Happy Thursday, everyone

I was just chatting w/ a coworker about cooking and you know what, I'm bored of it.

Do some of you feel the same?

The other night, I bought some chops and veggies, I ate half a chop w/ two spoonful of veggies and I was done. I planned to take the rest to work as several days worth of leftovers, but I'm just not interested. As usual, they will just sit there until it's time to be thrown away. I simply, have no interest in leftovers. The intent is there, but the want dies after the first serving for dinner.

heycrystal2052, are you a leftover lover generally? I love them, but my wife and kid can't stand them. I have read that after surgery, some people don't like leftovers simply because of boredom. Once you can only eat a few bites, you want those bites to be super tasty, and dare if I say it, special. Something really good. Well, eating the same foods everyday, while good for you, is very boring for most people anyway. I hope I don't get to that place, because then it can get very expensive if you know what I mean.

Anyway, being 2 1/2 weeks post-op, your chops and veggies have me salivating right now. Can't wait until I can partake in a regular meal. For now, it is purees and protein shakes for me.

I'm a leftoveraholic. but I also pre-cook for the week on Sundays. I make whatever we are going to eat for the week on Sundays and get to it all week long...lol

I have to admit, if I had boundless energy, time, and budget, I would make new food for every meal, every day. LOL. But snap! That's not my reality. I'm getting to the point of being very tricky. For instance, I will make "bases" (i.e. ground beef/turkey/chicken/or pork with onion and garlic, s/p; grilled chicken "planks" or strips or cubes, grilled sirloin strips, grilled pork chops, etc) and will make or buy "base sauces." Then I package and freeze them so we can weigh out 3 or 6 ounces (for me or Mr. Fluffy) and combine them with different sauces (i.e. LC/LF Alfredo, marinara, "cream" gravy, pot pie gravy, enchilada sauce, red chili, green chili) that are also frozen in small containers. It's like having garanimals for your food and for me anyway, it doesn't feel as much like having leftovers as other meals. That way, I literally cook only 1 or 2 times per week (other than throwin a salad or veg together).

It kinda takes the pain out of leftovers and makes them Lucky Leftovers instead!

Edited August 24, 20179 yr by FluffyChix

I'm not sure how to cook 2 oz. of chicken, LOL -- sous vide? I love leftovers, fwiw, its like "free" food!

Edited August 24, 20179 yr by Apple203

I don't eat leftovers at all. I feel like leftovers are punishment. Also reheating food is so dicey when it comes to moisture content and being able to eat it. I like freshly prepared foods only. I was a snob about my food before surgery and I am even worse post-op.

How popular meal prep has became is just mind boggling to me. Purposely creating leftovers is nuts.

I didn't force my stomach to eat "real " food enough in the beginning. So now I'm still struggling to eat things like chicken, veggies etc. So I hardly ever cook anything at home unless it's something that the boyfriend really likes. The last thing i fixed at home was ground turkey meatloaf, streamed broccoli and red mashed potatoes. That was a month ago. I would LOVE to eat leftovers, but it's beyond expensive when most of it goes in the trash. Protein bars, yogurt and cottage cheese are my daily staples

11 hours ago, DropWt4Life said:

heycrystal2052, are you a leftover lover generally? I love them, but my wife and kid can't stand them. I have read that after surgery, some people don't like leftovers simply because of boredom. Once you can only eat a few bites, you want those bites to be super tasty, and dare if I say it, special. Something really good. Well, eating the same foods everyday, while good for you, is very boring for most people anyway. I hope I don't get to that place, because then it can get very expensive if you know what I mean.

Anyway, being 2 1/2 weeks post-op, your chops and veggies have me salivating right now. Can't wait until I can partake in a regular meal. For now, it is purees and Protein Shakes for me.

You know what, I was huge on eating leftovers in the past. If I go out to eat, obviously, I'll always bring something back home and will eat the rest for another meal/meals. I think my issue here is, I made pork and since the surgery, pork isn't really something I care for. Sadly, beef and pork don't interest me anymore.

6 hours ago, OutsideMatchInside said:

I feel like leftovers are punishment.

especially when they are from my cooking

i do enjoy my chili, put into pre-measured portions

in freezer. nice leftovers. easy peasy!!

that's about the extent of my cooking LOL

not the best cook

i keep experimenting, trying to improve my skills (or lack of)!!

"Do or Do Not there is NO try)" Yoda

kathy

I love leftovers... sadly I have a teenage boy in my house. I haven't seen a leftover since he turned 13.

I don't know what I would do without meal prep. I eat 5-6 times a day, and at least 3 of those meals are warm, 2 at work. There is no way I could do what without meal prep or leftovers. I usually eat 2 warm pre made meals at work, and a fresh prepped warm meal at home.

I batch make up to 30 portions at the time and freeze. I have a variety of 5-6 different meals in the freezer and just pick what I would like. It saves me so much time.

I'm a leftoveraholic. but I also pre-cook for the week on Sundays. I make whatever we are going to eat for the week on Sundays and get to it all week long...lol

How do you cook for a week? I need to do this.


Best wishes!

Dotty Cole

Meal prep has been a key to my post-op success. I cook up 5 pounds of chicken breast and then break it into 3 oz portions to use throughout the week. I do cook my daily hamburger steak and salmon fresh. I also cook up a big pot of green beans to use throughout the week. I do the green beans and chicken for convenience.

When I do eat out (which is mostly when I travel for work), I order whatever meat/salad/green veggie combo I'm going to get, and I do take the leftovers in a box. I usually end up using it somehow, but often times, I throw it out and get new the next time (especially since it is all going on my company AmEx.)

1 hour ago, blizair09 said:

Meal prep has been a key to my post-op success. I cook up 5 pounds of chicken breast and then break it into 3 oz portions to use throughout the week. I do cook my daily hamburger steak and salmon fresh. I also cook up a big pot of green Beans to use throughout the week. I do the green beans and chicken for convenience.

When I do eat out (which is mostly when I travel for work), I order whatever meat/salad/green veggie combo I'm going to get, and I do take the leftovers in a box. I usually end up using it somehow, but often times, I throw it out and get new the next time (especially since it is all going on my company AmEx.)

I've thought about going back to Plated.com, but with looking at their menu, I'd have to omit way too many things to make it something I can eat. I did what you did, bought packages of chicken and would meal prep on Sunday's, but I found I was wasting WAYYYY too much food. I'd get up in the morning and be so turned off by the fridge and I'd run to my lunch packets of tuna and other proteins. I'm trying to get better, but I've noticed, I do this in phases.

8 hours ago, proudgrammy said:

especially when they are from my cooking

i do enjoy my chili, put into pre-measured portions

in freezer. nice leftovers. easy peasy!!

that's about the extent of my cooking LOL

not the best cook

i keep experimenting, trying to improve my skills (or lack of)!!

"Do or Do Not there is NO try)" Yoda

kathy

Now chili, I can eat the heck out of that daily. That's always my go-to and I'm so excited, it's beyond beneficial for us. I don't make my own often, but I love the recipe Jason's Deli uses. So, delicious!

@heycrystal2052 Can you please hook us up to your Jason's Deli chili recipe, purty please?