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Original poster

Nanny has offered to cook for us in the evenings - how can I make this work?

31 replies

bossykate · 22/02/2007 12:40

We have a nanny helping out out a couple of evenings a week. She picks dd up from nursery, picks ds up from after school club, brings them home, makes supper, does baths, puts them to bed and tidies up. She is very good and we are lucky to have her.

She has recently offered to cook for dh & I on the evenings she is with us.

The children have separate meals from dh & I and both sets of evening meals are planned and shopped for in advance. There is a list of the week's meals up in the kitchen.

So far we have tried this cooking lark once - but it was clearly stressful for her to cook an unfamiliar recipe (from our list) and she offered to cook from one of her own recipes in future - but i am reluctant to deviate from my carefully constructed menu planning and shopping process - what it loses in spontaneity it gains in convenience!

Is it reasonable to ask her to cook what I have planned? Should I just let this idea go? Does anyone else have a nanny who cooks for the whole family and how does it work?

TIA

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prufrock · 23/02/2007 23:51

I never do my slow cooker stuff in the morning nowadays (have to say though that I don't bother sealing meat etc,) just put all ingredients into removable bowl the night before, store in the fridge overnight and put it in cooker/turn it on first thing in teh am - takes 1 minute - hell dh could probably even manage it

I do think you could probably re-engineer the current menu planning process to allow for input from an alternate source. Remember that even the most efficient processes can benefit form organic growth over time.

Original poster
bossykate · 23/02/2007 22:43

thank you for all these suggestions. sorry if i have committed the ultimate mnet sin and appeared to be more grateful for some suggestions and then seemed to ignore others... have appreciated every suggestion.

thanks all so much

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paros · 22/02/2007 21:19

Get a take away LOL

MrsSchadenfreude · 22/02/2007 21:09

Bossykate, yes, I chuck everything in on the lowest setting before I go to bed. If you don't want to seal the meat, you can chuck everything in cold in the morning, but it does taste better if you seal the meat, fry the onions, sweat the carrots etc. Then you can just do some extra veg/spuds with it before serving.

Ceolas · 22/02/2007 19:07

If it's just a couple of evenings a week, surely you can bewteen you come up with a few meals you and nanny are happy with that are quick to throw together?

I much prefer eating freshly cooked food. I'm also assuming that the meals you cook yourselves are fairly quick and hassle free.

I'm sure you can work it out if you sit down and talk to her

Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 18:50

hi st, we have been on all the same threads today! not even afternoons, it is just evenings really, which is restrictive in terms of what she could do by way of advance cooking.

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ScottishThistle · 22/02/2007 18:48

BossyKate, Does your Nanny only work afternoons then?

Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 18:43

see, imho, slow cookers are fantastic if you have spare time in the morning... but i don't. so would be very keen to see if there is a way we can use the slow cooker to help us with this.

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Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 18:34

soapbox, thank you for that suggestion - although i think i will have to create and walk through a worked example with a time series

mrschadenfreude, do you cook things in the slow cooker the night before and then leave them for c. 24hrs?

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MrsSchadenfreude · 22/02/2007 16:19

Soapbox - that's what I do, and it works very well. Or bung everything in the slow cooker the night before and we all eat it (slow cooker stews very good way to "hide" veg as well).

My Slovak au pair used to cook us some Slovak dishes sometimes - stuffed cabbage, heavy dumplings etc.

Soapbox · 22/02/2007 15:53

BK - why doesn't she get into the routine of cooking the meal for you and DH and then the children get it heated up the following day?

So day 1, she would cook chilli, roast chicken, soup etc on a timescale that it would be ready for you and DH when you get home, and then DS and DD get it warmed through the following evening.

That way the pre-dinner prep for the children is very quick (just warming things through) and she then has a bit longer to prepare the adults meal and what she will use for the following day.

The quid pro quo though is that you will need to do the same on the days she doesn't work so that there is a meal ready for the children just to be heated up!

What will DS actually eat - is there enough variety to cope with this idea and just add fresh cooked veg every day?

ScottishThistle · 22/02/2007 15:49

Sounds like you need to have a meeting & make a shortlist of things you all like & that are manageable for your Nanny to prepare.

Just a thought: Certain meals just aren't nice eaten 3 hours later...When Mummy's away I prepare more dinner so I can leave some for Daddy but sometimes I think 'Yuck, I wouldn't want to eat that later!'...Trial & error I guess.

Risotto works well, curry dishes, chilli, soup ( a fave of all in this house).

Bozza · 22/02/2007 15:49

The nanny could do the potatoes, ham and veg for the DC and also bung a chicken/potatoes/roast veg for you. I think you do need to sit down and discuss with the nanny how to make it work. Maybe one day, she will cook something that will be OK for all 4 of you, then one day cook seperately for the children and for you/DH.

Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 15:43

scottishthistle - it is a "hot button" issue for me - especially as i also have dd who is a wonderful eater and always has been and they have been weaned, fed and "trained" exactly the same way. believe me, ds has had no end of "encouragement" to eat more widely. thanks for your apology, i'm sorry i got all uptight .

thanks for these further replies. i think the issue here is less about the logistics of cooking and more about finding common ground for what the dcs and dh & I eat on weekdays.

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Millarkie · 22/02/2007 15:38

Does she work concurrent days? The way I do things is that I cook 'properly' for dh and me, taking longer than half an hour, after kids in bed...but then keep some for the kids to have 'warmed over' the next day.
Was thinking maybe she get the kids cooking with her after they've had their ham and veg , to make something for you and dh, then they get it for their tea the next night??

ScottishThistle · 22/02/2007 15:38

Sorry to have offended you re pandering, I've yet to come across a fuss pot supremo as I eat with the children & they alwys eat the same as me!

Is your nanny around in the day to pre-prepare food at all or at least have time to cut/slice veg etc?

Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 15:37

so who would bung it in the slow cooker?

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NurseyJo · 22/02/2007 15:37

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Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 15:36

thanks for the clarification .

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nannyj · 22/02/2007 15:32

Sorry was thinking she could set the timer for the oven.

Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 14:31

yes we do all like roast chicken - how could this be on the table in 30 mins?

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nannyj · 22/02/2007 14:29

Would she have the time to cook the sort of meals you like then in 30 mins? It'svery nice of her to offer so i can understand you wanting to find a way around it. One of my easy favourites is roast chicken and roast veg, would your dc fancy that? Very easy to prepare and then pop in the oven and forget for an hour and a half.

Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 14:08

i knew i would regret posting about food. it brings out the worst in people.

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Original poster
bossykate · 22/02/2007 14:07

pandering, eh?

i won't respond. do please post any helpful suggestions you may have.

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ScottishThistle · 22/02/2007 13:59

Should be esy enough to plan that Nanny makes soup one night & a pasta/noodles type dish another night?

Maybe it's time to encourage your child to eat more of the foods the family are eating rather than pandering to a fuss pot supremo?