What does this have to do with pregnancy and birth? Well it doesn’t. At least not directly. Adding in the focus of Motherhood into BWF, why not have a blog post to help a tired pregnant mama or a mother with a needy newborn and toddler?
You know those days…the ones that just won’t end! Then you realize it is 6 pm and you have made nothing for dinner. You don’t want to spend money on take out and you are too exhausted to prep and cook. Not to mention the toddler has spilled a whole box of cereal on the floor and your baby needs to be nursed. What do you do?
Instead of screaming or crying and instead of having to look up a last minute receipe, here are some great ideas from your fellow BWF mothers. Hope this helps on a long, tiring day or even inspires you to try new things on a great day!
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Breakfast for dinner {Brinner}!
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Any kind of leftovers. Mix and match.
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Pasta with sauce or butter and cheese or any other combo.
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Something on a bun with a salad on the side. Bread fixes everything.
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Cheese pancakes: cottage cheese, eggs, bit of flour, bit of oil, dash of milk and cinnamon.
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Fondue!
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Fajitas. Tortillas, any meat and veggies you have. Roll em up with condiments you have.
- Make mini pizzas on buns or french rolls.
- Do you have any fish in the freezer? Salmon with a tomato salsa: blend tomato, onion and capers together and put on top of steamed salmon!
- Hummus on a baked jacket sweet potato. Cook potato in oven, pull out, put on hummus (or some brown sugar and cinimon). Done!
- Chili corn bread casserole: pour the chili and cheese in a casserole dish and cornbread on top and stick it in the oven!
- Veggie chili. Throw in some tomatoes, tomato sauce, a bunch of different kinds of beans, hominy, corn, and season to taste. Cook, then top with cheese and sour cream, serve with cornbread.
- Sandiwiches and chips! Think simple.
- Soup with garlic bread or grilled cheese.
- Quesadillas
- Have tortilla chips and cheese? Make nachos!
- Kielbasa and saurkraut with a dark bread. Easy and almost no clean up.
- Noodles and Butter with carrots, peas and tuna.
- Cheeseburger soup with hidden veggies.
- Sausage, potatoes and peppers (add in garlic, salt and pepper).
- Smoked sausage skillet! Slice up polish/smoked sausage, cook in dutch oven. Cut up a head of cabbage, throw in with sausage, with a 1/4c water, put lid on and low heat. Boil some noodles, and when done, throw in with cabbage and sausage. Two pinches of sage and two tbls of dijon mustard. Stir and nom!
- Spicy Thai beef curry with couscous.
- Crumbed fish & salad wraps.
- Mexican hotdogs: cut slice in a hotdog, stuff with a peice of cheese, roll up in a tortilla and fry. Its done when its golden brown and the cheese is melted. Eat those with sour cream, mustard, quacamole, and salsa. Slirp!
- Chicken in the oven with something on it like Italian dressing and seasoning. Gives you time to make some side dishes like flavored rice and a veggie.
- Pigs in a blanket.
- Chicken-noodle salad – shreded roast chicken, two minute noodles, carrot, cucumber, corn, spring onion, soy sauce. Yum!
- Chili Mac & Cheese. Recipe here.
- When cooking pasta sauces, casseroles, soups, stews ALWAYS cook a double batch and freeze some for the following week. A great time saver.
Hope you have enough things in the house to throw one of these together. Modifying any of them is OK. Get creative, put the baby in the sling/wrap and let the older kids help!
Recommended Reading
The Harshē Podcast – Episode #76: Mothering Your Way
Motherhood Temper Tantrums
New Addition | Birth Without Fear
One Woman’s Successful Frank Breech Vaginal Hospital Birth
Birth Of Elsie {Homebirth Story With Siblings}
The Birth of Sicily Rose {Postpartum Hemorrhage, Vanishing Twin Syndrome}
When is Being a Mother Going to Be Enough?
I Am Strong {Because I Am A Mom}
My Fearless Birth {Home birth turned hospital}- A Beautiful Family Home Birth/Baby Caught by Grandmother {Graphic Emergence Photos}
8 Comments
Krystal C :)
These ideas are going to be so helpful for many busy mothers. Cooking dinner shouldn’t be some daunting task. <3 🙂
MR
My quick easy go to meal is homemade soup. I keep boxes if broth in hand at all time. boil it, throw in whatever veggies you have in the house (frozen, fresh, canned), some garlic, dehydrated onions, beans, shrimp, sausages, left over meat or frozen Meat (thaw in the microwave for a bit, it is easiest to cut into cubes if it is still frozen) add spices to suit you mood, oregano/basil for italian, cumin/taco seasoning for mexican, curry/coconut milk for thai or indian. One of my easiest soups my whole family loves is Italian wedding soup. Boxed beef and/or chicken broth (low salt kind) add some bullion with water if have a big family and you need to serve more. Add pepper, oregano, basil, garlic (I just dump in my hand than rub into the soup). Add frozen meatballs, return to boil, add small noodles (I’ve used elbow, tiny shells, dots, orzo, alphabets, bows, broken spaghetti…), about 3 mins before noodles are done dump a whole bag of baby spinach in. Done when the noodles are cooked. Sometimes I add carrots nefore the meatballs too. Salt to taste after it is done as often the meatballs add salt We serve it with shredded cheese on top. Takes 20-30 minutes or so and really no prep work, just dumping stuff into a pot and watching it boil.
Jessie
My easy meal is always SOS… brown some ground chuck, stir in cream of mushroom, serve on toast! Add tator tots and a veggie and dinner is less than 30 min away. 🙂
Emma
My fave quick and easy meal is veggie pancakes –
3 carrots – grated
1 zucchini – grated
3 (or 4 or 5) eggs
handful of cheddar cheese
Quantities don’t matter as long as you have enough eggs to make a wet batter. Just throw in what ever you have (as long as it’s grated or cut up small)
Mix it all up and then fry as you would a regular pancake.
Delish, quick, healthy and the kids love them!
Elizabeth
Ground beef and mushroom soup over noodles, if you have time meatballs are better
Jill
Monkey Hips – brown rice, black beans, salsa, cheese & sour cream
Brianna
Fajitas are always good, but they have to have the right seasoning! Equal parts salt pepper and cumin, and 2x chili powder. Yum! I also love cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole. A can each of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken, cup of milk, about 3 cups cooked rice and however much cooked or canned chicken and broccoli you want (I also add a chopped onion) and 2 cups of shredded cheddar. Mix altogether then throw in oven at 350 for a half hour.
Michelle Marie
Homemade 5 ingredient tuna helper:
Boil egg noodles, drain, return to pan
Stir in 2 cans crm of mushroom soup, splash of milk, 1 can peas & carrots, 1 lg can tuna.
Stir & heat all ingredients together. Serve. Yummy ☺
If you’re feeling extra fancy, dump it in a casserole dish, top with French fried onions & bake 10-15 mins.
(You could also substitute canned chicken if you’re not a tuna fan)