Weekend Meals

[5ft Diva]

I really don't like to cook big meals on the weekends (Fri/Sat/Sun). I count that as my down time so.....I was wondering:

1) Am I the only one that feels this way?

2) Do you cook lighter/easier meals on the weekend?

4) Do you have a tradition you do on the weekend as far as food goes?

3) What do you cook? (I would love ideas.)

[bookworm]

OH, gosh do I understand how you feel! I have stopped cooking big meals on Sundays. We usually have leftovers or sandwiches or something very easy to throw together- or crockpot stew mmm....

I burn out by Friday, but usually on Saturday I cook, since that's generally a day we're home most of the day, since DH works that day. Also, that usually provides good leftovers for the following day. Fridays used to be pizza days, but my family is too big now and it's too expensive to do very often, so it's just another day. I make my menu a whole month at a time now, and I have to make sure and keep certain days simple, like Wednesdays (we drive to Grantsville for piano that day and I really don't feel like cooking when we get home) and Sundays.

I'll be interested if anyone has any good easy-dinner ideas. The best we've got are crockpot meals, frozen raviolis with canned spaghetti sauce, and leftovers! I could use some new ideas!

[5ft Diva]

We do a lot of crock potting as well. I know we have done grilled cheese and soup for an easy dinner (I'm sure Dia is just dying right now at all the fat content in that meal!) and a lot of bbq-ing in the summer on the weekends - especially on Sundays! Easy clean up! I am also getting tired of the same old stuff so would love to hear some ideas. Thanks for responding, BW. You gave me some ideas that I hadn't thought of.

[Dia Minha]

Diva you are too funny. Actually it wouldn't be that bad. Cheese is good for you in moderation. And if your making your sandwich on whole grain bread and eating it with veggie soup, it is actually a very good meal.

I don't really cook anything that takes a long time. If I'm going to get dinner on the table it has to be fast and easy. We do a lot of salads; taco salad, chef salad, chicken salad. Even when doing enchiladas I make it faster and easier by making a layered casserole instead of wrapping each individual tortilla. In fact, since I've cut back on bread items, I use a layer of polenta then cover it with chicken and enchilada sauce sprinkled with a little cheese. Yum, yum, very quick and healthier too.

The one thing I make ever so often that takes a lot of time is potatoe pancakes. The potatoes need to be peeled and grated and then each pancake cooked individually. To feed the entire family it takes hours. I did recently cut the time on this dish by smoothing the potatoe, zuchinni and egg mixture on a cookie sheet. My family will eat two big sheets of potato pancakes.

So I guess to go back to the original question, I don't cook different foods on the weekend, because most of my meals are quick and easy.