Semi-Homemade Lazy Meals

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I'm not big on graham crackers either. On the rare occasions I make s'mores, I use saltines. I also tend to use nilla or chocolate wafers for crusts instead of GCs.

I tried 'Nilla Wafers for a cheesecake crust once. The flavor was good but I wasn't happy with the texture. I'll try it again but leave the cookies a little coarser.
 
I got a package of shredded hashbrowns on sale. I had some mushrooms that needed using, Tex-mex shredded cheese and onion. I fried it all up and served it with two eggs scrambled. It took all of 5 minutes, no prep and was delicious!
 
Are you retired and if so, for how long? I'll be working until I drop and will still be using mostly fresh ingredients until that happens.;):stuart:


Yes... I retired 15 years ago... Started to compromise with frozen fruits and veggies 3 or 4 years ago... Started changing ingredients to simplify dishes about then too..

I don't believe that the process of retiring has a lot to do with it.. Life changes, needs change... What I thought might be a ghastly change/error in a recipe, 5 or 10 years ago, makes me smile in my world of today.. I no longer to cook to impress myself or anyone else..

Was I a good cook?.. Yes, I was.. Do I still serve meals which my family and guests enjoy? Yes I do.. Do I spend the time and effort doing so as I once did? No, I don't and no longer feel a need to...

Life changes and I embrace those changes, where possible.. :yum:

Ross
 
Yes, being retired makes a definite difference. I still prepare three meals a day but they aren't as complex or time costly as they used to be.

I still keep some "starter" containers in the freezer that hold quantities of browned ground beef, onions and garlic. When I'm tired or time is squeezed I can take one of those containers out and add this and that and come up with a reasonable entree.

Most of my life I had to cook in quantity because I raised 8 children. My biggest adjustment was to scale down to cook for two. I'm still struggling with that but when I overdo it I can always freeze the leftovers.
 
My latest semi-homemade lazy meal is a packaged cup of dried tom yum soup (just add boiling water), to which I add some dried pad thai noodles, dried shiitakes, a little extra water for the noodles and shrooms, cubed leftover chicken, and when the broth is absorbed, top it off with Sambal Oelek (hot chili garlic sauce). And bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, lime, and scallions if on hand.

It's a cross between pad thai and tom yum. Without the fresh stuff, it's a great change of pace for backpacking food.
 
The Semi-homemade is a good idea, ruined by the stupid show. I tend to freeze my own fruit, meat, stock, etc. On a given day I can pull pesto and pasta, chicken salad, or a blt together based on items out of the freezer.
 
Lol, jenny. I hear ya!

I've got 13 to 15 years to go before retirement, hopefully.

But I've got big plans, I tells ya. Big plans. A peach tree, and apple tree, plum tree, fig tree, veggie garden, herb garden, apiary, aviary, chicken coop,...

>sigh>
 
Yes... I retired 15 years ago... Started to compromise with frozen fruits and veggies 3 or 4 years ago... Started changing ingredients to simplify dishes about then too..

I don't believe that the process of retiring has a lot to do with it.. Life changes, needs change... What I thought might be a ghastly change/error in a recipe, 5 or 10 years ago, makes me smile in my world of today.. I no longer to cook to impress myself or anyone else..

Was I a good cook?.. Yes, I was.. Do I still serve meals which my family and guests enjoy? Yes I do.. Do I spend the time and effort doing so as I once did? No, I don't and no longer feel a need to...

Life changes and I embrace those changes, where possible.. :yum:

Ross

I'm right here. I can't say that I was ever a great cook, just fairly competent. But I don't see any need to make something from scratch that someone else has already done part of the work for. Yeah, I'm lazy and not ashamed of it. I worked for a lot of years and since retiring, I prefer to do only as much as I want to, when I want to. :cool:
 
I can't remember if I posted this one before, but I like to take the Rice-a-Roni Fried Rice flavor and make that, adding chopped celery, toasted almonds, and diced shrimp to it. Sometimes I get daring and throw in some water chestnuts. Then I eat it with crispy Chinese noodles over the top.
 
I'm not big on graham crackers either. On the rare occasions I make s'mores, I use saltines. I also tend to use nilla or chocolate wafers for crusts instead of GCs.

"Nills Wafers make for a great crust for cheesecake. The let the taste of the cheesecake come through.

Eagle Brand has a recipe for a Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. It calls for an Oreo crust. Hard to tell which is better. The crust or the cheesecake itself.
 
Yes, being retired makes a definite difference. I still prepare three meals a day but they aren't as complex or time costly as they used to be.

I still keep some "starter" containers in the freezer that hold quantities of browned ground beef, onions and garlic. When I'm tired or time is squeezed I can take one of those containers out and add this and that and come up with a reasonable entree.

Most of my life I had to cook in quantity because I raised 8 children. My biggest adjustment was to scale down to cook for two. I'm still struggling with that but when I overdo it I can always freeze the leftovers.

Learning to cook down can be hard. When child number one left home, I still cooked and set the table for the whole family. But fortunately I had Spike. He cleaned up all the leftovers. Then he left home. Leftovers for the freezer for my lunch at work.

Today I am retired, not as active and eat a lot less than I used to. Just don't work up the appetite like I did ten or more years ago. Pirate and I usually cook for just ourselves unless he asks for one of his childhood dishes he loved. Like Mac and Cheese.
 
lol, jenny. I hear ya!

I've got 13 to 15 years to go before retirement, hopefully.

But i've got big plans, i tells ya. Big plans. A peach tree, and apple tree, plum tree, fig tree, veggie garden, herb garden, apiary, aviary, chicken coop,...

>sigh>


?????
 
Now that I chief cook and bottle washer for The Elders, I am not cooking like I used to cook. I am limited by dietary restrictions and my father's "food rut." He doesn't like this, doesn't like that. I focus on the things that Mom can eat by herself. Dad could eat spaghetti three times a week. Mom can't handle tomato-based dishes. If my Dad is in one of his funks, I will make spaghetti for him, burger for Mom. Since I eat my big meal in the morning, I often have fresh fruit or yogurt for supper. I tend to cook from scratch, but my Dad will take cream of chicken soup and add wild rice to it or canned minestrone soup and some of the spaghetti sauce. Soup is another thing that is hard for Mom to eat. I feel as if I'm working the line at times.
 
Now that I chief cook and bottle washer for The Elders, I am not cooking like I used to cook. I am limited by dietary restrictions and my father's "food rut." He doesn't like this, doesn't like that. I focus on the things that Mom can eat by herself. Dad could eat spaghetti three times a week. Mom can't handle tomato-based dishes. If my Dad is in one of his funks, I will make spaghetti for him, burger for Mom. Since I eat my big meal in the morning, I often have fresh fruit or yogurt for supper. I tend to cook from scratch, but my Dad will take cream of chicken soup and add wild rice to it or canned minestrone soup and some of the spaghetti sauce. Soup is another thing that is hard for Mom to eat. I feel as if I'm working the line at times.
I dread cooking for my parents. My mom is a vegetarian and my dad has lots of restrictions although he is the healthiest eater of the two!
 
I'm right here. I can't say that I was ever a great cook, just fairly competent. But I don't see any need to make something from scratch that someone else has already done part of the work for. Yeah, I'm lazy and not ashamed of it. I worked for a lot of years and since retiring, I prefer to do only as much as I want to, when I want to. :cool:

Yup, the dishes will still be there tomorrow.
 
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