Comments on: 10 Time-Saving food tips for parents (and just about everybody else) http://stayingvegan.com/2010/05/10-time-saving-food-tips-for-parents-and-just-about-everybody-else/ Tips and tricks for the rest of your life Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:24:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: treaclemine http://stayingvegan.com/2010/05/10-time-saving-food-tips-for-parents-and-just-about-everybody-else/comment-page-1/#comment-667 treaclemine Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:01:05 +0000 http://stayingvegan.com/?p=1052305462#comment-667 Sprouts! Always have some mung beans sprouting in the sprouter ... use the rinsing water to water your house/tub plants :-) Sprouts! Always have some mung beans sprouting in the sprouter … use the rinsing water to water your house/tub plants :-)

]]> By: Tikka Smiley http://stayingvegan.com/2010/05/10-time-saving-food-tips-for-parents-and-just-about-everybody-else/comment-page-1/#comment-590 Tikka Smiley Sat, 15 May 2010 13:24:00 +0000 http://stayingvegan.com/?p=1052305462#comment-590 The greatest meal-prep saver for me is undoubtably my slow-cooker. With a 2 1/2 year old running around and a 7 month old baby playing in her excersaucer, I need only 5 minutes to open up a can of coconut milk, a box of veggie stock, 1 cup of uncooked rice brown and a heaping spoonful of thai curry powder and turn my slow cooker on low for 8 hours. When I have a minute or 2 a few hours later, I'll stir in some chopped veggies (usually defrosted frozen ones - I rarely have time to chop veg with a big knife...) and either a can of chickpeas or sliced tofu. And the slow cooker keeps my scrumptious curry hot and ready for my whole family and our staggered eating schedules. I'm also a huge fan of baby wearing and co-sleeping. In fact, I slept in an upright position with my daughters in my Cuddly Wrap for the first 4 months of each of their lives. My older duaghter was born 7 weeks premature, so I did everything I could to simulate being in my womb by wearing her almost 24 hours a day - I could even tap dance with her on! The intimacy of baby-wearing is incomparable and I loved the security of knowing exactly how my babies were doing at any time. I wish you many joyous times with your little-one-to-be! The greatest meal-prep saver for me is undoubtably my slow-cooker. With a 2 1/2 year old running around and a 7 month old baby playing in her excersaucer, I need only 5 minutes to open up a can of coconut milk, a box of veggie stock, 1 cup of uncooked rice brown and a heaping spoonful of thai curry powder and turn my slow cooker on low for 8 hours. When I have a minute or 2 a few hours later, I’ll stir in some chopped veggies (usually defrosted frozen ones – I rarely have time to chop veg with a big knife…) and either a can of chickpeas or sliced tofu. And the slow cooker keeps my scrumptious curry hot and ready for my whole family and our staggered eating schedules.
I’m also a huge fan of baby wearing and co-sleeping. In fact, I slept in an upright position with my daughters in my Cuddly Wrap for the first 4 months of each of their lives. My older duaghter was born 7 weeks premature, so I did everything I could to simulate being in my womb by wearing her almost 24 hours a day – I could even tap dance with her on! The intimacy of baby-wearing is incomparable and I loved the security of knowing exactly how my babies were doing at any time.
I wish you many joyous times with your little-one-to-be!

]]> By: Lisa http://stayingvegan.com/2010/05/10-time-saving-food-tips-for-parents-and-just-about-everybody-else/comment-page-1/#comment-584 Lisa Thu, 13 May 2010 07:25:01 +0000 http://stayingvegan.com/?p=1052305462#comment-584 I completely agree with Erin! I was a single parent with my baby, and that was definitely the only way of doing things! On the freezer front, I think the idea of making vats of versatile, nutrient dense meal components during the week for use in several entirely different meals, and then stocking the freezer with 1/2 of it is very useful. I've always got hidden vegetable tomato sauce (some of it in tiny pots for instant toddler meals), nut roast made with seeds and veg (great for burgers, sandwiches, trad english meals or just to munch:), chickpeas for hummous and cooking, beans, savoury and sweet scones (great toddler snacks) and pesto blobs with nutritional yeast, miso, sunflower seeds and herbs. They're time saving because you can use them in so many different ways to create almost instant dinners, or just to perk up boring knocked together meals and add valuable nutrients (a dollop of pesto will perk most things up!) Sling wise, front carriers are great until they start getting a little more active with their hands! Mine was making biscuits with me when she was a few months old. They're absolutely wonderful. And co-sleeping doesn't work for everyone, my daughter doesn't like the stimulation of having someone next to her, it actually keeps her awake (this took me months and months to understand, and our sleep problems were resolved overnight!) They're all different! :0) I completely agree with Erin! I was a single parent with my baby, and that was definitely the only way of doing things!
On the freezer front, I think the idea of making vats of versatile, nutrient dense meal components during the week for use in several entirely different meals, and then stocking the freezer with 1/2 of it is very useful.
I’ve always got hidden vegetable tomato sauce (some of it in tiny pots for instant toddler meals), nut roast made with seeds and veg (great for burgers, sandwiches, trad english meals or just to munch:), chickpeas for hummous and cooking, beans, savoury and sweet scones (great toddler snacks) and pesto blobs with nutritional yeast, miso, sunflower seeds and herbs.
They’re time saving because you can use them in so many different ways to create almost instant dinners, or just to perk up boring knocked together meals and add valuable nutrients (a dollop of pesto will perk most things up!)

Sling wise, front carriers are great until they start getting a little more active with their hands! Mine was making biscuits with me when she was a few months old. They’re absolutely wonderful.

And co-sleeping doesn’t work for everyone, my daughter doesn’t like the stimulation of having someone next to her, it actually keeps her awake (this took me months and months to understand, and our sleep problems were resolved overnight!) They’re all different! :0)

]]> By: Jason http://stayingvegan.com/2010/05/10-time-saving-food-tips-for-parents-and-just-about-everybody-else/comment-page-1/#comment-583 Jason Wed, 12 May 2010 16:47:07 +0000 http://stayingvegan.com/?p=1052305462#comment-583 Thanks Erin, it's never too late! :) It's actually even more helpful to have this stuff validated after it's posted with real-world feedback! Thanks Erin, it’s never too late! :) It’s actually even more helpful to have this stuff validated after it’s posted with real-world feedback!

]]> By: Erin http://stayingvegan.com/2010/05/10-time-saving-food-tips-for-parents-and-just-about-everybody-else/comment-page-1/#comment-582 Erin Wed, 12 May 2010 16:39:41 +0000 http://stayingvegan.com/?p=1052305462#comment-582 Darn it! I wrote an email with many of these tips and then saved it as a draft and never sent it. That's the life of a mom. My biggest tips were mentioned here: making food in little stages and one pot wonders. The stages thing was essential when my daughter was younger (says the mom of a very grown up nine month old). She didn't nap for more than 15 minutes and nursed every 20 minutes or so when she was awake. One day my husband asked me how I ate, and I explained that every meal was just made in 5 minute incriments. I still made great things, just in easy steps. One a baby is older, you can wear her on your back for that pesky hot pan situation. My one pot wonder meal is just to take whatever bits of veggies I have left over from other meal (broccoli stems, half a zucchini from tofu scramble, two mushrooms, etc- literally scraps) and sautte them with a bit of oil and garic and ideally a Field Roast Sausage because I love it, then mix it brown rice and let it coat with oil before covering with water (I don't even measure, just make sure the rice is covered with some extra to spare) and cover the pot and set it to medium low for about 40 minutes. When it's done, I stir in some nutritional yeast and a fresh tomato if I have it. Yummy and easy. It also works with veggies I have frozen. Freezing is so great, I just have to agree with that. Co-sleeping is the only way I got any sleep, and honestly I slept very well for the first few months. At 6 months, my daughter let me know she was ready to sleep on her own, and now I can't get her to take a nap with me. Those were the good old days. Darn it! I wrote an email with many of these tips and then saved it as a draft and never sent it. That’s the life of a mom.
My biggest tips were mentioned here: making food in little stages and one pot wonders. The stages thing was essential when my daughter was younger (says the mom of a very grown up nine month old). She didn’t nap for more than 15 minutes and nursed every 20 minutes or so when she was awake. One day my husband asked me how I ate, and I explained that every meal was just made in 5 minute incriments. I still made great things, just in easy steps. One a baby is older, you can wear her on your back for that pesky hot pan situation.
My one pot wonder meal is just to take whatever bits of veggies I have left over from other meal (broccoli stems, half a zucchini from tofu scramble, two mushrooms, etc- literally scraps) and sautte them with a bit of oil and garic and ideally a Field Roast Sausage because I love it, then mix it brown rice and let it coat with oil before covering with water (I don’t even measure, just make sure the rice is covered with some extra to spare) and cover the pot and set it to medium low for about 40 minutes. When it’s done, I stir in some nutritional yeast and a fresh tomato if I have it. Yummy and easy. It also works with veggies I have frozen.
Freezing is so great, I just have to agree with that.

Co-sleeping is the only way I got any sleep, and honestly I slept very well for the first few months. At 6 months, my daughter let me know she was ready to sleep on her own, and now I can’t get her to take a nap with me. Those were the good old days.

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