How do you manage to cook a meal with a baby

[lola88]

I can not cook as in i've never tried much my mum had to teach me how to boil an egg for DS a few weeks ago, i've never bothered and happily lived on chips pre DS.

Now i'm trying to change my life style so DS grows up with a healthy life style we eat well at breakfast and lunch but i seriously can not get the hang of cooking dinner unless DP is home to play with DS. It takes me about an hour to cook either of my 2 dishes i've mastered (cottage pie and potato bake) if i wait for DP to come home and shower dinner then isn't ready until 6-6.30 DS goes to bed at 6.30 -7 so misses out on dinner with us.

Please tell me how to cook and manage the baby and stop the kitchen ending up a bombsite! Still getting the hand of this domestic goddess thing i would love for DP to come home to a nice meal instead of a crazy lady chucking the baby at him while shouting about stuff burning!

Ohh just remembered - try and double up stuff so you get 2 meals from any effort. You get more practiced at this as you get used to it. So

Meal for night one - chop some veggies to roast such as onions, peppers, courgettes, tomatoes, mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper. Some balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar is also nice. Roast at bout 160/180 for about 45 mins - until beginning to slightly char. These can be served with some roasted/grilled chicken breasts, or anything really. But make sure you roast twice as much as you need. So serve half with meal 1

Meal for night 2. Grab the rest of the ready roasted veggies. Shove back into a roasting tin Add some tinned tomatoes and some basil. Shove back in the oven (similar temp) and leave for about 25 mins. Put some dried pasta on. Add some chunks of cheese to the top of the tomato/roasted veg mix and put back in the oven. When pasta done get the roasting tin out and mix everything together. Yummy. (If you want to have a smoother sauce you can whizz with a blender - or whizz half and leave half as chunky. You can also add some pepperoni or tinned tuna/ham if you want.

Anyway - shall stop waffling. Main thing - try and prepare ahead/double up whenever you can

And enjoy!

I think an oven would be better, or at least a hob. Babies just don't get warm ehough IMHO.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Glad you are getting going with the cooking.