Pete Wells wrote for two years in the New York Times Magazine about his efforts to cook dinner for his four-year-old son after working a full day. Here’s the rare bit: he admits now that he never figured it out. But his lessons learned, and the advice of sympathetic commenters, are both inspiring and practical.
Image via _Dinkel_.
A few examples from the comment thread on Wells’ semi-farewell post. This from LK in Houston, TX:
I am of the opinion that eggs, fruit and toast are totally acceptable dinnertime fare and far better than takeout. So are nice sandwiches with all the trimmings that don’t often make it into the lunch bag (tomatoes, avocado, pickles etc.) When we do cook on the weeknights, I try and make enough for two meals and then we have it the next night too.
Followed by more hard-nosed reality from “Hmmmm” in Arlington, Virginia:
Abandon the notion that you can commute, work full-time, and cook from scratch each workday – but you don’t have to settle for processed food either. Cook half of the day either Saturday or Sunday. Make several types of big meals – for example, a soup or stew, a casserole, veggies and pasta, meat and veggies. Shop so that you have fresh-but-perishable-after-five-days produce to make something new mid-week, whatever day your energy levels permit. Keep frozen veggies and meat on hand for a quick stirfry, if you feel up to it, but if you don’t, they won’t go to waste.
What kind of compromise or corner-cuts have our working parents made in their own kitchens?
How Do Working Parents Do It? [NYTimes.com]
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