Tips to get you through preparing family meals

Davis

Full Member
Help, I find preparing my families meals incredibly difficult.

How do you not taste the food to check spices etc?
How can I stop myself nibbling on my toddlers leftovers?
What distractions can I employ when we all sit down for a meal?
I dont want to stop interacting with my family at meal times as I feel its important for my DS but the temptations killing me. And besides Im the cook!

Please I cant be the only one suffering at this point each day, what tips can you give me to get through this each night?
 
Hi didnt want to read & run - i'm just about to get my kiddies up for their nap so will come back & answer in a wee while. I have a one & a half year old and a two & a half year old so am finding myself in the same situation x
 
Believe me chick you not the only one, ive just posted another thread about me lol, im ok when everyone is eating cos ill just go have a nice long soak its when im actually cooking the meal that i pick at it, the first week id have a tetra as i was making it, which helped a bit, maybe i should go back to what i did at the beginning
 
I make things my husband and kids like but i really dislike - not always but a lot of the time.
I can't stomach fish or seafood, so they've had lots of mussels, smoked cod, fishfingers etc

I have on occassion asked my husband to check if something tastes right.

Other than that I normally make things I've made lots of times before so don't really need to check seasoning.
x
 
Hi back again!

For checking the seasoning i'm doing the same as Heffa, making things i'm pretty sure of how much spices etc i normally use. I've also been making food that doesnt really need any seasoning - plain chicken with steamed veg, that sort of thing.

I've taken to keeping some ironing back for evening meal time and i do that while i making dinner.

When it comes to them actually having their dinner i'm struggling a bit - posted about it yesterday. My two need a lot of encouragement at dinnertime and i've found myself not able to do that like i normally would. Instead i'm getting narky at them because they wont try something. Its not good but i'm working on changing that (and yesterday was better than previous days). However i wont stop sitting down with them for their evening meal as i feel its much more important that they at least see me at the table instead of hidden away.

All leftovers go straight in the bin now, no hanging about. Crusts from the toast, uneaten chips, little pieces of fruit, i just whisk them away & get rid of them asap (whilst hearing my mum in my head saying "Bin waste is better than your own waist" lol)

Hope some of this helps & i look forward to hearing others suggestions
 
Like the other's, I cook things that I know I don't have to check the seasoning on, or I get my son to taste it and then re season according to his taste. At meal times, I generally have a bar, or a soup, so it feels like I'm having something when he does. Or I get out my cross stitch and start sewing, takes my mind off food and keeps my hands occupied
 
I too go by instinct when cooking and ask my husband to try things before I put them on the table.

To stop myself licking spoons I am using my imagination and in my mind put something nasty on every spoon (I mean REALLY nasty) and I made an agreement with myself that for every lick I need to do one sit up and for everything I put into my mouth and eat I have to do 10. So far, so good................
 
Odette - I might try the exercise thing, the thought of exercise can usually stop me doing anything :D

Heffa - I cant think of a food I do not like! I'll eat it all, offal, seafood you name it! And then DH has asked for me to make Spag Bog for him and cottage pie etc! But tonight he gets bangers and mash with store bought mash so I dont need to taste any of it so thats a great idea

Karen - like you I have to feed my toddler. Its an incredibly slow and painful process. Ive been bad today and just given him a bowl of spaghetti hoops in front of the TV so I didnt have to cook or feed him. But I cant do that every night!

Saralett - yep the bath sounds good! But I dont want to waste my shake by drinking it when I cook, it needs to be a long and drawn out process for me so that its is significant!

Oh dear what can I do, this is really gonna call for some will power!
 
LOL Heffa. My family are sick of the sight of fish. I too hate the stuff. I do make a soup at tea-time and eat it out of a bowl at the table with the family. This helps me
 
I chew mint chewing gum while preparing the family meal. Stops me from nibbling!:D
Another thing that was suggested to me is a bit of Vicks under your nose so you are getting a menthol smell rather than the tempting smell of things cooking!
 
I would brush your teeth before preparing meals so you don't want to spoil the minty freshness of your mouth...or have a glass of water/black coffee or tea by your side to sip.
It isn't easy...but the results are sooooooo worth it.
 
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