First Postpartum meal plans? - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[Vegan Princess]

We've had nice Bay Area summer weather of mid 70s for at least a week - but now it's back to being in the upper 60s. So I went ahead and bit the bullet and I'm making beef stew to try it out. Mostly bc I absolutely cannot think of anything to make otherwise! Nothing sounds exciting to me these days. I'm trying out my mom's recipe. I don't have a lot of faith it's going to turn out. LOL. Her recipe calls for beef stew mix - my store doesn't sell that! So I made my own mixture of spices from a recipe off the internet. Also, hers does not call for browning the meat at all. It's just all done in the oven. Nice and easy though. I would have tried the crock pot but I just got it started. At least DH will be happy with dinner tonight. 

Ugh I cannot imagine being pregnant in 115 degree weather!!! 

Cindy

[pregnova]

I just got a crockpot! So, I'm trying out shredded chicken in there for tonight and *hopefully* there will be a bit to freeze from this batch, but dh is a carnivore, so who knows. I also made up another two meals plus two lunches/snacks of meatloaf to freeze, so we're already up to 6-7 meals frozen! Yay! I have SO much space still left in there...it's making me way too excited ;-)

My hopeful plan is to get two weeks of definite meals plus some fun breads/muffins and then rely on the crockpot until I actually feel like being inventive in the kitchen again. lol 

[SunnyPerch]

I haven't thought about my first post-partum meal yet. But I have started this week stocking up our deep freezer. I got a few library books to help: Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer, One-a-Month Cooking, and Frozen Assets.

Once-a-Month cooking looks like an elaborate plan where you basically have to buy into the author's two-weeks/month of meal plans, which I am not interested in because too many just don't sound appealing for our family.

I have been digging the Don't Panic... book though - this has some great recipes, as does the successor, Don't Panic - More Dinner's in the freezer. Generally the recipes are for 6+ servings, so you could make them for dinner and freeze the extras if you like. I stayed up late the other night and I now have 6 raw steaks frozen in a marinade, ready for grill or kabobs, a pan of Apricot-Pistachio-Oat bars frozen individually, and sixteen Ham-poppyseed-and-swiss melt sandwiches in foil, ready to heat in the oven. I have a favorite lentil soup recipe from the book Eating Expectantly, which I made a double batch of last night, so I have 12 servings of soup spread into a few freezer bags. :) It's a start. I just remember how impossible cooking and meal planning seemed the first time around and I want to make it easy on us this time.

I also like that these books explain how to freeze food to avoid freezer burn and retain flavor, best storage techniques and containers, etc.

[forumyonly1]

Library books!!!! Such a good idea!! I may look in to that!

[Vegan Princess]

I think I'm going to look for "don't panic" at the library too! DH finally admitted he is going to have to get over the no leftovers thing when we have a newborn in the house!

I didn't love the beef stew the first day but it was even yummier the 2nd day. The meat just wasn't as tender as I wanted. I don't know if it's bc I used grass fed beef or bc I did it in the oven. I'll do crockpot next time. DH was going to work late again but left promptly when he heard he was getting meat for dinner! LOL.

Cindy

[vegchica]

Wow, you guys are so organized with your food! I hadn't even thought about my postpartum meal yet. I'm thinking I will have family bring us something since I'm having this one in a hospital.
With my first, it was 2am and after 22 hrs of labor I was starving, so my parents picked up Ihop for us at the birth center. With my 2nd I was home 2 hrs after birth and cooked lunch at home. Not ideal but I don't like frozen foods. They taste off to me so I have never been able to freeze make ahead meals. My husband also does not eat leftovers so I just have to make simple fast meals.
I'll also make sure I have a ton of fruit and healthy snacks for them to help themselves.

[saralm]

I am freezing a bunch of tomato sauce with summer vegetables because that is what we had  on hand now.   I want to make a Russian style borsch but still need to buy the cabbage. 
 

[sillymom44]

Wow- these are great ideas!!! DH is a great cook, but I know I am always starving while BFing and a sandwich for lunch won't cut it....but beef stew would!!!

[micromama]

This thread is so inspiring! I haven't used my crockpot in a long time but will definitely be busting it out when the new baby is here. We used it all the time when DD was born. Haven't thought too much about first postpartum meal-- hmm, probably sushi (sans high-mercury tuna) since it's been a while that I've had the good stuff. Come to think of it, I think that was my first "welcome home" meal for DD's birth.

I can't BELIEVE I am 34 weeks on Wednesday. Wow. Starting to panic a little! :/