Timing Food Prep

Last week I went to mom's house and cooked for two days. Basically I made her three dinner choices, two lunch options, and about 5 breakfast servings.

The dinner entrees were:
1. Beef stroganoff, rice, steamed asparagus (3)
2. Sauteed panko chicken tenders, brussel sprouts with raisins and pecans, roasted sweet potatoes
3. Vegetarian meat balls baked in marinara sauce with mozzerella cheese

For lunch: a batch of tuna salad, which she will eat with lettuce (I hope!) (3)

For breakfasts: spinach and three-cheese fritatta (she loves fritattas) (5)

All of these meals are packaged in see-through containers and labeled. My estimates of how many meals she will get out of a batch are always low because mom doesn't eat large portions and usually makes each "meal" last for two meals. I freeze many of the meals so they will last for at least 10 days.

Now I am thinking ahead about what my next entrees will be. I live a very busy lifestyle and so I need to be efficient in the way I plan the meals and the cooking. Obviously I can't just make extra food for mom when I'm cooking for us here at home; I use a lot of meat substitute products that I worry she would have trouble digesting.

The vegetarian meat balls were an experiment I tried this week to see how she would react. When I told her what it was (as she was leaning over the finished casserole dish), she backed away from it! Timidly she tried a taste and was wowed; she loved it! That was heartening and I will make her more vegetarian entrees in the future, but gradually work them into a weekly menu plan. Mom usually loves whatever I cook. It's very happy making!

Right now for next week, I'm thinking crab cakes, tillapia, seared scallops with beurre blanc sauce, and grilled chicken breasts; asparagus fritatta; and some kind of salad material.

Last night I experimented with Tyler Florence's and Julia Child's beurre blanc recipe and it was to die for! Mom will love it. I can't wait to see her reaction!

Mom often calls me after she's finished a meal to thank me. Sometimes she cries she is so happy. This is a priceless experience for both of us.