Seeking Advice on How to Be Prepared for Taking Care of Household and Baby #3 - Sacramento,CA

Soups and stews freeze well. Remember that it doesn't need to be hot to be healthy---fresh sandwiches are great. You can actually freeze sliced meat from the deli, too.
There are many stores that carry pre-chopped fresh vegetables--onions, celery, etc--that you can throw in with some broth and meat. You can also add rice.
Fruit is nutritional from a can or frozen, as well as fresh.

Consider old fashioned 5 minute oatmeal for dinner once a week. Throw in some bananas. It is a hot comforting meal, it fills the belly, and it sticks to the ribs. Plus, it is very inexpensive. Microwave some Swift brand "brown and serve" sausage for the side if needed. You can usually find them,for a buck a package when on sale.(Safeway has them on sale for a buck this week). Sometimes in place of the oatmeal I do a big pan of scrambled eggs.

When I buy chicken, I buy the boneless skinless breast in value packs, when they go on sale for 1.99 lb or less. (I have an extra freezer in the garage) I repackage it into 2 ziplocs, making sure when I freeze them I lay them flat. When I don't plan a meal and I'm late getting meat out of freezer, say 1 or 2 pm, I throw a pkg of frozen meat (remove ziploc) in a bowl full with warm water and a 1/2 C salt and let it sit sinkside. Check it after an hour ot two.If water gets icy,replace with more salt/ lukewarm water. The salt melts the ice crystals, and tenderizes the meat too. Baked chicken is one of my fastest meals. I just throw it in a cassarole dish and sprinkle on cajun seasoning. Add brown and serve bread, and frozen veggies,and apple slices. Sometimes in place of the frozen bread I spray pam on washed potatoes, punch twice with a fork, and microwave them for 5-10 minutes, depending on how many you put in at one time.

I stock the freezer with 'brown and serve' bread loafs. I can find these at Grocery Outley cheaper than at the regular stores. They can go directly from the freezer to the oven. Meanwhile I am cooking spagetti noodles. In another really big pan I toss and pan fry julienned zuchini, mushrooms, and ready to go shelled frozen shrimp for about 5 minutes or so in 1 T oil and 1T butter. Then I add the noodles, toss/fry for 5 minutes. Finally add Yoshida's sweet and savory sauce to taste. My hubby likes to sprinkle hot chili pepper flakes on his "chinese noodles".

Macaroni and cheese
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Boil 4 cups of macaroni. In another pan, put 1&1/2 C dried powdered cheese, 1 8 oz can cream of mush soup, 3 C water. Cook until sauce is hot, thick and free of lumps. Add cooked macaroni, salt and pepper, stir, and serve. (Amazon.com carries cheese powder.)

Quick Clam Linguini
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Boil 8 oz linguini.
Saute 5 minced garlic cloves in a 1/4 c butter in Large skillet..Add the liquid only, from two, 6.5 oz cans minced clams. boil about 7 minutes.add the clams, and 1 C shredded monterey jack.stir constantly, them pour over noodles.

TriTip sandwiches
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boil 2 tri tip roasts in water for 3 hours. Transfer meat to crock pot set on high.
add:
1 can low sodium chicken broth
2 jigger worchester
2 jigger malt vinegar
2 T veg broth granules
2 sliced onions
2 cloves garlic
2 c soy sauce
Add remaining water from first pot so roast is barely covered. cook unitl roast is done.

Remove onions and set aside on plate (for placing on sandwiches later). Take out 3-5 c of liquid (reserve for later soups if desired).Shred roasts with fork and put back into crock. add 1/2 c bullseye classic bbq sauce and 1/2 c yoshidas sweet and savory sauce. Serve on hoagie rolls w/tomatoe, cheese and garlic mayo.
Once you do this recipie two or three times it goes very quickly as you can usually do it from memory.
This is my party recipe. You can probably take the leftover meat,put it in family size meal portion (shaped like a burrito), wrap tight in saran wrap and then stack these burrito shaped bundles into gallon ziplocs (double wrapping helps avoid freezer burn).

I would Julie is right!!! Slow cooker!!! Go on line and cooks.com has lots of good recipes!! Shwans is great but I feel it's expansive. If u can get some it is very high quality food and delivered every 2 weeks.

U r so lucky to have a baby on the way Congrats!!!

Good luck

Congratulations :)

I'd recommend babycenter.com's group "cooking for your family." There are a lot of good recipes and information there and you can get answers to any question you have (even while cooking!)

Good luck!

Greetings A., Congradulations! In an age where some think people should only have one and maybe two children you have chosen the best for your fmily and added another special angel! I admire you greatly.
I am the mother of 5. 4 by birth and 1 by adoption. I think that motherhood is the greatest adventure you will ever have and the greatest work you will ever do in this life. Can you tell that I adore my children!
What I have learned is simple but hard to do. We bought a freezer with child # 3.
1. when I made one meal I made extra and froze one. With soup this is esp easy to do. I tried to keep 30 days worth of meals in the freezer so I could be prepared for anything.
2. Toys-- just learn to step over them & if anyone says something dumd like "You haven't cleaned up" tell them to go home or doit! I taught my daughter in law this simple thing-- if someone is coming to visit you they won't mind the children's things-- if they come to visit the house Hey let them clean it while they viit it!!
3. Toys. My husband and I made large bags kindalike gunny sacks. He stenciled blocks on one , leggos, dolls, etc. Then he made a simple wall bar that had pegs so that the children could pick up the toys and put them in the right bags and then I could hang it up until they were old enough to doit. This kept the mess controlled as they could only have a couple of bags down at a time and then it made it less painful for clean up. We were semi firm about how many things were allowed out, not for us but becasue it made it to overwhelming for the child. Our 2 year old granddaughter has made up a "clean up song" she sings it to the tune of Happy Birthday while she cleans up. By age 3 all of my children were decent about it.
4. clothes--I swear our laundry seemed to mulitiply in the dark of night...so we got rid of the dressers(literallly) and got bookcases. Put bins to hold the small stuff and the rest was easy to fold and put away. The children will be able to help just a little at yours ages. I used a fancy sheet to cover the front but my boys liked to see the things they owned and were always taking it down. The girls liked to change it as they got interested in different things or I just did gigham checked in pretty colors. This makes it easy to see what needs gotten rid of easy as well.
4. meals. Another thing I was blessed to have several friends in the same situation and we would get together and cook together all bringing different supplies. It ment that everyone went home with several meals done, and it cut all of our costs! So check with your friends or church group and see if anyone is interested. I also kept a small basket on the counter,& still do, of snack items that are easy for a cild to have. Fruit, bannana chips, crackers and peanutbutter premade by me, andwhen I was pregnant my husband would help me make lunches and put them in the bottom of the frig with juice boxes or glasses of milk so they could get their lunch. ( I was on bedrest for 2 of my pregnancies). I also had a small frig in my room so that things could be kept in that to make it easier.
I have many meals that I can pass along if that will help you instead of just these ideas. Again Congradulations, Nana Glenda

For cooking, I highly recommend "Once A Month Cooking" - used to be available from Focus on the Family, not sure where now - maybe Amazon.com. It gives you meal plans, grocery lists, etc., and you end up spending one evening, and then one full day in the kitchen, and you have a month's worth of meals.

If you've got a big freezer, you could do the monthly plan once a week and stockpile.

Congrats on the new baby.

Kymster

Good luck! Check out www.savingdinner.com and www.flylady.net

Those should be helpful- saving dinner shows you how to do freezer meals and flylady is amazing with home organization.

Hi A.! I'm so excited for you! I also had 3 girls in 3 years. Yes, it's going to be crazy for a while, but how great that your mom lives nearby...what a blessing! I just recently started looking at books on once-a-month or twice-a-month cooking, because I am also interested in spending less time in the kitchen and more time with my kids. The one I like the best so far is called Frozen Assets: Lite and Easy. It breaks your cooking down into mini sessions, so you can cook (& freeze) like 5 different recipes that use the same main ingrediant (eg, chicken). If you double or triple each recipe, that'll give you 10-15 meals right there. Not a bad deal for a few hours work. I haven't actually tried doing it yet, although I have tripled the last couple of dinners I made so I could stick 2 in the freezer. I would love to talk to you more, if you'd like. I know that for me personally, going from 2 to 3 kids was not easy. One thing that helped me out a lot, since I also had a 3 year old & 1 1/2 year old, was to use what I called the "fun box." I knew that whenever it was time to nurse the baby, I would be feeling anxious if I couldn't see my other 2 girls for however long the baby ate. So I would lay out a throw blanket on the living room floor for each of the girls, give them each a special "fun box" (filled with toys, puzzles, coloring books, etc.) that they could only play with during nursing time, and they each had to stay on their own blanket the whole time until I was done feeding the baby. They loved it, it kept them out of trouble, and I was peaceful knowing all my girls were safe and sound. Good for you for breastfeeding, too; what a beautiful gift you will be giving your new daughter. God bless you, A., and feel free to contact me if you have more questions or just want to talk.
J.

Hi A.,
I just wanted to say congratulations on having 3 under 3! I just had my 3rd baby (a boy) in Sept and I too have 3 kids ages 3 and under. My other son just turned 3 in Aug and my daughter is 20 months. It's a little crazy! Don't find many moms having 3 under 3. :-)

As far as recipes to freeze, I haven't done much, some lasagna and some chili but I use my crockpot a lot! My favorite is doing a chuck roast, drizzle a little olive oil on it and season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder and let it cook for 4-6 hours. You can serve with a salad and rice or pasta. Really easy and simple. Good luck on baby #3!

OK, here goes! We have a 3, 2 and 3 month old. I'm excited for you!!!! I don't cook. I know that sounds bad, but I have no time to do so. I ordered Schwan's (they have a Livesmart menu) just with dinner stuff, so we could have something decent (with lots of veggies) on the table in the evening. It's microwavable so takes 5 minutes to "cook" dinner. We are on a budget too, so I didn't order a lot. It was not terribly priced though.

I really don't want to sound discouraging, but there is absolutely no time to think about food with 3 kids under 4, or I don't know the secret. We stock the house with healthy stuff, so even though we grab and go all day, each thing counts for a food group. Plus, buying healthy stuff like fruit means we don't pay for overpriced packaged food.

I cannot keep up with the laundry or keep the toys in order. I feel my house is winning the battle. But I try to stay positive! I go to sleep when the kids do, nap when they do, so I don't sacrifice sleep. Well, except for tonight because every mommy needs a little me time to just surf Mamapedia :) We go to a park district class one or two times a day, and I put my oldest in preschool 3 days a week. He loves it!

So, I guess I can say cooking was and is the last thing on my mind. The real issue is trying to get everyone fed. Nursing the baby while pouring the toddler's cereal in the morning, while the other toddler gets into the toilet paper...

The number one issue at first was protecting the newborn from the siblings. It's better now that he's 3 months, but boy was that tough! We had to put a gate around his swing (still), and we have to watch very carefully. It was tough to nurse since the kids would not leave us alone...so while I thought the first few weeks were hell, know that it does get better.

I too grocery shop when my mom babysits, but I realize that no sane human being can watch three this young by herself. She still does when it's a must (and the goal is to just keep everyone alive and well), but now when we get family to watch them, I prefer two people.

Getting all of us to and from preschool is a challenge. While my oldest two walk, it's no picnic as it's a parking lot. We have to be very careful, and I'm pushing the stroller with the newborn seat in it.

What am I forgetting? I am just super excited for you. You'll be busy, but know that it's the same here!

I highly recommend every family have the cookbook Nourishing Trafitions. It will teach a wealth of information on eating healthy & nutient dense food (which means u eat less b/c body satisfied, therefore good for bedget). The recipes r often in bulk with the intent to freeze food.

I just created a sourdough started & made some bread from recipe in the book. It's very good, money conscious, & more nutrient dense than what u can buy in store. it really is a great book.

Good luck & many congrats to yr expanding family!

Huge pot of minestrone soup, separated and frozen. Toddlers and adults will love it! If you need a recipe let me know!

Most other soups would work well, too. Chicken Vegetable, Potato, etc. I also found that making a huge pot of meat sauce, dividing and freezing, then thawing and pouring over anything. Just cooked pasta, make lasagna, you could even pour it over rice. Some people just cook veggies in it.

*Large containers of pre-washed spinach. You can grab a handful or two and add veggies that cook in SECONDS to any meal.

My biggest problem (with one toddler) is finding time to wash the dishes...

Quick & simple high-protein high-nutrient (but not low-fat) lunch that my daughter loves: 1 can salmon, one egg, large tablespooon chopped walnuts (chopping a bunch ahead of time helps), and 1 teaspoon ground flax (both the flax and walnuts are optional, but add wonderful flavor, texture, and nutrition.) Touch of salt and pepper, maybe a shake of garlic powder, all smooshed together and then fried in a hot pan with olive or coconut oil. Best Salmon Patties ever! Can be served plain, in a sandwich, over a salad, etc. It's easier than it sounds, and you can personalize it for your own taste.

*Never underestimate eggs! Boiled, fried, scrambled, quiched, frittata'd... Quick, easy, delicious, and a great vessel for lots of veggies. Not to mention cheap! I live off of eggs...

Beans freeze well. I'm terrible with beans, but my mother always froze a lot, and then we could have almost instant dinner. Smoosh them for re-fried on burrito night. (like we have time for burritos...)

The best of luck to you!
~S.

Hi A.,

Get a couple of crock pots and do slow cook meals. There are tons of recipes on line, newspaper, magazines as well as many books.

If you have a dutch oven that would work.

Your main meals would be in one pot and it doesn't take long to put a salad together. Maybe you could ask your husband to make the salad.

Blessings.....

Hey CONGRATS!! I too have 3 girls under 3 (youngest is 6 months now). Quite a few friends made up some lasagnas and Shepherd's Pie which I stashed in the freezer for those days I couldn't/didn't want to cook. The slow cooker might be your best friend. If you can throw something in there while some are napping in the morning you really feel like you accomplished something that day! Soups freeze really well, as do stews and pasta based casseroles. My best advice is just to be as organized as you can, and to not sweat it when things go wrong. Many MANY nights, the girls got mac'n'cheese early and my hubby made something for the two of us later. Good luck!

As a family child care provider, I serve 12 little ones breakfast, lunch and snack every day. Our family is down to three now. Whenever I make say turkey meatloaf, I serve one and freeze one. I make extra spaghetti sauce and freeze the extra. I make a tuna, egg, noodle hotdish and make one to eat and one to freeze. When we are painting and busy with messy activities, these are the days I use the items I have frozen. There must be a cook book that is just for cooking and freezing. Also serving frozen veggies and lots of fresh fruit is a great way to cut down on cooking. Frozen is better than veggies in a can. There are mixes for cornbread, etc. too. Do you use a crockpot?
Put a chicken and veggies in the crockpot in the morning and dinner will be ready for you. I had four little ones under 7 years with two under 2 and it was a busy time. And then I started my family child care business when my youngest one was 3 months old. Congratulations on your little girls and enjoy this special time.
F.

Congradulations on the third little one! I am also expecting (I still have that long wait ahead of me since I am only two months), but it is only my first. :) Since I have not yet gone through this yet, I may not be much help, but I feel I can still put my two cents in and try to help. :)

Well you did mention that your mom does help out watching the other two while you run to the store, well if she is one of the few peopel in the world that can still cook, then maybe she could help out with dinner for the first couple of days, maybe a week or two (but not EVERY night, lol.). Make sure you talk to your other two about the baby, and that she will be home soon, and that "mommy" will be very busy and tired for a while, and try having them help out. They are at that age (from what I have seen) where they do want to help. They may not do so well, but they will be trying. Ask them to run and grab you a nightie or some socks for the baby sometimes, it gets them involved, and saves you a trip, lol. But like the person under me said, just get as organixed as you possibly can, and maybe your husband could help out too. ;)

Also one more thing, do you have any advice with my frist?

Once again congradulations, and good luck! :)