Need advice to curb take out

**Jeanna** · 02-06-2009, 06:36 PM

I will suggest like some others crock pot meals. The good thing is on Sunday you can "put together' some meals for the week. What I mean by that is pick the recipe and then get the meat, veggies, together in a bag. Then tape any spices you will need to the outside and add instructions if you need it. Then stop for about 5 minutes in the morning and put it in the crock and set it to cook on low and most of dinner is done when you get home. Also in the spice section of the grocery store there are packs of different meals, such as one dish chicken and mushroom. you can buy these and put together the kit just like for the crock pot. Then when you get home you can put it together in about 5-10 minutes and stick it in the over.
Hope these ideas help some.

**forHISglory** · 02-06-2009, 06:44 PM

Quite honestly, I've never had take-out food,unless you count getting dollar burgers at the drive thru. I'm not really sure how it works and what you can get. The ideas that I've read here sound pretty tasty and easy enough to do, so I would just encourage you to try them.

There have been times that we were exhausted after working, and we just opened up some soup and made sandwiches. It wasn't bad for those times that we were bone tired.

**Spirit Deer** · 02-06-2009, 08:10 PM

Bisquick! You can do so much with it, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, desserts, main dishes, sandwiches, all kinds of things. Check out the Bisquick website for ideas. A lot of Bisquick recipes are fast and easy. We're especially fond of Impossibly Easy Pies. Those have a ton of variations and mix up in a flash.

I brown up five pounds of hamburger at a time and freeze it in meal-sized containers to save time, plus then I have the mess once instead of several times. I often mix it half and half with 98% lean ground turkey so it's healthier. And I put in several chopped onions and sometimes celery and carrots, too. The celery and carrots don't really add too much flavor but help sneak in some extra veggies.

Lasagna freezes very well. Add a small side salad and some garlic bread and you're done.

Mix some frozen meatballs with a can of tomato sauce and some Italian seasoning, microwave till hot, and serve on buns or rolls. Add a salad, and Bob's your uncle, it's supper!

Use pita breads to make single-serve pizzas. Spread each with tomato sauce, sprinkle on Italian seasoning, add mozzarella cheese, and let everyone add their own toppings. Bake a few minutes and serve. You can do the same with tortillas for a crust, too.

Quesadillas are as easy as grilled cheese. Oh, wait, they ARE grilled cheese! Sprinkle shredded cheese on a tortilla, add other toppings as desired or just use the cheese. Top with another tortilla. Microwave a minute or so till cheese melts, or grill in a frying pan, carefully flipping to cook on both sides. Top with taco toppings if desired, or add a side salad, coleslaw, or other veggie side. These can be tailored easily for individual taste, too.

**rainbowgc** · 02-07-2009, 03:40 PM

I think you just have to really adjust your attitude to no more eating out which is a huge hurtle to overcome. Having said that, cooking from scratch is cheapest, then frozen dinners and boxed mixes. Sharing the cooking with a schedule and menu also helps.

**fixer** · 02-07-2009, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by rainbowgc

I think you just have to really adjust your attitude to no more eating out which is a huge hurtle to overcome. Having said that, cooking from scratch is cheapest, then frozen dinners and boxed mixes. Sharing the cooking with a schedule and menu also helps.

I agree it's attitude and just getting into the habit of cooking each night. The only time we consider eating out is for lunch when we are away from home. Once you reach the point that you automatically fix dinner, it becomes just another thing you do each day. There are great ideas here that will taste good for your family, be healthier and not as hard as one may think. I have gotten to the point of not liking to each food from a restaurant. All I can think of is how much money we could save by making it ourselves.

**Siebrie** · 02-09-2009, 09:27 AM

Maybe you can ask dh and the kids to help peeling/washing/cutting and make it a family event? We always try to make double portions and we'll eat the other half the next day with a different side dish or as a side dish instead of the main dish. We both do not mind eating the same dish on two consecutive days. It's food, right? Sometimes it's sooperdooper fantastic and you have to count your fingers afterwards, sometimes it's just to feed you.

**Trishagirl** · 02-09-2009, 09:42 AM

I would make a casserole ahead and put it in the freezer or fridge so dh can just put it in the oven. Using the CP is another great idea.

**nancycg56** · 02-09-2009, 10:04 AM

Maybe doing some OAMC would help?

Here is a link to main dish OAMC recipes on Recipezaar: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?categ=285%2C89

Here is a link to clone recipes of things we use all the time like bisquick, etc.,: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?q[]=clone&q[]=clones&ls=re&Searchr=

You can also search recipezaar using the names of your favorite fast food restaurants and see what recipes are there.

**MoonMommy** · 02-09-2009, 02:15 PM

Baby steps. If you are currently getting takeout say 5 times a week, work at getting that down to 3 nights a week for a few weeks, then to only 1 night a week and then to maybe once a month.

When I first started, I used my crockpot a lot.

If you like mexican, an easy one is to put chicken pieces (whatever you like...bone in or out) in the crock, sprinkle taco seasoning on top of it, then pour some salsa on top of it. Bake on low for 4 hours at least (if you are going to be away from it for a lot longer, I would use more salsa or add some water with it). When it is done, you can either eat it like that, or you can remove the chicken, then put in either cream cheese or sour cream and some shredded cheese. Let it melt into a sauce of sorts while mixing it with the juices left over. I serve it over plain rice.

Another thing I do is to find something that we like and buy them in bulk...like frozen veggie burgers or turkey burgers. Then, it is easy to just make them up.

You can do it. Just remember...small steps.

**Wendy99** · 02-14-2009, 10:58 PM

Thank you so much for your ideas

so far so good, we have not had take out in 1 week and 1 day

... thats a big step for us as lately we were getting pretty bad. I went to cooks.com and found recipes for chicken balls and sweet and sour sauce both from scratch which really helped curb the chinese take out .. pizza we make from scratch (using the recipe from tightwad gazette) ... thinking ahead and getting in the mindset is a huge thing ...