When do you make supper?

Posted: Tue, Aug 11 2009, 7:26 pm Post subject: When do you make supper?

There are sort of a few parts to this question.
When do you make supper? In connection to when kids eat & when DH eats?
Do you prepare it earlier in the day when you have some time & then stick it in microwave to reheat as each is ready to eat? Do you prepare it last minute witht he kids ontop of you?

The craziest time of the day is always from 6-8pm when I need to somehow feed the kids, prepare supper, clean up the mess, & get kids to bed. (not in that order)
But I can't really put the kids to sleep for the night earlier, nor can I feed them earlier. And I can't clean up their mess until they aren't playing anymore.
But DH likes when his food is fresh. And I don't blame him one bit.
So I'm trying to find a solution. I'd like to know what most of you do.

BTW, I try to get kids into bed by 7. DS can come out of bed constantly, and even still be up at 10pm. DH comes home anywhere between 8-8:30.

Executive Member Joined: Oct 16 2007 Posts: 354

I come home with the kids around 4 pm. I prepare supper then, while I give the kids a snack, and they play. dh comes home around 5.15 - 5.30 and we all eat supper together then.
I start the baths at 6 pm, and try to have them in bed by 7 pm.
dh is home till around 6.45 - 7, which works out great, cuz we juggle supper, bath and bedtime together, and then he leaves and comes home again around 9 - 9.30, while I clean the house, relax, etc.

dh also likes food fresh, so thats why we eat as soon as he comes home.

Posted: Tue, Aug 11 2009, 8:29 pm Post subject: re: When do you make supper?

Our schedule isn't typical, so we're probably not much help...

DH comes home at 4:30 and exercises.
I make dinner while the kids draw, paint, or something like that at their table.
We eat at around 6 or 6:30. (We always eat together; I don't like having separate meals.)
DH cleans up while I go for my exercise walk.
When I get back I pop kids in baths, DH davens.
At 8:30 we all go upstairs and get on jammies and brush teeth.
8:45-9:30 is readaloud time.
9:30 is lights out for everyone but me.
Then I clean up the house for another hour or so, then have two luscious hours to do whatever I want. Smile

It all starts again at 7:30/8:00.

Usually when I cook, I cook enough for 2 dinners (sometimes 3) and 2 grownup lunches. I stash one in the freezer. (If you seal it well, you absolutely can't tell the difference between a dinner that was made fresh and one that was frozen several months ago.) So I usually cook 3 days a week (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday). Mondays and Wednesdays we usually have one of the meals I froze ahead of time, and Thursdays is breakfast night so it only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Posted: Tue, Aug 11 2009, 8:38 pm Post subject: re: When do you make supper?

If I'm not teaching, I give dear foster son a snack when he gets home from school/camp. I start dinner 1/2 to 1 hr before DH gets home and then usually we all eat together at about 6:30.

On days when I teach till late afternoon, dear foster kid gets a snack at his playdate and I try to make things that I can prep early and require very minimal time after I get home, such as:
� a stir-fry and rice: prep veggies and chicken/meat earlier in the day, start rice in fancy rice cooker before I leave. I can stir-fry the already prepped meat& veggies in 5 minutes. Or...
� lentil or pea soup w/garlic toast: just reheat soup and broil garlic toast. Or...
� a stew: cook in crockpot all day, serve with rice from rice cooker. Or...
� hamburgers: prepared ahead of time, burgers just need 5 or 6 minutes under broiler.

I fill the sink with hot water and throw in the dishes, and leave to soak until after dear foster kid is in bed at 7:30.

My rice cooker (Zojirushi Fuzzy Logic) has been an excellent investment and might help you too, because you could have rice ready for your kids' dinner, and then hold it on warm with no loss in quality until your DH gets home. If you like to eat with your DH you could serve easy kid-friendly dinners like chicken nuggets early and then something nicer just for you and DH.

Silver Member Joined: Jul 07 2009 Posts: 932

I cook dinner early in the day 7-9 am. Anything past 4pm is crazy hour in my house. I simply reheat the food.
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Posted: Wed, Aug 12 2009, 11:53 am Post subject: re: When do you make supper?

this past year I had 2 kids home with me at 3:30 child #3 came home I made him a sandwich or a bowl of cereal asked him how his day was then started supper at 4:30 child #4 came home asked her how her day was signed any tests she had to have signed by 5:15 child #5 walks in ask him about his day sign any test papers help him with homework and by 6:00 start serving supper during supper 6:30 child #6 walks in the door give him supper and wile I ask him how his day went 11 year old dd baths 2 and 5 year old at 7:00 my father picks up 12 year old ds takes him to his house to learn with him I clear the table then go read sons 2 and 5 a book while 7 year old ds takes a shower by 8:00 baby and 2 year old son is sleeping ds's 5 and 7 are in bed and husband walks in the door sons run out of bed to see totty then need another drink and bathroom by 8:15 the kids are back in bed husband is eating supper and 12 year old son comes home 8:30 husband leaves to learn and daven by this time I am exhausted.

The problem is that although I have a schedule things don't go as smooth as it should the baby needs to be fed and diapered my dd wants me to test her and my boys want an extra bedtime story my 12 year old son has English homework & my 7 year old son claim's it's not fair he didn't have any time to play
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Posted: Wed, Aug 12 2009, 12:29 pm Post subject: re: When do you make supper?

I work FT so I always make dinner the night before. Sure, it tastes better freshly cooked, but I found that it was not worth the stress for me...

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18282

We come home around 5:20, I give the kids a snack while I prepare a fast dinner (stir fry, etc) or something I can stick in the oven for an hour with little prep before and give the kids something else for that night....
Husband comes home at 6:45 and the kids start winding down then.
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Posted: Wed, Aug 12 2009, 12:37 pm Post subject: re: When do you make supper?

Dh also comes home at 8:00pm. I used to make a separate supper for dd, because she liked plain cooked chicken and rice, which I prepared in a 1 qt pot each night. I prepared dinner later on, and scheduled it so that it would be ready at exactly 8:00pm. We also like food very fresh.
But now I try to prepare ahead of time, and place supper in the oven at 3:30 when we get home, so that it's ready for dd to eat at 5:00.
I find that things are more calm this way, and that the food still stays very fresh. I've learned that chicken bottoms actually taste better if they've had a chance to sit and absorb the sauces after being baked.
If I'm making a stir fry, or something else stovetop that needs to be very fresh, I prepare it ahead of time, and put it up right before dh comes home. Either I make a small portion for dd ahead of time, or serve her something else like chicken nuggets and french fries from the freezer.

Posted: Wed, Aug 12 2009, 12:56 pm Post subject: re: When do you make supper?

My DH never comes home the same time. Usually between 7pm and 2am. I used to have him call me about 1 hr. before he will be home. But it didnt really work out cuz he usually forgot to call and supper was not ready.
Now I make supper when I get home about 4:30-5, and rewarm it on the flame or oven (depending on the supper) when hes on the way home. If he doesnt call me before I still get 10 minutes to warm up the supper once he walks in.
DS gets supper used to get supper from the baby sitter, but since the 9 days it stopped Mad

so that actually when I started making supper earlier.

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 24 2008 Posts: 6528

I normally server our kids the night before left overs. This way DH gets a fresh supper and the supper for the kids simply needs to be reheated.

I normally have enough time to put together supper for DH while the kids are eating supper and once they are in bed. They eat around 5, are in bed around 6:30. And dh comes home either 7:30 or 9:00 so I have the time to work with.

The house is not always clean when he comes home.

Active Poster Joined: May 31 2005 Posts: 32

I usually cook the food in advance and warm it up. If your husband prefers freshly prepared food, maybe it could be slow-cooked, or prepared in advanced but not cooked until right before he is home for dinner.