Bachelor chow!

[eyesroll]

OK, not really...
But I've been enlisted to help my boyfriend plan meals. Specifically -- he wants to eat more at home when he has his two-year-old daughter (roughly Friday dinner through Monday breakfast). He doesn't want to break the bank, rely too heavily on frozen pizza or be cooking all weekend when it's 90 degrees out and he lives in an unairconditioned upper-level apartment.

He has access to a grill, but his kitchen is pretty underequipped. He's got the very basics (pots, can opener, toaster, microwave, coffee maker) but not much else.

So far, I've taught him how to prepare two or three meals in one fell swoop -- i.e. make some extra chicken, and save some lettuce and bread from the chopped salad in my other thread, shred/chop the chicken, add celery, scallions, grapes, walnuts, mayo, etc., and make chicken-salad sandwiches. Throw some extra corn in with canned black beans, mango, red onion, jalepenos, cilantro, lime juice, S&P and have a side salad, perhaps with some easily-assembled quesadillas (maybe grill some poblano peppers and portabella mushrooms when you're grilling the chicken and corn, and hang onto them a day or two until they're needed in the quesadillas).

There are, of course, the old standbys of pasta with jarred sauce, something thrown in the slow cooker and served over rice, pancakes/cereal, etc.

Anyone have any other suggestions, especially for kid-friendly meals?

[catmandu57]

1. You don't have to eat like a refugee

Two years old, I wouldn't worry too much about what to feed a two year old, but, maybe some boxed mac and cheese, cold cereal for breakfast, and in the last resort ask mom what she eats.
Maybe, some fresh fruit, and crakers for snacks, cheese burgers, french fries, just simple stuff.

[eyesroll]

2. Well, the "ask mom what she eats" is misleading...

They've had joint custody, almost 50/50 split, for more than a year. He's used to cooking for her. She'll eat almost anything in theory, but sometimes (as toddlers do) gets on jags or throws a tantrum about a usually beloved food.

He just wants to do it more efficiently, with more variety and a better degree of nutrition -- and he also doesn't want to have to cook separately for her. He's also trying to reduce the number of processed/packaged foods he feeds her, although he does feed her the occasional boxed mac and cheese, frozen pizza, etc.

Breakfast and snacks usually aren't a problem -- yogurt, fruit, oatmeal all go over well. It's lunches and dinners.

[NashVegas]

15. You're Just Begging

for a Tom Petty parody, aren't you?

[merci_me]

3. All of my grandkids love

my bamboo steamer. I guess it maybe because they don't have one at home and it doesn't look like the pots&pans cooking. I steam any variety of fresh veggies and toss them with pasta or serve them with a dip, even a simple plain yogurt with a spoonful of a bottled dressing makes a good veggie dip.

I also took them shopping for special pastas, they liked corkscrew and wagon wheel pastas, tiny shells and if they were different colors, all the better. Also, they loved picking out little dabs of this and that at the grocery salad bars and the various jarred mixed fruits in the produce section. It gave me a chance with each one to introduce them to things and let them decide if they liked it or not, without buying a whole whatever and then having it leftover.

Another thing that's fun, if not nutritious, but comes in handy for a crabby day.....I break up (easier for a 2 yr old to manage) and cook some ramen noodles, with a bit of food coloring to make it light blue. Then take a hot dog, slice it, starting about an inch down, into 5 or 6 strips, so you have "danglies". Then stick a 2 prong fork into the uncut portion to make 2 holes. Cook it quickly in steaming water, so the "danglies" curl up and you have an octopus with 2 eyes. Set that on your sea of blue ramen noodles, add a few goldfish crackers around it and instant seascape.

There are lots of cookbooks for kids and though she's too young herself, they usually show not only easy, but also cute ideas for food. Check a used bookstore or thrift store or google for some children's cooking ideas.

Mary

[eyesroll]

4. Some good ideas!

Thanks! The hot dog seascape sounds cute -- I bet a turkey dog could up the nutritional value a bit (she likes the turkey ones anyway).

We've done English muffin pizzas and sweet and sour chicken (in a slow cooker) to great success.

[wildeyed]

5. In my experience, two year olds rarely eat much at all.

But I guess we have to at least appear to feed them three times a day.

I think your boyfriend is doing exactly the right thing trying to get away from packaged food. Kids learn their eating habits at home. So if all you ever feed them is junk, that is what they will take into adulthood with them. Unhealthy, both spiritually and physically. Not that an occasional hot dog is gonna kill ya, just not everyday.

My kids like all pasta. I do it with spinach, garlic and chick peas for a quick meal. You can make a double batch of meatballs, some for now, some frozen for later. Pasta salad is good for summer.

Eggs, either scrambled or a simple omelet are popular.

Homemade pizza is great fun. I pinch off a little dough for the kids to play with while I shape the crust. Then they help pick the toppings and 'decorate' the pizzas. If your boyfriend doesn't want to make his own dough, I think you can buy it at the grocery.

We also do endless fruit salads, lots of quesadillas and the ever popular pb and j.

[merci_me]

6. Ah, the PB&J reminds me............

all the kids loved everything in miniature.

I often get a loaf of party breads. I used it for PB&J and also for cheese spreads. The youngest one, turned 2 last month, loves mini cream cheese sandwiches with a bid of dill sprinkled on and a slice of cuke or pepperoni. She also loves tuna or egg salad minis with a slice of Romas which fit the bread nicely. Then of course, we have to slice them diagonally and put them on a certain plate, lined with a piece of leaf lettuce. She uses the lettuce leaf to wipe her face and hands. If she's really messy, we take the lettuce to the sink and wet it down and then she wipes up. Go figure, but it is cute. Of course, we can't take her out in public without guarding the salads. lol

Mary

[eleny]

7. I always loved making French toast with my mom when I was little

And when I got older, we used to fix waffles in her waffle maker. Waffles from scratch might be a little too much for him. But anyone can do French toast with thick Texas toast bread. Fun and good for you.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

8. Make extra and reheat next morning!

When I was cooking for a child I used to make a dozen slices at a time and keep them in the fridge for a couple of days - then reheat in toaster

[eleny]

9. I've been thinking of doing that with waffles this weekend

Mom and I would make a few dozen and freeze like you say. We'd experiment with flavorings and it was fun - especially when the goop seeps out the side!

[merci_me]

10. I make up a loaf at a time.

We babysit with our 8 yr old grandson and get him off to school every morning and French toast is his favorite.

A month ago, his Little League team was planning a picnic and my daughter said he volunteered to bring French toast, cause his grandma makes the best French toast in the world. LOL, they didn't take him up on it.

Mary

[bettyellen]

12. waffles yes! try orange peel and pecans or almond slices....

or lemon and walnut. i add a little brown sugar and use OJ for the 1/2 liquid, they're great with little or no syrup that way.

[The empressof all]

11. You would be surprised what kids like

When my daughter was two her favorite dinner was steamed clams with lots of garlic. I clean them put them in a big bowl with chopped garlic and a little white wine/or clam juice cover with plastic wrap and zap till they just begin to open. (about 7 min. in my microwave) I served them with pasta shells, a salad and lots of crusty bread for dipping and we called the clams Sea shells. You can also steam them in jarred pasta sauce if you like them in red sauce

To this day she loves this meal and so do I. It's a very quick and easy dinner.


I also usually made a meatloaf at least once a week --She liked it cold

[joneschick]

13. while you're cooking with the little one

you can cook more than just food! When my girls were little we often made play dough. They can dictate the color du jour and play with a rolling pin and some cookie cutters. You could almost guarantee a good day with fresh play dough. Store it in a ziplock bag.
Hit your local resale shops for all kinds of good kitchen stuff. My mom voluteers at a Lutheran shop here and I know they test all appliances.

Recipes for play dough: http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/art/playdough061699.html

[eyesroll]

14. UPDATE!

We spent an evening shopping, teaching (me) and learning (him), in preparation for the daughter's arrival.

So far...spaghetti with "homemade" meat sauce (doctored-up jarred sauce) is a big hit, as is the turkey-dog octopus (he didn't make the colored ramen noodles, but he did put goldfish crackers in the "tentacles" and instructed the little girl to rescue the fishes from the octopus).

There's also a big pot of chicken-orzo soup (half in the fridge, half frozen for later) and a smaller pot of stir-fry veggies ready to go.

He's also discovering just how much his daughter loves to play with her food -- cut something into little pieces and she won't touch it; cut it into different shapes and ask her to "eat the triangle, OK now find the square" and it'll disappear in no time.


Thanks! :bounce: