What Do YOU Do for Dinner?

[NillaWafers]

I find myself so exhausted at the end of the day, the thought of making dinner makes me want to just go to bed (but what doesn't!). Are there any tips or tricks I should know? What do you normally make for dinner after the daycare kids are gone. How do you make simple, healthy dinners without wanting to buy pizza every night?

Zzzzzzz.

[e.j.]

I love crock pot nights. I throw meat and veggies in during morning snack while the kids are eating and dinner is ready by the time day care is over. Clean up is usually pretty easy and if anything is stuck in the crock, I just set it in the sink to soak for a little while and then clean it.

[Silly Songs]

I like to prep on the weekends. Chop and clean veggies and fruits, pre cook chicken etc. It really helps when it's time to put dinner together. I usually cook for the family I nanny, so the last thing I want to do is cook again.

[laundrymom]

My kids are big and my husband works nights. Lol. I dont cook much.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

We eat out WAY too often, because I simply can't cook/clean another thing by the end of the day!!

We have a scheduled family game night on Wednesdays. We call it "snacks and games," and we eat snacks for dinner while we play (i.e. whatever I can pull out of the fridge and cupboards: fruit, cold veggies, cheese and crackers, popcorn, salsa and chips, etc.)

The other nights, I go as easy as possible: pasta, eggs, soup,...something quick and simple.

[Nurse Jackie]

If it takes a lot of prep time I cook during nap time. If it doesn't I start dinner about an hour before my last kid leaves. I wash dishes as I cook and we use paper plates so I don't have a lot to clean after dinner.

[Blackcat31]

My husband plans and cooks.
I eat and clean.

[Thriftylady]

I pre cook a lot on the weekend for daycare and hubby to take in the semi. I feed the kids a big lunch and a "light" dinner at 4PM. It helps them get by until the parents have time to get a meal on the table. Most times I and DD if she is home eat with them. Then there are days like today and DH calls me at noon and says "I am coming home, I am dropping a load in the area and picking up another one in the morning. So then I scramble to come up with a more "adult" meal for him since he eats reheated food on the truck so much. Today when that happened I threw together a stir fry and fried rice for the daycare kids, DH and I.

[wonderfullisa]

My DCKids are here til 515-530pm most weekdays (weekend kids leave just after 2pm, thank goodness!). We eat dinner together at 4:45pm.
Most of the time, I just make enough for my husband to eat when he comes home. If it's something I know he doesn't want, I might serve my own children a little more lightly, then make something with DH once he is home.

[Josiegirl]

I usually eat cereal for supper.
Sorry no help from me as I have no one to cook for. But when I did it was either crockpot or do what I could during naptime. I liked planning dishes I could reheat such as lasagna.

[childcaremom]

Crock pot is my life saver. I am asking santa for an instapot for christmas.

This summer has been a lot of salads and wraps. I don't even have daycare kids this summer and I can't be bothered to cook at the end of the day. ::

I like to precook, too, and then divvy things up in meal-size freezer portions. Prep during rest time. Etc.

Trying new recipes keeps me motivated. So does the fact that I have to have something to feed the daycare kids the next day for lunch. ::

[DaveA]

I make a menu up each weekend for the next week. It really helps to not have to come up with a meal for tonight. I do a lot of prep work during naptime or in the morning before dcks arrive. Michael Symon has a couple quick recipe books I like (Called 5 in 5 or something like that). When it's on sale I cook a couple pork shoulders or large batch of shredded chicken to freeze for later use.

[LittleScholars]

I find myself so exhausted at the end of the day, the thought of making dinner makes me want to just go to bed (but what doesn't!). Are there any tips or tricks I should know? What do you normally make for dinner after the daycare kids are gone. How do you make simple, healthy dinners without wanting to buy pizza every night?

Zzzzzzz.

We eat what the kiddos eat for lunch. The kids get way nicer lunches than I might otherwise make, and I just have to heat up dinner when my husband gets home. There have been a few days I underestimated how much the kiddos will eat, and I just give them our portions. Those are nights we eat out or take something out of the freezer. I don't mind eating the same meal twice and I find it way easier. I start prepping for the meal while I drink my coffee before kids arrive, finish up while they eat breakfast, and then pop it in the crock pot or wait until we come in from outside to pop it in the oven. I could neverrr cook after they leave. I'm just so tired!

[Pepperth]

We eat what the kiddos eat for lunch. The kids get way nicer lunches than I might otherwise make, and I just have to heat up dinner when my husband gets home. There have been a few days I underestimated how much the kiddos will eat, and I just give them our portions. Those are nights we eat out or take something out of the freezer. I don't mind eating the same meal twice and I find it way easier. I start prepping for the meal while I drink my coffee before kids arrive, finish up while they eat breakfast, and then pop it in the crock pot or wait until we come in from outside to pop it in the oven. I could neverrr cook after they leave. I'm just so tired!

This is what I do too. Cook once a day and serve the leftovers at dinner. Sometimes I'll throw something in the crock pot instead. On a truly lazy night, my hubby likes fried egg sandwiches.

[daycarediva]

I plan a menu for the week, it corresponds to my DC menu. I cook in the morning for lunch AND dinner. Warm some up for DC, warm some up for dinner (or dh does)

If I plan something like wraps, we eat those for dinner.

Crockpot meals are amazing time savers. I LOVE my crockpot. I will also toss ingredients in my bread machine at nap for dinner. Today is crockpot lasagna and homemade italian bread.

We grill on weekends/evenings in summer quite a bit, too. Just a marinade in the morning and sides. Dinner is on the grill while the kids play, then we eat outside on paper plates.

Dh cooks a lot too, we have a bunch of meals in the deep freeze (I cook doubles of things that are time consuming, like eggplant parm) and freeze the tray.