Tuesday, September 1, 2009

What's for dinner?

Gohan nani?

Once a week, I am the one to pick up the Pumpkin Prince and Princess from day care. I try to get there by 5:15, which gets me home at 5:45. The Pumpkin Princess will usually want to watch TV, which I let her. The Pumpkin Prince will want to nurse, which I let him. However, he will not let me put him down even when he finishes, so I usually strap him to my back and get to work.

The laundry is usually finishing the final spin cycle when we walk through the door, because I load the washer and set its timer before leaving in the morning. I'll hang it in the spare room to dry. I may or may not fold Monday's laundry. If I don't, the Pumpkin Daddy will take care of it later.

Tonight's dinner is rice, miso soup, a stir fry of mushrooms and komatsuna greens, and mapo harusame.

This morning, I managed to wash out the rice cooker after packing the rice for the Pumpkin Princess's lunch (the Pumpkin Daycare has all the older kids bring their own rice), and the timer on the rice cooker is already set, so I don't have that to worry about. Last week, I was not so organized, and I ended up filling my saucepot with rice and water before walking out the door, and cooking rice on the stove.

Miso soup is pretty painless, since I already have my bonito flakes stuffed in tea bags.

The Pumpkin Daddy gets home, and gets to work folding and putting away yesterday's laundry.

I wash and cut up the komatsuna greens, and measure out the seasonings (soy sauce and mirin).

The Pumpkin Daddy starts giving the Pumpkin Prince and Princess their baths.

I fix the mapo harusame (takes about 5 minutes) and the veggie stir fry.

Dinner is served at 7 pm.

The problem is what to do come October, when we're down 3 people at work (2 on maternity leave, 1 on a fellowship in Boston). I probably won't be able to leave work at five. I'm thinking bath and laundry will happen after dinner.

3 comments:

coppercorn said...

That's a lot more than I do when I get home from work, not even counting that I'm not nursing a baby anymore!

The fact that fall is coming means that the crockpot is once again my friend (beans for salads are about the only thing I cook in it in the summer.)

pumpkinmommy said...

But the crockpot involves cutting up and measuring and stirring in the morning, which I'm not sure I can pull off. That and how the whole concept of Japanese cooking does not go well with crockpots makes my current method more practical.

Let me get back to you when the Pumpkin Prince starts food in a couple of weeks.

Annie Crow said...

Dinner is whatever The Dude makes (I feed Buster and put him to bed). Though on the days I work late (once a week) The Dude then has to handle both.

I feel guilty about this sometimes until I remember that I am up with Buster every morning.

Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but Buster is lucky if he gets more than two baths in a week. I am very vigorous with the washcloths in between.

I am always impressed by your meals.