Avoid ‘unhappy meals’ when illness strikes

photo by synaptic happenings
In a past column, I talked about taking care of yourself when you’re sick. Several readers reached out and said their homes fell apart whenever they were sick. Apparently, taking that much-needed break would result in more work for them to face than if they forced themselves to press on and cook.

I know cooking from scratch can be impossible when you’re sick. Once-a-month cooking works well as a plan for some people, but for others, it’s simply too much work. Not everyone has the forethought or an entire day to dedicate to a cooking marathon. Slow-cooker preparation can work out great, but it’s not a solution for most families for a week straight or longer. It becomes challenging not to rely on costly and unhealthy takeout.

It seems the solution is for someone else to help out. Ahem. But I truly do know that’s often easier said than done. Some of us can’t rely on our partner’s chili, spaghetti, eggs, expensive grocery-shopping adventures or takeout for long. They try, right? So for those people who need to prepare for when they’re sick, let’s plan ahead so everything doesn’t fall apart. And let’s plan it so it’s easy enough so others can (read: should) help without being asked.

DOUBLE IT: Planovers are meals that you cook once and get at least two meals from one session of effort. Think of it as a waste-not, want-not kitchen. Baked chicken one night can become fajitas the next night. You (or they) can either cook every other night or cook one and freeze one for future use. It takes less effort than cooking daily.

BUSY BOOK: Write down all the recipes and ingredients for easy meals that you make. Instead of asking for help, point in the general direction of the book and mumble how it’s all written down for them. Group ingredients together or bag/tag them in your pantry if you have to.

FREEZE AHEAD: This is similar to planovers, but you cook and freeze main components for a meal. Cook a chicken and shred it, fry ground beef, bake a ham and slice or dice it, etc., and pop it in the freezer. Chop and freeze veggies such as onions and peppers, too. As you’re suffering through fever and chills, you can say, “It’s all right there. Just add potatoes, rice or noodles!” Then shut the door and rest.

MAKE A MIX: Mix up the dry ingredients for soup, stew, pizza dough, pancakes or rice mixes. Place them in mason jars or zip-enclosure baggies, and stash them in the pantry. These are great because you can simply hand it to your family as you head toward the couch to lie down. Ignore the surprised looks on their faces. Listen to some soft music to drown out all the questions, such as “Where are the measuring cups?” and “How do I preheat the oven?”

SHOP AHEAD: Maintain a well-stocked pantry so no one goes shopping when you’re sick and overspends. Everything they need will be available, and there won’t be any excuses for costly, unhealthy takeout foods.
Get well soon.

Posted by Sara Noel on October 31 2008. Filed under Frugal Cooking.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook