I'm dying!!! We call that “Mess.” !!!!! We are such foodies that I cant let it go. But some days I just want to give him a bowl of cereal and call it night! (but I dont--not yet anyway!!)
Go to easy dinners often are the most pleasurable because of the yumminess factor + short prep time.
Last night was scalloped potatoes and smoked ham. Wash up some bakers, leave skin on, slice into rounds. Stand them in a 9x 13 baking dish ( as if they were just sliced) Slice onion, I like the Maya sweet. Insert some onion between every few potato slices, slice ham into bits about the same size as a potato slice, and alternate them between onion and potato slices, nothing need be perfect. Just spread them out so everything gets all three flavors. In the middle of the two rows I stick all the odd bits of potato and slices etc.
make a quick bechmel, while oven heats up (butter, flour, heavy cream, a spritz of nutmeg, salt and pepper) cook until slightly thicker. Pour over potato and ham onion slices. Dab with a few small bits of butter.
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 for an hour, uncover and cook about another 20-30 min til potatoes are done. Serve with a hefty blop of Dijon mustard. Yumm heats up well next day.
Dave is picky and hasn’t been eating well, so tater tots or chicken nuggets in the air fryer, with spears of red bell pepper for him most of the time. Mini ice cream bars for dessert. Other options are tacos from door dash with chips and salsa for him. I try to prep a soup or curry on the weekend and eat it with leftovers from the occasional Kevin’s meal. I used to like to cook but there isn’t time anymore as his disease has progressed 🥰
Marks and Spencer Food Hall has become a staple source of throw-in-the-oven dishes throughout caring for my parents. I have to watch the salt content, chew-ability and spice..
I did manage to find an oriental market that sends Char siu bao in frozen packs for the freezer - boil a kettle, 20mins steamed, super easy and delicious. It's amazing what we can find online these days. Both my parents craved for childhood flavours/dishes. Thankfully, neither parent likes durian ;-)
You do what you can. The mental load of figuring it all out is hard, much less the doing.
My go-to is the bag of frozen potatoes w/peppers from Trader Joe’s broiled with frozen meatballs or smoked sausage.
Also: a pork shoulder or beef roast in a crockpot with a jar of sliced peperoncinis, juice and all, shredded and served as tacos. Freeze the leftovers. You literally dump the jar and you’re good. I’ve even done it with a frozen roast because I forgot to thaw it overnight, and it still worked.
I’ve done something similar by also adding a packet of dry Uncle Dan’s ranch dressing and a dry packet of aujus, and a couple pats of butter. This is often called a “Mississippi Roast”. Can be done with beef or chicken too . Makes an amazing gravy if you boil and smash some potatoes. (No need to even whip them)
When Mike was still living at home with me, we had frozen chicken tenders (baked or air fried) on top of a bagged salad kit at least once a week. Sometimes twice. Or canned black beans on top of a Mexican salad kit. Sandwiches of some sort, plus a side salad, were also in high rotation. I used to love cooking, but I couldn't take my attention away from him long enough to focus on making a complicated meal.
Since Mike transitioned to memory care, I've had a really hard time making myself eat ANY actual meals, rather than acting like my kitchen is one giant charcuterie board. I'm trying out a new meal kit delivery service this week to see if that will help get me back in the habit of eating a proper dinner, at least.
I forgot about bagged salads. Thank you. Great idea. I used a meal service for about 8 months after Mr. J was diagnosed. It kept the meals more balanced. I hope it works for you. It’s so hard some days.
Loved this, Anne. It took me more than a year too, and I also love to cook. I too miss my sous chef. My go-to simple meals are eggs any style, canned salmon made into a salad, rotisserie chicken (Costco of course) as the starting point for any number of dishes, stir fry pasta toss (shallots, zucchini, asparagus, cherry tomatoes fried up in olive oil with salt, then some of that Costco chicken, a handful of arugula, fresh basil, parmesan all tossed into pasta), frozen pierogies. I make lots of different home made soups and freeze in small batches, and curry beef buns. Pulled out of the freezer they become a fast and easy meal. 😋
Costco rotisserie chicken - I hadn’t thoght of that. Thank you. That’s an easy one. And then the carcas for chicken broth. Oh, who am I kidding? I haven’t made homemade chicken broth since Mr. J was diagnosed.
I’ve never been able to prepare elaborate dinners 😆I love the sound of yours.
For the first two years of complete disability by illness I ate:
Porridge for breakfast
Hummus, avacado and a plate full of veg everyday for lunch
Chicken and rice dish most evenings
Lentil soup in recovery from every migraine attack.
I didn’t know it at the time, but eating the same meals every day was a good trick for improving my gut health.
As well as the entire thing designed around reducing inflammation in my body.
I can’t leave this comment without sharing my love for poached eggs, avacado on sour dough 😋
Your lunch looks like a “no effort meal.” Avacado on sourdough is, indeed, delicious!
I'm dying!!! We call that “Mess.” !!!!! We are such foodies that I cant let it go. But some days I just want to give him a bowl of cereal and call it night! (but I dont--not yet anyway!!)
These all sound wonderful.
Go to easy dinners often are the most pleasurable because of the yumminess factor + short prep time.
Last night was scalloped potatoes and smoked ham. Wash up some bakers, leave skin on, slice into rounds. Stand them in a 9x 13 baking dish ( as if they were just sliced) Slice onion, I like the Maya sweet. Insert some onion between every few potato slices, slice ham into bits about the same size as a potato slice, and alternate them between onion and potato slices, nothing need be perfect. Just spread them out so everything gets all three flavors. In the middle of the two rows I stick all the odd bits of potato and slices etc.
make a quick bechmel, while oven heats up (butter, flour, heavy cream, a spritz of nutmeg, salt and pepper) cook until slightly thicker. Pour over potato and ham onion slices. Dab with a few small bits of butter.
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 for an hour, uncover and cook about another 20-30 min til potatoes are done. Serve with a hefty blop of Dijon mustard. Yumm heats up well next day.
This sounds delicious. Thank you.
Dave is picky and hasn’t been eating well, so tater tots or chicken nuggets in the air fryer, with spears of red bell pepper for him most of the time. Mini ice cream bars for dessert. Other options are tacos from door dash with chips and salsa for him. I try to prep a soup or curry on the weekend and eat it with leftovers from the occasional Kevin’s meal. I used to like to cook but there isn’t time anymore as his disease has progressed 🥰
I really find it amazing the things that we lose. Thanks for the restack.
Marks and Spencer Food Hall has become a staple source of throw-in-the-oven dishes throughout caring for my parents. I have to watch the salt content, chew-ability and spice..
I did manage to find an oriental market that sends Char siu bao in frozen packs for the freezer - boil a kettle, 20mins steamed, super easy and delicious. It's amazing what we can find online these days. Both my parents craved for childhood flavours/dishes. Thankfully, neither parent likes durian ;-)
Durian. Eurrrrrew🤢
@Victoria, I just got back from SE Asia, where Durian is plentiful. I couldn’t get over the amount of durian focused stores!
‘Tis the season, and it’s a delicacy - an expensive one now, I hear. Feasting on them as a family is a thing. Just not mine. ;-)
You do what you can. The mental load of figuring it all out is hard, much less the doing.
My go-to is the bag of frozen potatoes w/peppers from Trader Joe’s broiled with frozen meatballs or smoked sausage.
Also: a pork shoulder or beef roast in a crockpot with a jar of sliced peperoncinis, juice and all, shredded and served as tacos. Freeze the leftovers. You literally dump the jar and you’re good. I’ve even done it with a frozen roast because I forgot to thaw it overnight, and it still worked.
I love this!! I particularly love knowing I can do it from frozen. . . Thank you.
I’ve done something similar by also adding a packet of dry Uncle Dan’s ranch dressing and a dry packet of aujus, and a couple pats of butter. This is often called a “Mississippi Roast”. Can be done with beef or chicken too . Makes an amazing gravy if you boil and smash some potatoes. (No need to even whip them)
When Mike was still living at home with me, we had frozen chicken tenders (baked or air fried) on top of a bagged salad kit at least once a week. Sometimes twice. Or canned black beans on top of a Mexican salad kit. Sandwiches of some sort, plus a side salad, were also in high rotation. I used to love cooking, but I couldn't take my attention away from him long enough to focus on making a complicated meal.
Since Mike transitioned to memory care, I've had a really hard time making myself eat ANY actual meals, rather than acting like my kitchen is one giant charcuterie board. I'm trying out a new meal kit delivery service this week to see if that will help get me back in the habit of eating a proper dinner, at least.
I forgot about bagged salads. Thank you. Great idea. I used a meal service for about 8 months after Mr. J was diagnosed. It kept the meals more balanced. I hope it works for you. It’s so hard some days.
Loved this, Anne. It took me more than a year too, and I also love to cook. I too miss my sous chef. My go-to simple meals are eggs any style, canned salmon made into a salad, rotisserie chicken (Costco of course) as the starting point for any number of dishes, stir fry pasta toss (shallots, zucchini, asparagus, cherry tomatoes fried up in olive oil with salt, then some of that Costco chicken, a handful of arugula, fresh basil, parmesan all tossed into pasta), frozen pierogies. I make lots of different home made soups and freeze in small batches, and curry beef buns. Pulled out of the freezer they become a fast and easy meal. 😋
Costco rotisserie chicken - I hadn’t thoght of that. Thank you. That’s an easy one. And then the carcas for chicken broth. Oh, who am I kidding? I haven’t made homemade chicken broth since Mr. J was diagnosed.
My "go to" dinners include: tuna melts, omelets, quesadillas, flat breads with veggies.
Flat breads with veggies - that sounds delicious. I will explore that further. Thank you.