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Notes -
It's december 31- I'll start a New Year's resolutions thread. For myself, I'm going to seriously cut back on fast food by eating at home whenever possible. I expect to facilitate this through better meal planning and prep, specifically by having an under-20-minute meal in the fridge available so that working late doesn't result in a run for a burger or fried chicken, and planning a menu every Saturday.
An aside on new year's resolutions- almost all of them fail. My view on the matter is that this is because they are vague and don't actually have goals or mechanisms. "I'm going to get in shape" is not a plan, it's a vague sentiment. "I'm going to go to the gym three times a week and skip deserts except on Sundays and special occasions" is a plan, and unlike the previous version, might actually happen.
So, Motteizeans, what are your New Year's resolutions, and what are your plans to accomplish them?
What do you have in mind for under-20-minute options? I have more or less the exact same failure mode, and I’ve been relying on my girlfriend to have reasonable food available.
Soup is good. Set aside a day and devote it toward food prep (ideally during winter, since the heat from cooking will also help lower your heating bill). For soup, you can either freeze it or can it. If you plan to freeze it, buy a bunch of small freezer boxes so you don’t need to thaw a week’s worth of soup at a time. Then cook the soup as normal, divide it among the boxes, and you’re all set for weeks or months into the future. If you prefer to can the soup, make sure you slightly undercook the soup before putting it in the canning jars, as the canning process will continue cooking the soup. This is especially important for any soup with diced vegetables or beans in it, since the vegetables and beans will all turn to mush otherwise. Again, I’d recommend using smaller rather than larger canning jars, unless you’re trying to cook for a family.
You can do the same with plenty of other foods as well. Can some roast or diced ham, or freeze some shredded pork or chicken, and you’ll always have a quick main dish on hand. Then add some vegetables (either canned or fresh) and a baked potato, and you’ll have a pretty complete meal.
For quick “fresh” meals, I tend to rely on various types of sausages. Fry up a couple of brats on the stove, heat up some sauerkraut and baked beans, and you’ve got yourself a ten-minute meal.
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