# I'm on strike. need ideas



## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

OK
I am on strike. There is a history for this but not going into it. And I am tired of having to cook and clean for every meal. Breakfast especially

I don't care if its good or bad for you. I just want to stick my hand in a container and bring something out  and for it to fill up my stomach taste acceptable and roll up in a paper towel and plate and go into the trash. I'll spend the time to wash my hand LOL

At least for the next 3 to 4 months. I may succumb to one day a month to prep some meals for the month. But I need to devote the time to other things.


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

I hardboil a dozen or more eggs at a time and store them unpeeled in the refrigerator. So easy to just grab one, shell it, add some salt and pepper and wash it down with coffee in the morning. If I have more leisure, I spread good mayo on a slice or two of bread, add sliced hardcooked egg and a bit of Costco's muffaletta mix (olives, peppers): easy meal. 

I make bacon jam, and keep one jar in the fridge (the rest in the freezer). Smear some on some bread for breakfast; you don't even have to heat anything up.

I make a big pot of rice and keep extra portions in freezer or refrigerator. Fast food is a big bowl of rice with half a can of (Goya brand) black bean soup poured over and nuked. Hubby adds cheese, I add salsa. Chopped green onions are good, too, if you want to make the effort.

For a quick snack, I throw things in the blender for a smoothie, starting with homemade kefir. Today's was kefir, half a can of pineapple, a banana, almond milk, and protein powder.

Even easier: go out in the garden and munch whatever is ripe, standing right there in the dirt. Today I had sugar snap peas, spinach, and strawberries.

I hope you get everything done that needs doing. Maybe you'll start to enjoy proper cooking after you've taken a break for a while.


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## Gritty (Nov 26, 2012)

Bacon jam!?! Tell me more. Father's day is coming up and my sweet husband LOVES bacon.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Ajaxlucy--I swear you must live in my house we do so many similar things with food.

Eggs--dozen at a time, boiled, throw the peeled eggs, pickles, mayo, mustard in the food processor for egg salad sandwiches.Wash food processor.
2 lbs baloney--throw in a food processor with pickles and mayo, process until a nice spread for ham salad sandwiches.
2+lbs of oatmeal--throw in the roaster to bake with 1 cup sugar or honey, 2 cups water, cinnamon, massage it, bake it until dry and slightly brown, then add raisins, apricots, chopped nuts and you have granola.
1 gallon of milk, heated to 180 degrees F, let cool to 100 degrees F, whisk in 1 pt natural yogurt and let sit in a warm place for 12 hours and you have yogurt.
Vegetables--steam broccoli and asparagus (whatever kinds you like) to mix with, rice, pasta, or boiled potatoes, made in large quantities to keep on hand. Spice, butter or sauce as you please.
Add fruit--to yogurt or eat out of hand.

With some bread on hand, and everything above, you've got a little variety for the week. An occasional baked chicken or meatloaf is good too.
We alternate between egg salad and ham salad, and actually do all these things, every week or two.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

*Bacon Jam Recipe:* (http://www.mamas-southern-cooking.com/bacon-jam-recipe.html)
*Here's what you are going to need:*
1 lb bacon, chopped 
1 small onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
1 Tablespoon of whole grain mustard

*Here's what you need to do:*
Dice bacon and cook until crisp. Remove all but 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet. 
*Now, don't be throwin' that liquid gold away, put it in a container and keep it in the refrigerator to season vegetables, make cornbread or fry eggs. 
Saute the onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.
Add the brown sugar, brewed coffee, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and whole grain mustard. Mix well.
Add the bacon back to the skillet. Mix well.
Simmer over medium heat until mixture thickens and looks like jam.
Spoon the mixture into a food processor. Pulse several times until it reaches the desired consistency. If it is too thick, you can always add a little more coffee.
This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

TNHermit said:


> OK
> I am on strike. There is a history for this but not going into it. And I am tired of having to cook and clean for every meal. Breakfast especially
> 
> I don't care if its good or bad for you. I just want to stick my hand in a container and bring something out  and for it to fill up my stomach taste acceptable and roll up in a paper towel and plate and go into the trash. I'll spend the time to wash my hand LOL
> ...


I was just thinking this weekend that meal planning, shopping, preparing food (especially if you are making most from scratch), cooking, cleaning up is just about a full time job! With just enough time left for laundry :yuck: And there are only 2 of us. 

I say go for the paper plates, eat standing at the sink for awhile and get the rest of your work done! Maybe someone else in the family will suddenly learn to cook.

When you feel revived enough to cook and plan again I highly suggest pressure canning "meals in a jar". Jackie Clay has a good selection of tested recipes, the Blue Ball Book as well. Not that much work to have a lot of quick meals on hand. 

Good luck!


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Muffins, banana, pumpkin, berry, apple, bran, even jam. Whatever you have in season. They freeze well....James


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Sometimes I do this.

Breakfast, cheap Raisin Bran from Dollar General.
Lunch, peanut butter & honey sandwich.
Dinner, Tv Dinner, usually hungry man.
Good vitamins.
Treat, Ice Cream with magic shell.


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

Gritty, I use this recipe for bacon jam, except I omit all the brown sugar and add 1/2 cup of bourbon. It's less sweet and better flavored. My husband loves it.

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/07/bacon-jam-ooh-mommy/


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

I use to prepare about 1 1/2 months or more of meals in one day, But it was not paper towel food. When I cooked it I Had to clean something, like a pot, George Forman grill, Fry Daddy or a rice cooker. It was simple and good eating. Breakfast was usually less than 5 minutes to prepare. Lunch and dinner/supper was simple. Way better than any TV Dinner.


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## okiemom (May 12, 2002)

turkey, couple of chickens, pork roast, pot roast. leftovers for several days. grill once and do chicken, pork, dogs, hamburgers etc. and eat for several days as well.


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

TV dinners. Not frugal, not filling and definitely not good for you but they are convenient.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

I like to make a week's worth of breakfast at once for the work week. Egg sandwiches or breakfast burritos, individually wrapped in wax paper for easy micro-waving. DH is always up for an egg sandwich or breakfast burrito. (If I fed him oatmeal 2 days in a row you would think it was spousal abuse. But an egg sandwich or breakfast burrito seems to have no limits with him. YMMV) Fried eggs for sandwiches, scrambled for burritos. I switch between bread, english muffins, buns, tortillas, week to week to break up the monotony. Sometimes ham, bacon or sausage in them, sometimes not. It doesn't take long to make and wrap up a week's worth. Then he is only 30 seconds away from breakfast on work days. 

Or you could make a batch of pancakes or waffles and store them in the frig or freezer. Another easy thing to grab and heat.

I am gonna have to try out that bacon jam!


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

You don't have to cook oatmeal. Just put the right amount into a bowl and add the corresponding amount of water (hot or cold). Go take a shower, get dressed, walk the dog- whatever, and it's done.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

I want to try these oatmeal in a jar recipes....
http://chefmom.sheknows.com/articles/963325/3-easy-oatmeal-recipes


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

One of my favorite eat on the go meals is nothing more than an "old cold tater". Bake up a few pounds of taters, tossem in the fridge. When you get hungry just slice them off bite at a time with a bit of butter on em. yummy stuff right there!


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## checkitnice (Aug 10, 2010)

When I am feeling especially strike-ish or tired, we either have stouffer's or "Dip Day" where I get out all the chips and crackers, and buy some hummus and usually a spinach artichoke dip, open a jar of salsa and say have at it. It's easy to clean up and kids love it.


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## SteveD(TX) (May 14, 2002)

My wife seldom eats breakfast, so I usually fend for myself with quick easy stuff I can pop in the microwave or toaster. My favorites are: Owens egg, cheese and sausage breakfast tacos (microwave), toaster waffles (Eggo brand is not bad), Jimmy Dean sausage and biscuits. Lately I've been making nutriblasts in my nutribullet 3 or 4 mornings a week with some raw spinach, frozen bananas, berries, almond milk, ice and protein powder. Takes 4 or 5 minutes at the most to put it together and just rinse out the blender jar. Healthy and quick. No real cleanup with any of this and all are quick.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

I graze day and night and keep ziploc bags/containers of individual foods in the fridge. Just finished eating potato salad with crackers and pickles. Other food in there is:
graham crackers with peanut butter
graham crackers with marshmallow creme
celery sticks stuffed with pimento cheese
cherry tomatoes and frozen seedless grapes
cheese ball made with sour cream and rolled in crushed peanuts

When that's gone I'll make more goodies. I'm lucky that I love cold foods.


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## Nicole Irene (Jun 12, 2011)

Bean burritos...can of refried beans and cheese...you can also get fancy cut up some tomatoes and lettuce if you are feeling generous. 

When kids and I are alone, our favorite dinner is cold cereal.

Groats in the rice cooker for breakfast.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Nicole Irene said:


> Bean burritos...can of refried beans and cheese...you can also get fancy cut up some tomatoes and lettuce if you are feeling generous.
> 
> When kids and I are alone, our favorite dinner is cold cereal.
> 
> Groats in the rice cooker for breakfast.


I'm really interested in groats in the rice cooker! I love hot cereal, but now that we don't have a microwave I've stopped eating it. I used to make a batch and nuke it in the morning. I really don't want to cook cereal at 5:00 am.


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## Nicole Irene (Jun 12, 2011)

Vosey said:


> I'm really interested in groats in the rice cooker! I love hot cereal, but now that we don't have a microwave I've stopped eating it. I used to make a batch and nuke it in the morning. I really don't want to cook cereal at 5:00 am.


Very easy ...some people follow the ratio on the back of the bag; I have also treated it like brown rice, and I have done a ratio of water:groats somewhere between brown rice and the bag. Works great. I also found this recipe through the canning group that I would love to make in the fall for a topping:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/canned-apple-pie-filling/detail.aspx


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## MoCat (Nov 7, 2012)

Cold leftovers from the night before. Some things are better than others...pizza, meatloaf, spaghetti and fried chicken are great cold. Not traditional breakfast food but yummy.

Instant oatmeal can be made in paper bowls (you can make homemade instant oatmeal to control sugar, salt, and flavor). 

Read up on once a month cooking. If you have a good sized freezer, the groceries and a couple of days. You can have lots of ready to eat meals ready to go. 

If you have a microwave and aren't worried about a budget or sodium just go to the store and look in the frozen food section.

Good luck with your project.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

I like to buy ham when on sale. Cut it up in chunks big enough to make soup and toss them in the freezer. You can then make vegetable soup with the ham, dried peas or veggie soup mix, fresh carrots & celery, bay leave & thyme. The soup lasts for days and provides a lot of lunches. One $10 ham on sale can make a lot of soup!


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