Lesson at Dinner Time

[Dancebug]

What and how do you feed yourself when you have a lesson right around your normal dinner time? I hate late dinner (because I hate to go to bed with the feeling of food in my stomach), so having dinner after a lesson is not an option for me. Also the fact that I need to think about feeding my partner/H makes it more complicated. We eat out on Fridays and weekends, so bringing home carry-outs or eating-out together on week nights makes me feel a little guilty, because we do not have enough of home-cooked meals in the first place. I don’t like left-overs (my H does not mind). I know I don’t leave much of options myself. What should I do? What do you do?

 

[alemana]

with all those caveats, i'm not sure. it's a lot of "i wont's." i'm completely flexible about food. i'd say ditch the guilt and eat out.

 

[SuzieQ]

I would agree with eating out if you have to.
I sometimes bring an extra sandwich or something to eat before I leave work if I'm going straight to a lesson and let my husband fend for himself. Sometimes if he's home, he'll fix something for us to eat when I get home, so it's not too late. (But I'm talking about having a lesson at 5:00 or 6:00.) And my husband's not always that good about fending for himself

 

[Chris Stratton]

Also the fact that I need to think about feeding my partner/H makes it more complicated. We eat out on Fridays and weekends, so bringing home carry-outs or eating-out together on week nights makes me feel a little guilty, because we do not have enough of home-cooked meals in the first place. I don’t like left-overs (my H does not mind). I know I don’t leave much of options myself. What should I do? What do you do?

It sounds like you have time to sit down together at home first (which for many would be a luxury before an evening lesson), so the major issue is getting the food ready quickly. If you don't want to bring home take out, think of things where you can do most of the work in advance and then finish cooking quickly just before serving. Soups and stews are good for that. Meats will cook quickly if they are already cut into small pieces. And vegetables can be in the microwave while you are doing that.

Another way of thinking of it... the term "leftovers" is about damage to the food from excessive heating and sitting around, but it's also about the emotional view of the food. If it's not the remainder of a previous meal, but was prepared targeted for this meal, is it leftovers? And if it either hasn't previously been cooked, or was chosen with an eye to its durability and cooked only to the point of safety with care not to let it dry out, it won't be damaged.

And then there's also the question of what is really important. Hand prepared food may be a point of pride, but aren't nutrition and companionship of eating together the really important issues?

 

[pygmalion]

Stir fries also work well, IME. Ten minutes cooking time. And you can even buy pre-chopped veggies and meats in the refigerator case -- at least the the markets where I shop.

 

[tanya_the_dancer]

I hate to cook. And I am often dancing around normal dinner time. So I would sometimes just prepare food on weekend to eat on Monday night. But I don't have a problem with leftovers. When I cook, I usually cook two or three meals worth of food. Also, I found that fish cooks really fast, I can have fish with herbs on the table in 15 minutes + some fresh veggies to go with it.

 

[Laura]

If it's only once a week, I'd ask your husband if he'd be interested in taking care of dinner for that one night. He can make canned soup and bagged salad and sandwiches if that's all he can handle, but he has to be the one to take care of it (and you can't complain about anything he does, that's part of the deal). He can have the meal ready for when you get home, and then you're all set.

 

[Joe]

Skipping or postponing a meal isn't gonna kill you.

 

[Sagitta]

Skipping or postponing a meal isn't gonna kill you.

It almost did me! I've almost fainted and had to go sit as and eat something in order to go on. That's when I get unhealthy and have something at taco bell or worse. (Desperation!)

 

[Peaches]

A couple of thoughts...

1. What about eating before the lesson?

2. Crock pot.

3. What about your DH making dinner for YOU? If this is about finding dinner for you, that's one thing, but if it's about making sure your DH gets a meal, it'a whole 'nother story. If it's about his meal, can't he put together a PB&J for himself? Pour a bowl of cereal? Nibble crackers and cheese? Trust me, the man ain't gonna' let himself starve.

4. What, is there a quota for number of home-cooked meals you have to prepare? If not eating out on weekdays is a financial consideration, fine...but I think you're giving yourself way too much guilt for not cooking on a weekday.