How can you provide good meals when your busy week means that you are never home to eat, let alone to prepare meals. With kids involved skipping meals is not an option, and the cost of fast food meals would add up quickly.
I’ve had to face this situation during the past two weeks. My ten-year-old son is in a big musical production. His rehearsals have been starting after school and going to seven or eight o’clock at night. With the last few rehearsals before opening night (the musical opens this Thursday evening), there are costumes and make up before run throughs, leaving him little time to eat other than during the ride from school to the theater or during quick breaks.
So, needless to say, I have been experimenting a little bit with quick and yet frugal meals. The meals need to be easy to eat, and they have to stay warm for hours. One of the best investments that we made was in a good quality wide mouthed thermos that came with its own built in spoon. We purchased a short one, since I only needed to have meals for one person (I just made due until I got home). With this thermos, I have been able to provide several good and hot meals that are also frugal, too.
I’ve made macaroni and cheese in the crockpot (where it gets nice and hot) and served it with some homemade bread wrapped in a clean dish towel to stay warm. Another quick choice was a variety of soup, again served with bread or crackers. Broth-based soup stays warm the longest, but cream soups are good as well. Another fun meal that my son liked was hot dogs. You can simply add the hot dogs to hot water, and they will “cook” in the thermos until they are needed. I packed short rolls instead of hot dog buns for more substance, along with a couple of packets of ketchup left over from a take out meal.
Any ideas for some new thermos meals? Add your suggestions.
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