What's for dinner? (During flare/fatigue)

[saywhat]

Does anybody have any quick/easy dinners that they make when they are having a flare or are dealing with fatigue? I'm trying to make a list for this week and I just don't even have the energy to think. The thought of going grocery shopping makes me want to cry. So I'm trying to add things.

My typical ones (other than fast food, which is almost just as hard considering I have to get myself and my 2 year old down 3 flights of stairs, in the car, and then back up) are the frozen skillet meals that you just throw in a pot and stir around.

We also do a lot of quesidillas since we have a quesadilla maker.

PB & J

Frozen pizza

Well we've had all of that for every meal for about 1.5 weeks now, so I'm trying to get some new ideas lol.

[Guzzy]

Hi
I hope your relapse lifts very soon. It is tough going trying to manage ms and a toddler. I have a 4 yr old who doesn't seem to have an off button!
Because Im in Ireland i know fruit/Veg/utensils/recipes have different names in other countries but some low-effort recipes I use when badly fatigued are:

Frozen bakes like coated chicken or fish- oven bake.
Oven chips.
Frozen mixed roast veg - oven bake

ready made lasagne, mixed bag salad, tomatoes, dressing.

Mushroom omelettes (buy pre chopped mushrooms) and oven chips.

Curry- use jar of sauce, chicken pieces, with microwave pilau rice.

Baked potatoes with baked beans, coleslaw, pre grated cheese and bag of mixed salad.

Hope this helps a bit and really hope your energy is back soon.

[Bob698]

Hormel makes a line of foods called Completes. Its an oval plastic bowl with stuff like chicken and gravy, beef and taters, etc.
I call them MRE's because you can store them forever without refridgeration. They're actually better than the real MREs and are also a pretty good item in case of natural disasters (IE, you lose power for a couple of days).
Prep is super-simple. Either microwave or just peel the top off and dig in. Just imagine left-overs and you get a pretty good idea of what I'm talking about.
No, this probably isn't the heathiest thing to eat (God knows what they preserve them with ) although portion size is actually pretty healthy. I'd also avoid ANY of the varieties that feature mashed potatos (I have a feeling those taters have never seen a field) but the rest are OK.
Check at your grocery in the "fast soup" isle and you should find them.

[MrsBones]

Good old Crock Pot recipes! The prep is minimal and you can start it earlier in the day when you still have some pep. You just put it together and let it do its thing. You can make almost anything in them.

Here's an example:
http://www.crock-pot.com/Recipe.aspx?rid=280

[SwedishPrince]

Boil some water and add pasta. While that's boiling get out some frozen veggies like broccoli or green beans and put them in a pot, bring to a boil, simmer. Drain the cooked pasta, drain the veggies. Toss the veggies in with the pasta and add some olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Pasta again, top with sauce from a jar.

Maybe something in a crock pot? Like chicken, with some veggies and potatoes.

Rice comes in convenient pouches that you zap in the microwave, could go along with that crock pot chicken if you ran out of potatoes.

Unfortunately, no way to avoid the grocery shopping, but freezer stuff and shelf-stable things in pouches and cans can be a help.

[Hawkgirl]

I have this problem too. I have seriously considered (still considering) buying a separate freezer. Then I could lay in a supply of frozen meals, like those heat-and-eat lasagnas and the like.

Crockpot meals are excellent. Wal-mart has these roasts that are shrink-wrapped with potatoes and carrots and a packet of seasoning. The price is about the same as buying a roast, carrots, onion, celery, etc. separately. (I have actually done the math.) Swansons or someone used to make other crockpot meals that were in the freezer section, and then you just dump it all in the crockpot and it cooked. My favorite was chicken and dumplings. But I haven't been able to find those in ages, so I'm afraid they don't make them anymore.

Frito pie? That's pretty easy.

Hmm, when I have a good day, I often do a lot of cooking and freeze some of it for later. But honestly my kids are such picky eaters that we often just have Ramen or plain spaghetti noodles.

[cloudedmoon]

I have to be careful about what I eat. I'm doing diabetic weight loss life style. TV dinners have a lot of salt in them. I do them only occasionally. On days I cook a real meal I make extra and do my own TV dinners. Sometime I invite friends over for cooking day and we make lots of food. (They cook and I direct.) It's fun.
I also do a lot of bag salad, prepared veggies and the cooked chicken in the bag. I love to get the celery all cut up. It is my main munchy snack.
Right now, I have a big pot of chili on the stove. It is a little work getting it started, but I will have lots in the freezer.
My neighbor and I have kind of teamed up and we share food. He will get some of the chili and I get some of his wonderful baked beans.
Now I'm hungry, I guess I should test the chili.

[marti]

We eat a lot of cereal.

[Bob698]

Right now, I have a big pot of chili on the stove. It is a little work getting it started, but I will have lots in the freezer.
My neighbor and I have kind of teamed up and we share food. He will get some of the chili and I get some of his wonderful baked beans.

Back when my folks owned a restaurant, my Mom came up with the ultimate chili burger.
Its really easy once you have the chili on hand:

Fry a burger, then top with chopped raw onions, generic mustard, and a ladle of chili. That's it, the flavors work together really well although you'll need a knife and fork to eat it. You can use a regular hamburger bun or a bulkie roll.

[lukeduke]

I have a recipe that I use occassionally. It's pretty easy.

1/2 lb. ground turkey
1(14 oz.) can of stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 small can whole kernel corn, undrained
1(3 oz.) package of oriental noodles(Ramen)

Brown Turkey, Drain.
Stir in tomatoes, corn, and noodles with flavor pack(break up the noodles)
Cook and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the noodles are tender.
This dish has plenty of sodium so you may consider only adding half of the seasoning packet from the noodles.

I usually make this using hamburger meat instead of turkey.

[kelm10]

I too love my crockpot

chicken breasts (I use the frozen breasts)
chicken broth, i use the cubes and water
herbs de provence (great herb combo for chicken)
onion, if u want or use dry or frozen
celery, if u have energy to cut

Cook this on low on your crockpot all day or half a day on high.

At least an hour b4 u want to eat:
refridgerater rolls flatten each role in a plate of flour,

have your dtr help tear the buscuits into small pieces and when done put them in the above broth, being generous with the flour.

You can cut the chicken up in bite size pieces now or earlier, to brake up the chore.

Right b4 serving add a package of frozen peas or any vegetable that you wish. and u have a balanced meal

I like alot of crockpot recipies from a blog called crockpot 365 days google it. Some of her recipies r detailed and some are not. But all the recipies are gluten free on her website, but can be adaptable both ways.

[angelpach]

If you can make chili or buy it made, you could have that on rice one night and on chips like a taco salad on another night & freeze what you don't use for next wk. That's what I do when I want a bunch of quick easy meals. Oh & chili & crackers. Lol!

I also make a lot of spaghetti cause that is very easy. Chicken breast with BBQ sauce & frozen veggies & mash potatoes is another quick meal (even mash potatoes are frozen now & good) lol!

I don't cook much because the heat of the stove sends me downhill.... Lots of microwave or quick & easy meal with a fan on me the whole time...

Good luck. Enlist some help of you have friends or hubby or whoever. :-)

[jenphilly]

I also have to join the crock pot fan club. Lawry's makes an awesome sundried tomato marinade in a bottle (has some salt, but you're not gonna drink the liquid in the crock pot)! That is really delicious on a whole chicken.

They have a steak and chop marinade that is great on a pork tenderloin... and a pork tenderloin in a crockpot makes a great pulled pork type / texture of meat. I will do the tenderloin and then just take a fork and shred it and have it over mashed potatoes.

For making your own meals. One of my favorite quick and easy, but still pretty healthy recipes is pepper steak. When my hands bug me, I buy the frozen green peppers and onions already chopped up. For the meat, depending on how much time you have, you can pick up any better cut of roast or london broil which will cook up pretty quick (already a tender meat). Eye round works great too. Or if you have more time to let it simmer and tenderize the meat, you can pick up any cheaper, lean cut of meat as well. Working with either works well, just depends if you have under an hour or a couple hours! For the sauce, use McCormicks Au Jus packets. If you make a large pan, use 1-1/2 to 2 packets, for a small pan size, just one. I usually make a huge skillet for pepper steak and I'll start with 1-1/2 packets, then after it cooks for a bit, will taste the liquid. Too much of the au jus powder will make it salty.

Serve that over mashed potatoes or rice. Quick and easy, always a favorite around here. And it reheats in the microwave really well for make ahead, freezing or lunch for the kids the next day!

A friend gave me a super easy sloppy joe recipe... one bottle of bbq sauce and ketchup, mix 2 parts bbq sauce to 1 part ketchup (or to taste). Add green pepper or onion. I usually use ground turkey about 2:1 to ground beef. I use mostly ground turkey, but have to admit for sloppy joes, the beef really does make it taste like the bad stuff our moms made us as kids!! This one is really super easy and quick, much healthy then the canned stuff, not all the salt added. I can't have gluten, so I'll have this with rice or mashed potatoes while everyone else has it as sloppy joe sandwiches.

Jen

[Momathome]

I use my rice cooker a few times a week. It cooks without watching it and it automatically shuts off to warm and can stay warm all day if needed. It is nonstick and rice is done in 20 minutes. I also keep plenty of canned things to serve over it.
My kids love canned tamales and other spicy things over the top. Leftovers are a breeze because the pan is removable from the cooker and I just put it in the fridge and re warm it again in the base.
I use the crockpot for whole chicken with just spices sprinkled on it. Nothing else is needed. My girls favorite items to fix themselves is frozen baritoes (sp!). I hope these ideas will work for you!

[jumpinjiminy]

I've always been a fan of cook once, recycle through the week. Two of my faves are taco meat and baked or crock pot chicken. For the taco meat, we use it for taco salads, tacos, and nachos. Something different everyday with just 30 minutes of prep time once. The chicken can be reused in soups (easiest), tacos, quesadillas, or chicken salad (if you're feeling ducky one day).

Otherwise, when feeling low, I tend to subsist on V-8 juice, veggie trays, chips and salsa, scrambled eggs, and canned soup.