While hubby is away...what do you feed your little ones?

[BigDog]

What do you feed kids whose main job is to get in trouble? I can't section off my kitchen (it is an "open" floor plan.) Boiling food scares me with my #4, she loves to get under my feet (carrying boiling water to drain it) or climb on the stove top when not looking .

My hubby is leaving me for the first time to go on a business trip.

6 days without him.

What would you make for 5 kids 6 months - 6 years? One has no teeth, but, chewing noodles/rice/soft chicken, refuses jarred food, and is still nursed.

It has to be something SUPER SIMPLE. I'll put it this way. Me getting cold cuts (deli sliced meat) and chips on the table is sometimes hard. (Can't live on PB&J and pizza the whole time right?) My #3 is hypoglycemic and will break down and pass out if he doesn't get food right away (so it has to be a good protein/carb mix).

[jillynoodle]

maybe you could make up some meals ahead of time...i would do a pasta vegetable chicken with stuff they like to eat..if they all like peas and carrots or whatever veges that they like to eat, hrow that in there and get some happy looking pasta...they have some cute shapes and cook up some chicken and cut in small and add to the mix...you can add cream of mushroom soup as a gravy and this could be a side dish or a main meal you can have made at night when they are sleeping or before hubby leaves.

im sure you will get some great recipes or even im sure there are links to some awesome cooking with your children recipes...it could be a fun way to pass time with them, they will be learning, and they can eat what they make...do a search on some of those cooking with kids recipes.

also dont forget if u own a crockpot beef stew is a favorite at my housejust cut and throw in there and its done at the end of the day...put it out of reach from the kids and they can smell it cooking all day and it will give them something to look forward to eating without all the fuss of alot of dishes or time in the kitchen....i have a crockpot recipe book, but you can do the same look online for recipes prepare in the morning, even have the older kids help...then leave it and enjoy it later i have cooked chicken wings and meatloaf in my crockpot and everything has come out amazing!!!!!

[taylordvd]

When my hubby is gone, I make things such as spaghetti, frozen fish sticks and french fries, pizza, mac & cheese, grilled cheese (& tomato soup?), spanish rice. As far as the baby, I would put my pack 'n play close by and put the baby in there while you are cooking. You can put toys in there to keep the baby occupied. Then you won't have the stress of worrying about the baby getting hurt and you'll be able to have more than deli sandwiches.

[dealskr]

I have 4 kids too, my youngest are twins and into everything. My smallest is always under my feet in the kitchen too!

DH isn't home for dinner Tues and Thurs night. Tonight we are having chicken and corn quesidillas. It's one skillet and easy. I dice up left over chicken, mix with some drained canned corn. Put flour tortilla in skillet top with mixture and shredded cheese, top with another tortilla and flip until both sides toasty! They love it. I put out lettuce and sour cream on the table. You can add tomato or salsa if your kids eat it ( mine don't)

Thurs I am making meatloaf with mashed potatoes. I make my mashed potatoes while they nap and then reheat so they are twice baked for dinner and it makes my life easier!

How about using a crockpot?? My kids like most things in there. I have friends who even make mac and cheese or hot dogs in it. Ot get a rotisserie chicken that can cover two meals.

[foggierbard9]

You could always do crock pot dinners...chicken and noodles, soups, roast and potatoes/carrots, lasagna, chicken and rice. I think that would be your easiest. You could prep the food the night before (after kids are in bed) and have it in the fridge and then throw it in the crock pot in the morning. This would ensure your son would have dinner when he needed to eat, and you wouldn't be having kids under your feet as you are trying to cook. The food would also be soft enough for the little one. The recipes I included are just examples of some that look pretty simple to toss together or have prepped the night before.

[loladooder99]

I feel your pain with worrying about the little one near the stove. I only have one so i make sure he is strapped into the high chair eating while im cooking the main meal. Try chopping up veggies at night when they have gone to bed for the dinner for the next day. Say your making a pasta dish with veggies and meat etc. Put it all together the night before. Make a box of the exact amount of spice,pasta other dry stuff. Then cut up all the meat ,veggies. That way you can just toss it all together. Or you can do double batches. Have one casserole for the freezer. Take it out thaw in fridge overnight and then you can just bake it no work at that moment. If your not wanting to use the stove top because of the little one you may just have to make huge batches of casseroles,pasta dishes,soup one night so they are ready out of the freezer to heat or microwave. Just try doing that one day out of the week and it will make the whole week easier.

[Cynthiabutterfly]

I just put the little one in his high chair and make sure they have drinks and crayons while I'm making some quick pasta for dinner.

If they tend to color the table instead of paper (like mine does) you could give them playdoh instead - non toxic and they can't pound the table with it and give you a migrane.

[BigDog]

I have absolutely no idea how those of you with military husbands (or wives) do it! I'm worried about 6 days. Much less the 6 months to a year (or more), I am completely taken back by that much time away.


Nevertheless, thanks for the links to the food ideas, foggierbard.

[fussypants]

You have gotten some great suggestions. I just wanted to ad that I feel your pain! My ds is now 9, but I swear I have no idea how we all didn't starve to death when he was small. He's the type of kid you COULD NOT leave alone for 1 second, that combined with he refused to understand plain english and do anything you told him to or not to do!! I kid you not, it was insane!

I was always afraid of boiling pots on the stove or him trying to climb in the oven. Or, better yet him locking me in the laundry room when I had something on the stove or something out that he shouldn't be into. (no joke he locked me in there twice when he was about 2-3, on purpose!)

I used to time myself doing simple household chores, just to have proof that I have no idea how people get stuff done!!! 45 minutes to unload the dishwasher was the norm!!

Bless you guys that have dh's in the service or away on business. I would have ended up in a mental hospital doing it everyday alone!

[mom2lucas]

DH works four nights a week and is not here for dinner. My DS (2.75 years old) is into the EVERYTHING right now. DD just turned 1, so I know all about the dinner time baby drama.

Most nights we have either something from the crockpot or something that I can let DS help me prepare so I can keep him occupied. He likes to count and measure things. DD gets strapped into her seat with a sippy and a toy. Usually that buys me about 15 or 20 minutes before she starts to protest and demand food.

DS's favorite thing to help make is mini bagel pizzas. I split some mini bagels and top them with cheese, veggies, and whatever leftover meats we have on hand. I give DS a small cookie sheet with his and DD's mini bagels on it and he helps top them. I pop them in the oven and melt the cheese on them. I've also let him help stuff pita pockets, add ingredients to dinner salads, and top his own baked potato. He eats better when he's involved in the process, and I know what he's doing the whole time.

Playhouse Disney has a recipe section with lots of kid-friendly foods that are simple to make or let the kids help make. We especially love the banana bread bites and Goofy's Cinnamon Chocolate Milk for treats.