolutely delicious. I guess that is the difference you get when you have two incomes supporting six instead of one income supporting twenty.

[LadyCrow1313]

My niece requested ttc for her bday dinner a couple of years ago. While I admit that it was tasty, it was so full of salt it was ridiculous. Would like to try a more healthy version sometime.

[rainbow_vixen]

Hi, I'm SUPER new to FJ (and haven't posted yet because I went down the rabbit hole with the Sparkling Adventures debacle), but I've finished up that mess and am moving on!

As for TTC...my family adores it!!! However, I, also, only make it about 1-3 times a year as I don't want any of us to die of a coronary any time soon!

I make a homemade cream roux for it - which is lighter and less chemical filled than the cream of soups - and mix in fresh broccoli and fresh green beans. I also use lean turkey as I'm allergic to beef and pork.

It's really yummy but so high in fat that I just can't make it often.

[Ofglen]

Any of you ever tried Cheeseburger Pie? (sorry if it's already been mentioned) http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/imp ... 54640c7525

It's not as obscene as some of the other stuff I've seen here, but DANG it sounds like something the Duggars would eat. (It's actually pretty freaking delicious, too...)

Nowadays when I make it I use Boca/Quorn crumbles instead of meat, but I still feel like I'm at a Lutheran potluck in 1999...

[Bethella]

Any of you ever tried Cheeseburger Pie? (sorry if it's already been mentioned) http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/imp ... 54640c7525

It's not as obscene as some of the other stuff I've seen here, but DANG it sounds like something the Duggars would eat. (It's actually pretty freaking delicious, too...)

Nowadays when I make it I use Boca/Quorn crumbles instead of meat, but I still feel like I'm at a Lutheran potluck in 1999...

We have a very similar recipe for Impossible Mexican Pie- ground beef and onions with taco seasoning and green chilies, Monterrey-jack cheese and cornbread on top.

[LadyCrow1313]

Any of you ever tried Cheeseburger Pie? (sorry if it's already been mentioned) http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/imp ... 54640c7525

It's not as obscene as some of the other stuff I've seen here, but DANG it sounds like something the Duggars would eat. (It's actually pretty freaking delicious, too...)

Nowadays when I make it I use Boca/Quorn crumbles instead of meat, but I still feel like I'm at a Lutheran potluck in 1999...

I've used Morning Star grillers/crumbles/whatever they're called in vegetarian chili, & that works very well. This cheeseburger pie sounds quite interesting...

[Ofglen]

I've used Morning Star grillers/crumbles/whatever they're called in vegetarian chili, & that works very well. This cheeseburger pie sounds quite interesting...

Yeah, I also use Morning Star. Whatever is available/around/on sale when I'm at the store. TRY IT. It's sooooo good.

[whoviana]

Ofglen, your avatar made me forget what topic I'm in, what I wanted to say, and I think it's enough internets for today. :lol:

[ArmchairTurnip]

I've used Morning Star grillers/crumbles/whatever they're called in vegetarian chili, & that works very well. This cheeseburger pie sounds quite interesting...

This sounds awesome.

My personal hack for turning chili vegetarian is cashews (the roasted, salted bits-and-pieces kind). Assuming that you can tolerate nuts, they're amazing.