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Posted by: Jack
« on: November 06, 2018, 04:37:24 pm »

Quote from: squarecutter on November 06, 2018, 01:53:21 pm
Do any of your kids choose to skip breakfast? Are they allowed to? So many homes these days bereakfast doesnt always happen

I don't allow anyone to completely skip breakfast.  I require the new and younger kids to sit down and join us.  While that does mean waking earlier, it gives them more time to wake up, it gives us a chance to share fellowship and touch base, and it gets them into a habit that normally sticks with them when they get older.

What we don't do is have a traditional sit down meal.  The boys are required to join us for a bit, but some of them want to come down and get a drink before they get ready, some get up and are ready to eat, and some prefer to shower and get dressed first.  That means that, while I'll see everyone, I won't see everyone at once.
Posted by: squarecutter
« on: November 06, 2018, 01:53:21 pm »

Do any of your kids choose to skip breakfast? Are they allowed to? So many homes these days bereakfast doesnt always happen
Posted by: Jack
« on: October 17, 2018, 04:53:16 pm »

We still do fast food occasionally - especially fried chicken and pizza.  Of course, we also have Whataburger here, which is always delicious.  Also, I love Sonic for their hot dogs and sides.  Otherwise, unless the kids really beg to go someplace, we normally do sitdown restaurants if we're not eating at home.
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: October 17, 2018, 07:25:40 am »

Quote from: Jack on October 16, 2018, 05:00:58 pm

You can see how tempting a drive-in or sitting down at a restaurant could be, I hope.

I drove Charter/tour buses for 23 years, so was on the road for 250-300 days a year.  My life was all about eating at fast foods and restaurants. About half of those charters were youth groups, which always wanted to eat at fast foods.  So if I never eat at another fast food it is okay with me.  Although occasionally I do get a hankering for a Whopper from Burger King or a half dozen Tacos from Taco Bell.
Posted by: Jack
« on: October 16, 2018, 05:00:58 pm »

Quote from: Zyngaru on October 16, 2018, 08:44:03 am
I rarely go to fast food places.  But if I go to Wendy's I will get a baked potato and a bowl of chili and then pour my chili over my baked potato.

When I was a kid, eating out was a really special treat.  As I got older, and was able to get around on my own and had money, 'treat' was how I dealt with stress and depression.  However, by my freshman year in college, it because obvious that I was going to have to work to keep the weight off.  However, from May '89 to May '91, I taught full-time (Monday thru Friday, 8am to 3:30 pm).  I went straight from school to the comic store, where I worked from 4pm to 7pm, cleaning, doing paperwork, and grading papers around and between customers.  I was usually able to leave for home by 7:30 pm or so, except on Thursdays, when we were open until 8pm.  At home, I had to take care of any grading/planning or store paperwork, and tried to be in bed by 11pm to get close to eight hours.  I worked 11am to 7pm on Saturdays at the store, occasionally had to chaperone or supervise an event outside of school, and fit chores and cleaning into my copious spare time.  And while my brothers were mostly older teens and didn't hang out with their big brother that much, I did have visitation with Steve every other weekend.

You can see how tempting a drive-in or sitting down at a restaurant could be, I hope.
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: October 16, 2018, 08:44:03 am »

Quote from: Jack on October 16, 2018, 04:55:52 am
I've never had scrambled eggs with crackers, though my step-father did used to make them with Frito's, which is interesting... especially with cheese and a bit of salsa.

Back then we bought eggs by the 3 dozen basket.  Usually 2 baskets at a time.  Mom baked, which means she went through a lot of eggs.  Our desserts were all homemade. Cookies, cakes, cobblers, candies for holidays.

My dad would eat 6 to 12 fried eggs for breakfast.  He did that his entire life.

Mom made us kids scrambled eggs with crackers, so they would go around and be filling.  Since I grew up eating crackers in my scrambled eggs, that is what I am used to and what I like.   

Now, I will sauté onions, green peppers and mushrooms.  If I have ham, I sometimes add some diced ham to the sauté. I crack three eggs, into a bowl, salt and pepper them.  I love garlic so I add a garlic seasoning to the eggs as well.  Then I add crumbled up saltine crackers.  I do this by sight as to how many.  I want a nice consistency of egg covered cracker without it becoming a paste.  Once the sauté is done, I add the egg/cracker mix and begin cooking them stirring so it stays separated instead of an egg pancake.  When the scrambled eggs are just about done, I add cheese over the top, turn off the heat and place a lid on the skillet so the cheese will melt without over cooking the eggs.

I eat it just like that, but it is also good with ketchup or salsa, or hot sauce over it.  It is also good with chili over it.

Talking about chili.  I was a grown man before I knew that real chili didn't have spaghetti in it.  Mom added pasta to our chili, so that it would go around and fill 8 hungry children.  I still make it that way.  My sisters don't add pasta to their chili.  They make it correctly.  So when they bring me a bowl, the first thing I do is cook up some pasta and add it to it. 

I rarely go to fast food places.  But if I go to Wendy's I will get a baked potato and a bowl of chili and then pour my chili over my baked potato.

I grew up with biscuits and gravy.  Scratch made biscuits. Scratch made gravy.  We had hamburger gravy.  Why hamburger gravy?  Hamburger was the cheapest meat.  Mom bought it by the 10 pound package.  Now I prefer meatless gravy. I have never liked sausage gravy. I do like SOS! I won't say what SOS stands for, but it is made with chipped beef gravy on toast.  From my military days.

Okay, enough about food.  I'm getting hungry.  I haven't eaten breakfast yet.

But honestly.  Try the scrambled eggs with crackers.  They are really good and filling.  Just don't cook them too long or they get dry.
Posted by: mahoover
« on: October 16, 2018, 06:47:57 am »

I was lucky about learning to cook.  When I was in high school, my mom was working full time and going to law school at night.  She just didn't have time to do everything, so she had my younger sister and I take over the grocery shopping and cooking diner.  I learned a lot then, about budgeting, about planning, and about cooking.  Mom was always available for advice, but my sister and I needed to do it all.  I grumbled a little at the time, but looking back, it was a great learning experience for me.

Its great that you are teaching your boys at least the basics of cooking.  There are a lot of men that can't do more than cook a steak on a grill.
Posted by: Jack
« on: October 16, 2018, 04:55:52 am »

I've never had scrambled eggs with crackers, though my step-father did used to make them with Frito's, which is interesting... especially with cheese and a bit of salsa.

When I left home, I wasn't much more than a basic cook, and I'm really not more than that still.  However, even that was self-taught.  When I left home, I wasn't able to cook anything, and I didn't even know what terms meant.  In those days before the internet, it was pretty hard to learn.  I was fortunate with Patrick's wife when I moved in with them during college - she taught me more in two or three years when we were both really busy, than I'd learned in my entire life before that. 

Like Zyngaru, I didn't really cook much between 1987 (when I got my own apartment) and 1993 (when Stevie moved in with me).  It was worse between 1989 and 1991, when I was teaching and running the comic store, and most of my meals were fast food, cans, or TV dinners.  In 1991, at 26, I was probably as heavy as I got before I turned 50.  When I stopped teaching, I had to spend probably six months hitting the gym daily to get back into reasonable shape for a man in his 20s (I think I was down to about 165 and a 33" waist by the time we had our third anniversary party in 1992).

Because of that, I try to... more than teach - to install an understanding in my boys of how much better  you feel when you stay active and eat healthy.  I teach them that it's easier to maintain than repair.  I teach them that food will be there when they want it.  I teach them that fast food, soda pop, and candy are treats, and that you don't do treats daily.  I encourage them to not be afraid to try new things, but not to be wed to them.  I also teach them to cook, and ways to cook for one.  Myself - and after Steve joined me - I did things like make (reasonably? moderately?) healthy casseroles and then refrigerate them and alternate the leftovers, to keep them from going bad, but also so I wasn't eating the same thing over and over.  It worked for two of us, and by the time Cathy and I separated, there were three of us (and it expanded quickly after that), so leftovers weren't such a problem anymore.

One of the reasons I make menus goes back (again) to how I was raised.  There were things I loved - chicken and rice casserole, baked chicken - but my step-dad preferred Mom's pan fried chicken (which I thought mediocre at best).  Guess what we had - almost every time.  Of course, there are meals we all like, and meals that are easier to prepare than others, so those come up again.  Van and Kenny both like challenging themselves and trying new things, and people have personal favorites that we don't have as often, so we do menus to try to rotate things, keep it fresh, and not leave anyone feeling like their needs and desires aren't important.
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: October 15, 2018, 11:07:56 pm »

Quote from: mahoover on October 15, 2018, 07:38:40 pm
I have to admit that I am jealous.  I love to cook, but find it very hard to cook a real meal every day when I get home from work.  It would be great to have the time and energy to cook a real meal every night.  Even if you have helpers, it still takes time.

I also love to cook, well did anyway.  My issue is that it makes no sense to cook a full meal for one.  Yes I could freeze the leftovers, but then my freezer would be full of old food.  I never cooked exotic like Jack.  I learned to cook basic meals, that fed 8 kids, plus adults. (cheaply)  Chili, Stew, Veggie Soup, Spaghetti,  Meatloaf, Biscuits and gravy, Scrambled eggs with crackers, Fried potatoes and onions.  I have learned to settle for shrunken versions of these, (out of a can) but of course they aren't like what I grew up with.
Posted by: David M. Katz
« on: October 15, 2018, 08:56:17 pm »

I'm hungry.   ;D
Posted by: mahoover
« on: October 15, 2018, 07:38:40 pm »

I have to admit that I am jealous.  I love to cook, but find it very hard to cook a real meal every day when I get home from work.  It would be great to have the time and energy to cook a real meal every night.  Even if you have helpers, it still takes time.
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: October 15, 2018, 05:05:23 pm »

Quote from: Jack on October 15, 2018, 03:50:01 pm


Going back to your last point and my first answer -- Once, the kids were all supposed to bring brown bags, because they were doing a section on nutrition in their health class.  I believe this was Corey.  When it came his time to tell what was in his lunch, it was something like - "Chicken Parmesan sandwich on sourdough, with Fritos, and apple slices with caramel dipping sauce."  The teacher was mad, because they weren't supposed to tell.  Corey's answer was, "Dad fixes lunches like this every day."  I had several requests to adopt at that point, including by the teacher.

Yep.  I'd be putting in an adoption request myself.  Do the boys need a Grandpa?  :o

Chicken Parmesan Sandwich.  Meatloaf Sandwich!  Sit down dinners.  Buffet breakfasts.  Heck I would even get up early and take the littles to school for morning buffet breakfasts.   ;D
Posted by: Jack
« on: October 15, 2018, 03:50:01 pm »

In Texas, what we have are individual ISDs (Independant School Districts).  While the State does set some standards, most details are decided by the individual districts.  While it's possible some schools in Texas do lunch bag inspections, I think the ones around here would be too scared to try something like that.  We have had 'progressive' ideas tried around here occasionally that ended up with parents playing the role of the villagers in Frankenstein.

We have sit down dinner together.  While it's not quite a requirement, by setting it at 6:30, most of the kids are able to make it at least several times a week.

The grocery bill is not at all outrageous... Not when you consider the number of teenage boys I'm feeding... Or when you're comparing it to the food bill for a zoo.

Breakfast is more a buffet than a sit down meal.  Most of the bathrooms are one for each two bedrooms, and most of the bedrooms have two boys.  Since most of the boys now are teens, there is a lot of competition for showers in the morning.  If I get involved, I make the boys rotate, but most of the time, they are able to come to a solution themselves. It works best since some prefer to hope right in the shower, while others prefer to come down, eat, and take a little time to wake before they have to really start moving.

When school's out, it's kind of hit or miss as to whether we eat as a group or not.  It kind of depends on what's on everyone's schedule. 

Going back to your last point and my first answer -- Once, the kids were all supposed to bring brown bags, because they were doing a section on nutrition in their health class.  I believe this was Corey.  When it came his time to tell what was in his lunch, it was something like - "Chicken Parmesan sandwich on sourdough, with Fritos, and apple slices with caramel dipping sauce."  The teacher was mad, because they weren't supposed to tell.  Corey's answer was, "Dad fixes lunches like this every day."  I had several requests to adopt at that point, including by the teacher.
Posted by: Zyngaru
« on: October 15, 2018, 08:46:21 am »

Ah.  Leftover Meatloaf sandwiches.  Yummy.

It has been so long since I lived with a menu and regular cooked meals, I forget how good they are.

Your grocery bill, must be outrageous.  (No I am not asking what you spend on groceries.  It's none of my business.)  ;D

But eating at your house would be an adventure.

Do you have sit down meals, with the entire family sitting together at one table to eat.  If you do, that has to be one big table.

I realize with extra curricular activities as the boys get older, it becomes difficult to sit together as a family to eat, but hopefully you can still do that.  I personally think it is good for a family to have that time together as a group.

I'm not an okra fan, but love Brussel sprouts.

I like the way you pack items separately for brown bag lunches so the boys can put their sandwich together themselves.  Advantage:  Not accidently putting mayo on someone's sandwich that prefers mustard.

Do you have lunch bag inspections in Texas?  Here the monitoring teachers at lunch look at what the child brings in their lunch and makes the determination if their lunch is suitable or not.  I say this because the school filed a complaint against a mother for sending her children to school with non-nutritious lunches.  It is the schools way to try and force parents to pay for in-school lunches which the kids don't eat.  In this case it backfired on the school, because the mother in question is a Dietitian and Nutritionist and the lunches she sent her children to school with met all nutritional standards.
Posted by: Jack
« on: October 15, 2018, 05:28:14 am »

I thought it might be interesting for some for me to post this.

We chat most evenings for an hour or so starting at 5pm Central Time.  I have to leave normally between 6 and 6:30 pm, because of our dinner time.

Normally, Kenny and I sit down on Wednesday evening and make out a menu for the following week.  For a long time, Thursday was my weekday off work, so that was when I did the grocery shopping.  Even now that I'm working half-days each weekday, that's just the traditional day.

Sunday

Last night we had baked chicken, roast potatoes, sauteed spinach, a cucumber salad, and pan-roasted tomatoes and mushrooms.  We had ice cream available for those with room for dessert.

Monday

Beef Ragout... I don't know what this is really called, but it's just round steak which simmers all day in a crock pot with some 'cream soup' - we prefer cream of mushroom. I normally make mashed potatoes and egg noodles to serve it over, though it goes well with rice as well.

Slow cook grean beans (a family favorite), roast carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts.

I have to take Mom to the doctor again this afternoon, but Jeremy volunteered to make brownies for dessert.

Tuesday

I had planned for this to be Taco Tuesday (which we do ever couple of weeks right now). However, we had a cold front come in yesterday evening, and it's raining and 45 degrees is our projected high for today and tomorrow... With that in mind, I'm thinking comfort food, so...

Pancakes, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, hash brown casserole, fried apples, biscuits and sausage gravy, and hot cereal.  I'm thinking I'll have some coffee cake available for dessert, but few non-teens can finish all that and have room for it.

Wednesday

It's supposed to warm up by then, but that's only comparable, as they're still projecting only 55F/12 C as the high, which makes it perfect weather for

Chicken Fried Steak

The 'traditional' fixings with CFS are mashed potatoes, cream gravy, slow cooker green beans, fried okra, and biscuits.  I always try to cook three veggies and, this being fall, I'll probably have roast corn on the cob to round it out.  Chocolate frosted chocolate cake finishes the evening.

Thursday

I'm leaning towards Crock Pot luck for Thursday night.  This will be the third weekend upcoming, so I'll have the grands, and crock pot luck always leaves leftovers.

When I say 'crock pot luck', it means I cook several different crock pot meals.  It means a little extra work in the morning, but it's easy to serve at night, and the boys are able to come and go more easily, which will be important for what is expected to be a cool and rainy evening of soccer practice.

While what I make for crock pot luck can vary, it usually includes chili, chicken and dumplings, beef stew, and spaghetti. 

Breakfast is more of an impulse item, though this morning I have a breakfast casserole I made in the slow cookers.  Usually we just do some type of eggs and meat, there are usually a variety of muffins around, as well as English muffins, bagels, or just plain bread to toast, and we always have hot and cold cereal.  I have coffee or hot tea for those who like it, and we always have a variety of juices and fruit available. 

No one gets out of here hungry.

I've spoken about how I do the kids' lunch before.  My kids mostly brown bag it, though they have the option of buying if they want - on the other hand, standing in line to get a hot lunch has always been a pain.

Yesterday, Van and I made meatloafs (meatloaves?), so the kids can have meatloaf sandwiches for lunch.  This being an odd day, they're getting carrot sticks, and cookies for dessert.  Tomorrow, they'll get chips, but fruit or yogurt for dessert.

I do have a rough plan for their sandwiches, and for Tuesday through Friday, it's going to be chicken patty, Salisbury steak, cold cuts, and hamburger patty or fish fillet.

I tend to pack the parts of a sandwich separately, which keeps it crisper and allows the kids to put it together the way they want it.  I sometimes send a small container of gravy for something like Salisbury's steak, but I actually buy boxes of those little packets of condiments for them.  I also prefer to cook their treats when I can, and they often have brownies or homemade cookies, though they're happy to get store bought when that happens.