I've listened to Xenia. How do I outsource cooking? Could I find someone to do this:

[PeachesMcLean]

I work full time and hate the fact that DS is collected by a childminder, from whom I collect him at 5.30, then by the time we've got home and I've cooked tea, it's 7pm and he's too tired to do much and goes to bed at 8pm.

So, taking Xenia's advice to outsource everything you don't like doing, could I find someone to cook supper for us each night?

And perhaps even to collect him from school? Cos then he could do various after school activities as well. To be fair, CM is good because DS gets to play with other children there. And she is quite nice as well....

Am I mad? And how much would you expect to pay for someone to cook a simple but healthy family meal each evening???

We will have a mn cookbook and it will feature many of Moondogs recipes

moondog, could you give us some ideas for quick fish recipes please? Something that can be chucked into the oven ideally.

OK, I'll start a new thread (feeling we're in the wrong place here!)

1.) Steamed salmon
Buy a big piece (750 g).Cut into portions. Place in bamboo steamer over simmering water.Done in 15 mins. Have with salads.

2.) Smoked salmon,creme fraiche and pasta with capers.
Cook pasta.In the meantime cut smoked salmon into strips and fold into pot of creme fraiche with a slug of olive oil and some capers. Fold into drained pasta. Chopped fresh dill good too instead of capers

3.) Sardines
Buy fresh. I gut my own but accept it's not everyone's idea of fun. Put them in the oven (no accompaniment needed0They're done in 15 mins. Serve with tomato and basil salad and hot bread.

4.)Baked white fish
750 g of something like cod or haddock. Slice tomatoes and courgettes very finely, Place in bottom of an oven proof dish with a glug of olive oil and maybe some time. Slices/chunks of fish on top and then cover with more veg. Cook for 20 mins or so

5.) Frozen prawns (uncooked pref.)
Fry onions,garlic and ginger. Add few tablespoons of good Thai curry paste. Add the prawns (500g) Add 500g of topped and tailed green beans and/or a tin of babu sweetcorn. Add a tin of coconut milk.
Ready in 20 mins.

That do y'all???

thyme

Oh dear, I'm advised it's already been done

see Carmenere's link

I should have done my research first, see. There's already a competitor in the market place.

Message withdrawn

you need organising my dear

I only work 3 days and it is a pain in th arse on those days, I get in at 5pm and hit the ground running

on those 3 days, my girls eat at 5.30ish and we eat later

they have the following on rotation:

pasta with tom sauce one day
chicken nuggets with potatoes and veg
houmous, pitta and veggies

rest of the time we all eat together

can you not have 'easy' meals one day - like pitta etc, wraps, pasta with tom sauce and garlic bread etc

then M&S cook one night

sandwich type picnic tea one night

then at weekend do a huge pot of something to use in the week reheated

we do chilli and spag bog on rotation

I really really really do not like my children in the kitchen when I am tired after work tbh so them 'helping' would not be helping, it would be torture

DarthVadar, the M&S Cook Range cannot do the schoolrun or light housework though!

If you want super quick ideas for dinner

Buy a pack of stir-fry veg and some fresh noodles (M&S do a good size pack for 99p, veg expensive though).

Finely slice half an onion, crush 1 clove of garlic and finely chop a 5p piece of fresh ginger. Cook all these in a hot oil, add veg, some soya sauce, add noodles and a drop or 2 of of sesame oil. Stir fry for few mins and serve. (you can do it with sliced chicken breast, pork or beef - but add them after the onion/garlic/ginger).

Takes 15 mins or so.

I got a great book called Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely. It plans the meals out for you, 6 meals a week, gives you a shopping list and everything. Very American but most of the dinners have been a big success in our house. Also very healthy because you are given a long list of healthy veg to eat with your meals. The ds's now love butternut squash and sweet potatoes and we've had to resort far less to tasteless frozen stuff.