Monday, October 18, 2010

Need Dinner Ideas

Most people talk about being tired when they are pregnant, but when I am pregnant, I seem to get dehydrated and land myself in the ER if I so much as get off the couch! (Ok that's a bit of an exaggeration....but not by much!) At any rate, there are times in life (like for an entire year when I was pregnant with John) that you need very quick and easy dinner ideas....and hopefully low mess.....we're talking the "heat and serve" type of dinner here! Short-term you can pack your freezer with casseroles and what not, but when you are talking about an entire year, you really gotta get to know the local grocery store a little better! Unfortunately, I am absolutely spoiled rotten! I grew up eating almost all from scratch cooking, and I actually do not like the taste of most prepackaged foods! Add that my husband is a slightly picky eater and that I have never really had enough prepackaged foods to know what IS good....and we have a problem! So....I need some new ideas....

Here are some of our current favorites:

Shrimp Pasta
Spaghetti (using this homemade sauce mix)
Tombstone Frozen Pizzas (cheap, but still filling and tastes pretty good)
Ravioli (using the same homemade sauce mix)
Country Crock sides (most of the others taste like melted plastic to me)

And that's about it on the quick and easy.....sad I know!

We did a lot of Beef Stroganoff and Chicken Stir Fry for a while, but David got burned out on that. We've also done Audra's Sloppy Joe's when we have buns. We've also done meats with different marinades: barbeque sauce, soy sauce, etc.

What are your favorite quick and easy dinner ideas??? (and remember: preferably low mess and no advanced prep work)

2 comments:

  1. Here's a current easy favorite with very little clean up: Taco Soup. Put a pound of fried/drained ground beef, 2-3 cans of beans (choose from black beans, kidney beans, chili beans, pinto beans), can of rotel (optional), pkg of dry ranch dressing, pkg of dry taco seasoning, and a cup of corn (frozen or canned) into a pot to simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with corn chips, sour cream, and cheese. Clean up involves one pot and throwing away cans!

    Also, have you tried the McCormick's white chicken chili seasoning mix? SOOOO good and easy!

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  2. I had forgotten about Taco Soup!!! I LOVE that!!!! I think sometimes I just forget about things we haven't had in a while! I have not tried the McCormick's white chicken chili seasoning mix....I'll have to get that when I go to the store next! Thanks!

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