How do you decide the daily dinner?
By Downwindz
@Downwindz (2537)
Netherlands
August 11, 2009 9:36am CST
I always find it hard constantly to be creative for what to serve as dinner, and i like to have a slight idea before im standing in the supermarket, also im trying to variate the dinner as much as possible, as it is to be said beeing more healthy for your general well beeing.
Sometimes i ask my boyfriend if he has any preferred food he wants for dinner the following day, also because sometimes your partner has an idea of what you havent had for some time, where you tend to foget when you cooked that kind of food last time.
Other times i simply take a cooking book and hope to find some inspirating pictures and things that could be interesting to create before i go shopping.
Often a dish can also be variated just by adding a kind of salad or vegetable in a different way then normally.
But what do you do when you try to decide for your daily dinner? Do you ask your partner, kids, friends and so forth. What inpires you, and do you variate what is beeing served at the table? and why?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@littleme16ga (360)
• United States
11 Aug 09
I find myself with the same problem every day the only problem with me and my dinners is my boyfriend doesn't eat salad and hardly any vegetables. We are from the south where everythings deep fried and covered in fattiness. I think the only vegetables he eats are corn, peas, potatoes, and greens and that's it. So if for example if I make a meal there is no extra ingredient it's the basic. Sometimes I just cook for me and he makes cheese sandwhiches because I like it all. I do try to ask him what he wants and it usually ends up with him saying, "I don't know Mami", or the ever so popular "I don't care whatever you want." I guess I get the idea for dinner during the day when I'm busy doing something. Last night I made him cook just because I was burned out of ideas and felt like being a bum. Maybe you should try the other half cooking for you. It's fun to watch them read the box and be lost. Good Times!! Good Times!!
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
11 Aug 09
My boyfriend can certainly cook for me, his excellent in making Schnitzels (not sure if you have that in the states) Though i dont mind cooking, cause then im sure i like what is getting served, and since my partner almost eats anything beside for tomatoes and beacon, it works okay (though he likes tomatosoup, funny)
I would rip my hair out if everything i got was deep fried and fat *yuck* i can eat it, but certainly not on a daily basis, though im a huge fan of the chinese inbaked chicken pieces, which im confident has also been deep fried.
@littleme16ga (360)
• United States
12 Aug 09
what is schnitzel? I think that's how you spell it. If you ever come to the states and visit Georgia where I'm from, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi states in the south you'll see that food is very different from foods up north. And in our case around the world. Very unique down here even some of my friends here in Arkansas look at me funny when they come over because of the food selection.
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
12 Aug 09
We try to think of what we are going to eat the night before we actually eat so we're well prepared. I hate coming home at 6 and having absolutely no clue as to what we are going to eat for dinner. That bugs me because it's wasting time and by the time I get home, I'm starving. So, we work on ideas the night before and set out things so they are within easy reach of the stove for dinner. We usually talk to each other about what we are going to eat or if either of us has a good idea then we just throw it out there and usually the other one says it's fine and that's what we eat.
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
12 Aug 09
I guess also because both persons in the partnership slowly starts to be emptied for dinner ideas, so it is easier to agree with the partner on whatever thats suggested. Unless ofcause it is something you really dont like.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
12 Aug 09
For me it is just me and my 15 yr old. We sit down and plan the meals together. There is no sense in me cooking something she isn't going to want so her say is important. we plan our meals for the week and by our ingredients and it works for us and saves some money and time.
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
12 Aug 09
A nice plan for sure. Im almost so lucky to say that my boyfriend will eat whatever i serve him, with a few expections to 3-4 ingredients which he really doesnt like, so i avoid using those to be polite, only one of these ingredients we have in common, neither of us like peperfruit.
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
12 Aug 09
If you are having problems with the menu, you need to set out a monthly, weekly, or even fortnightly like the previous poster menu plan. I do not do so because I pretty much eat whatever is on sale with the weekly flyers, or what is stored in my freezer to supplement, and there is a sameness to my meals. Breakfast is invariably some sort of juice, coffee, and then cereal with milk, or boiled eggs and toast. Lunch is either sandwiches, or a soup and sandwich, with tea. Supper is usually a meat, rice or potatoes, and some cooked vegetable, with the occasional spagetti dinner.
I frequently cook an extra portion and have it the next day, so that limits my choices too. I do use sauces and spices a lot so my food is not bland. However when I do my shopping, I have a good idea when it will be used, this is for Thursday supper, this for Friday, etc.
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
12 Aug 09
To an extent I use aspects of the same concept. And it is cheaper cooking more portions, and way easier when you only need to heat it up the following day. Yesterday we got something with potatoes, so today will also contain potatoes or we simply wont get them eaten in time based on the fact we dont eat alot of potatoes in this house.
I have a varity of vegetables in my freezer which is used to make each dinner a little more unique, and when there aint extra vegetables on the side i have always some kind of salad.
So here it happens minimum once a week that we get the same dinner 2 evenings a row. Also because alot of the stuff which is for sale at the supermarket is for 4 persons and not just 2. (mainly the meat)
@klwheretogo (230)
• Malaysia
12 Aug 09
i eat whatever that is eat-able, basically i do not choosy in eating. i never decide what to cook for my dinner, because i do not have the time to cook. i off from my office around 7.30pm daily, that is consider too late to cook for me. Most of the time will be take-away for my dinner.
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
12 Aug 09
I have to say that sounds pretty unhealthy, but yet similar to a previous life of mine before i moved. I was eating on the run constantly because i had to keep my plans for the day or i just wouldnt reach to sleep.
@bluehibiscus (702)
• United States
11 Aug 09
I am blessed with someone who will eat anything except beef and pork....and I don't eat fish. Basically we occasionally eat chicken but usually I'll make something vegetarian out of whatever groceries we have around. I am trying to branch out, I made malai kofta this weekend. I am proud it turned out so good.
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
11 Aug 09
I never heard of Malai Kofta, maybe i should try see if i can find a recipee for that and try out one day.
I can eat most varities of meat, so i dont have any specific issues regarding to that. Though some vegetables i simply dont eat when they have been boiled.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
11 Aug 09
my hubby does most of the cooking so we usually hash out some sort of idea so i can defrost whatever and sometimes even start the meal and he will finish it when he gets home from work. mostly i have no inspiration but i do sort of like to plan my meals ahead of time (handy when grocery shopping!)
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
11 Aug 09
exactly, i also prefeer having an idea and a grocery shopping plan. At our home we do though have the agreement as long as im studying that im the cook, and he prepares the table, and cleans up the kitchen afterwards. So in that sense we share the kithcen work. We both empty the dishwasher depending on whos available once its finished running, in most cases me, since i work/study from home for a few more months.
@smileonstar (4007)
• United States
11 Aug 09
hi,
i always ask my husband too about what for dinner. the answer i get is up to me... lolz.
i know it is hard to choose n sometime i spend hours in store just to see what do the have,but still can't find anything at all.
I hate to be the one who choose the food and also cook the food. God!!!
My husband said, he is not a piggy person so whatever I cook he will eat them. lolz. my kids love something dry and I can't have those all the time.
I always look in cook book or go to fast food restaurant too check out what I want to eat... I know it is silly but I just love to see what food they have and then it will make me hungry for something
@Downwindz (2537)
• Netherlands
11 Aug 09
Never tried out looking at restaurent lists, but maybe an option to get inspriation, certainly. Im glad im not the only one having to look in the cookbook once in a while.
Sometimes i find it a bit boring asking my boyfriend for what he wants for dinner, since he in 75% chances would suggest Schnitzel, one of his favourites, but last time he actually asked if we could have fish, so i fried some fish for him, served with rice and vegetables.
If your kids like dry food, do we talk unprepared food as bread, or dry in the sense of something that has been in the oven? in that case i have some good suggestions you could try out.
