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Thanks Jackwagstaff, I do feel pretty organised now! Just unfortunate I keep eating the freezer food that I have put away! But do know where to come for future advice and support, so thank you all for that and look forward to letting you know how it is going.

Best of luck Lola3 , I bet you're glad now you came on to this thread . Look how prepared you are getting prior to going back to work . I'm sure it will be fine for you .

indeed glad the confusion has been sorted out.

They say that each time you lift the lid on a slow cooker - it adds 20 minutes to the cooking time as that's how long it needs to build up the heat in there again. Also, ingredients should go in from room temperature if possible, ie, not straight from the fridge.

You will have loads of fun with it I'm sure. Mine is what makes me look forward to the cooler months. Mmmm, think I might have a go at baked stuffed apples in it this weekend.

Ha ha, well, I had a quick look at mine to make sure it was doing it's job!! Yes, mine is slow cooker, no hissing apparent! Was undecided about what to go for, but then decision made for me when friend kindly gave me hers. Am hoping to be organised and bung in meat and veg before going to work and return to lovely stews etc. Think slow cooker probably best for my circumstances, sorry for confusion, but does clear up the non hissing in my kitchen!

Lola, when you said you had got a pressure cooker did you mean slow cooker ? The two are quite different. One cooks slowly like the one you have just described and the other cookes very fast at high pressure i.e. stew that takes 3 hours would take 30 minutes (and hisses a lot).

I bet you were wondering what we are going on about as I think the slow cooker is silent.

Thanks for your support with this everyone; as I type have got slow cooker on with topside of beef in with veg. Got it on auto for 10 hours, but frustratingly want to keep popping in and peering at it! Perhaps should be doing it on a day when I am actually out for the day! lol
Cat senario sounded amusing; we don't have any, only a rabbit which is why I can never bring myself to eat or cook rabbit..would feel like Mr McGregor, amd my daughter would never forgive me.

That made me laugh Mrs Woof Woof, I could just picture your cat.

LOL - I know what you mean about the hissing Grisinni - when I had two cats, one of them wouldn't go anywhere near the kitchen when that mystery cat was hissing in there!

Good luck Lola with your recipes - the only limit is one's imagination and, like Grissini says - if you need any help - you know where to come.

That's great Lola, what a nice gift from your friend. Hope you enjoy it. It takes a bit of getting used to at first, what with all that hissing, but don't forget we're here for advice if you need any

TacoPete, any advice for stopping the O/H from eating the extra that is to go in the freezer

Hi Mrs WW, literally got one yesterday, not had time to do anything with it as yet. In fact, a friend gave me hers; she never used it and I was telling her I was buying one so she gave me that and the cook book that went with it. Interestingly, on another thread, there are lots of discussions about slow cookers and also recipes which I am taking note of, so am looking forward to a few trial runs before work begings (in 2 weeks...eeek!!) But I did do a lovely monkfish dish the other say (sophie Grigson's recipe) which was very little effort and could do pre work and just bung in oven later....beautiful! I did with rosemary and garlic mini roasties and roasted tomatoes and mushrooms. Your beef casserole sounds great, just thing you need on wet and windy day, proper comfort food.

JackW I thought I was the only one. If a cookbook does not have pictures I just can't get into it. The photo tells me in a flash what the dish is..I don't have to go through the ingredients list and method to understand what it is.

The photos are so evocative there is no way they can be replaced with words.

In fact, I don't think I even own a pictureless cookbook. I just wouldn't use it. Even where a book has only some recipes with pictures, those are the ones I try.

As for time saving tips, I always make twice the quantity and freeze half. It's amazingly simple when you get into the habit. Making stuffed chciken breast for four? Then make 8 and freeze 4. Your freezer quickly becomes a source of delightful meals without any added effort!

Hi Lola

Did you manage to get your pressure cooker and, if you did, how are you getting on with it?

It's wet and windy and miserable here so I've just taken a tub of homemade beef casserole out of the freezer - 10 minutes to defrost in the microwave then just half hour in the oven to heat it through and cook the dumplings I've put on top - whilst I'm cooking the tatties and beans from the garden to go with it.

Wow, thanks for such an informative and helpful post. Have lots of ideas now, and am definately going to get a pressure cooker. Tomato / bolognaise sauces are favourites with my family, and, to be honest, did not appreciate how versatile it was....just need a little bit of thinking 'outside the box', as it were! I do often find that when faced with a nearly empty fridge and larder, I can rustle up something lovely in very little time, but when the fridge is stocked of lots of 'proper' ingredients and good substantial basics for meals I can get very boring and unimaginative.
Thank you all for your helpful comments and advice.....I feel much more optimistic , and know where to come for any more support! xx

What cheese obsessive suggested is ideal , especially when the tomatoes are at their best . If you use the small ziplock bags , they are a good size for sauce for one meal , and you can add so much to a basic tomatoe sauce , garlic , chilli , basil , anything and everything , and it goes with so much , mince , meatballs , chops , over left over veg even cabbage and spinach can be disguised with a good sauce
Every time you do cook from scratch , buy double quantities and cook for the freezer , it'll save you time when you're working and something delays you . I'm not a lover of defrosting from the freezer in the microwave , but it's saved me a good many times . I have always got a few total meals cooked in the freezer . I don't know if you like rabbit , but it's a good alternative to chicken , and if you're going to take the time and effort to cook half , then cook it all , or better still buy two when they are on offer and cook a batch , sometimes just get them to the stage where they have onions , garlic or whatever , freeze them , then when you defrost you can add mushrooms cream , brandy , anything you like .
I would advocate a pressure cooker , the biggest you can buy , and the simplest , too many knobs , weights etc not neccessary . Mine is a "fagor " very big with a simple middle screw down lid , works perfectly every time , before that , a "tefal " that worked on the same principal.
I've not used a slow cooker , but several of my friends have and they say they are brilliant . Just add everything before you go to work , switch on , and come home to a casserole , just veg to do before serving .
Have a trial with a few things before you return to work and see what you think will suit you and your family . Do you have 15 refund on things from stores , if you do , try a pressure cooker and a slow cooker and see which is best for you . I bet the catalogues do a return if you are'nt happy with something.
Experiment with other sauces you could freeze , I would like to think that if do do manage to do this that it won't take up too much of your time , but also that it will save you money , and your daughter when she is older will be able to help you .
Know exactly what you mean by receipe books , adore the piccies , makes me salviate , ( and feel hungry as well !) a cook book without pictures for me is like a nut without chocolate .

Thanks, think vats of bolognese, portioned off and frozen is way to go! Am actually now quite excited about thinking of new ideas and time saving ideas....going to invest in slow cooker and start filling up freezer with sauces now in preperation for september, which in real terms is not that long away. I understand, Mrs WW, that you had said 'some', not all....think perhaps my 'working mum' anntenae is particularly heightened at the moment. Also, Cheese Obsesisve, thanks for your tips, have looked at link and does seem to be very good. Have got Nigella's How to Eat which I have found useful (although no pictures....at risk of sounding like a child, I do like to see how the finished dish is meant to look!) But thanks all for your tips and advice, hopefully the move back to work will not be as distressing (in terms of food, at least) as I thought. x

Have read everything everyone has said but can I just reiterate that I used the word "SOME" in my post as I am fully aware this does not apply to ALL.

I enjoy making up large portions of dishes such as bolognese or casseroles - all of which can be the basis for another meal when they've been portioned and frozen. Bolognese easily turns into the basis for a cottage pie or a casserole - with the addition of potatoes and pastry can turn into a meat and potato pie.

another idea is to make up batches of sauces and freeze them, the best thing is to make a sauce that can be used for lots of meals, for example, you could make up a basic bolognaise sauce and freeze it in portion sizes, then just defrost and it can be used for all sorts, lasagne, spaghetti, it can be spiced up with cumin and chilli and served tex mex style with tortilla chips or wraps, dolloped onto baked spuds with a sprinkling of cheddar, served with potato wedges, etc etc, you could make so many meals from just that one frozen mix.
basic tomato sauce is another one, or roasted mediteranean veg, as these can be used to make veg lasagne etc.

nigellas new book, nigella express, due out in a month, looks ideal: [link]

Thank you Rosti and Jackwagstaff for these posts and some helpful ideas. I have not got a slow or pressure cooker, but will probably get one now, certainly before I return to work. What is the difference, if any? Can I ask which one you would recommend? Thanks. Thinking of your advice, Rosti, I was making lasagna for lunch today and doubled the quantities to freeze for another time. (Delia's recipe, so may end up scoffing the lot before I get it into the freezer...LOL!) I appreciate your advice on this issue and your recommendations....... Cheers

Shop bought ready meals can be good ,ie M&S . But they are dreadfully expensive , especially for a family , in order to buy them you would have to go out to earn enough , sometimes you gain very little by being in fulltime employment ,other than life's little luxuries , which you can live without .
I sympathise with mothers of young children , some of whom from neccesity have to work full time , when they would far rather be with their children . Others , and I know many , work full time because they want to , have no real need to money wise , but they have no inclination to spend all day with their offspring , so they earn the money for nursery fees ,holidays , other non essential but wanted "things ".
I think women - mothers , in the 30,40, and 50's had very tough lives , with very little of any labour saving use. The late 50's and throughout the 60's must have been a really good time to be a housewife and mother , not many women had to work full time , not too many luxury items to covert , and most children were in what must be quite an enviable position nowadays in having two parents , and the same ones throughout their childhood .
Things began to get tough in the 70's when interest rates went through the roof , to end up paying over 15% when you originally took your mortgage out , when it was only in single figures is something young families today have no idea about , and I hope they never have to find out .
Things are very relative . Take the salaries people earn . Is it really any better to be on £1000 per week today , rather than £100 per week 30 years ago when actually it buys you in real terms very little extra , utilities having gone up , and the actual cost of living being so high . The biggest difference is in expectations .
I'm sure you're doing everything you can Lola to give your children the best start possible , you would'nt be posting on this site if you were'nt interested in feeding your children properly , have you got , a pressure cooker , or a slow cooker , they are just brilliant for busy mums , far better in my view than a microwave , although they definately have their uses . Everything cooks wonderfully in a pressure cooker , and it can be put ready either the evening before or early morning , ( not if you have a tiny baby and have to be at work at the crack of dawn ! ) veg can then be either added to it later ,or microwaved as you get ready to serve the meal . Also , as Rosti said , bulk cooking at weekends for the freezer . Use Zipped freezer bags instead of plastic containers and let your daughter help , the more mess you make the more fun she'll have .
Believe me , I'm not trying to make you feel guilty about working full time . Life does move on , times are different now , but they were'nt always a bed of roses then .

i agree rosti. also, shop bought doesn't neccesarily have to mean soggy tv dinners loaded with e numbers and sugar these days, some of these new ranges where most of the meal is prepared for you and you just have to finish off cooking it look good. also sainsburys supernaturals range is good (although a little pricy)

That's ok Lola3, easily done.

I actually agree with just about everything you have said. I no longer have a child at home, when my daughter was young I cooked most from scratch and also worked full time, but the difference was that I worked from home so I could do both.

Once I went out to work, I couldn't cope half as well and things slipped pretty quickly.

I agree with Mrs WW that half the entertainment is spending time in the kitchen and learning about the food when you are a child. That isn't possible when the time in the kitchen is a tired Mum and kids trying to get the evening meal on the table at a decent time of night!

Spending time with your children, talking to them and being with them is more important today than cooking every night. Making your own meals and freezing them is a good idea, if you don't work at the weekend and can find time for that alongside everything else.

I admire Mothers of the past who coped without all the mod cons, but they didn't normally work full time. I also admire Mums of today who HAVE to work to keep a roof over their and their childrens heads. If they turn to a shop bought meal a couple of times a week........ so be it.

and am so sorry, just realised was Jackwagstaff I was replying to, not Rosti! Sorry, have been following various other posts on here with interest and must have become confused!

What I was trying to say, was that I do feel those things you are talking about Rosti, spending time with children, cooking for your family etc are very important. (As I type I have fairy cakes in the oven made with my 6 year old) I would certainly prefer not to have to work, certainly full time, but unfortunately as the main breadwinner in our house, a mortgage to pay and family to support, we are unable to do without my income. I think it is difficult to compare family life now with 40 or 50 years ago, so much has changed and time has moved on. The main point I was trying to make was that I DO hold strong values based around the food that I give my family and how central meal times are to family life. I was merely pointing out that, unfortunately, I cannot see how I would actually be able to cook everything from scratch! I hope I am not being too sensitive over this issue, but unsurprisingly, often comments about working mums touch a nerve.

I don't think Mrs Woof Woof was implying that all mothers use time as an excuse , same as I did'nt mean all mothers .
But I do state quite catergorically that an awful lot of mothers do use time as an excuse .
They seem to think that nobody else has ever "been there ", or "done that ."
MY mother-in-law worked full time in a factory . However she did'nt work when she had small babies because of course there were no nurseries , even if her wages would have been enough to pay . She walked there and back twice a day . Walked home lunch time to cook ( yes cook ) a meal for her and her husband .Walked back to work .Returned home at 6pm collected her younger child from her sister , walked home and prepared another meal ,plus desert , this time for the whole family . She worked until she was 70 , although admittedly the last 10 years she did the same job ( fly dressing ) from home .
She died 2 years ago at 98. Hard life or what ?
No , I am not advocating a return to such a life , we should be able to progress , and move forward to something better . Our lives ought to be better now , easier more rewarding , but are they ? I don't think so . Why are mothers having to work full time with small babies ? Is this progress ?
Home life , learning from mothers , spending time with children , being able to cook for your family , eat and talk with them . What is more important ?
If I've offended anyone , I apologise in advance , I accept that life is very different now , but I don't accept that it has to be , it really is what you make it .

I agree with you Martin, was upset by Mrs Woof Woof's comment earlier. I am the mother of 2, a 6 year old and a 6 month old. At the moment I am still on maternity leave and enjoying watching uktv food and trying out new ideas. Also loving going to the market frequently and making many things 'from scratch'. I have always tried to do this as much as I can, but working full time with one child, let alone 2 was pretty time consuming. Don't get me wrong, some evenings and lots of weekends my eldest daughter and I spent time making lovely things (her favourite is cookies, for some reason!) and even had our own little Masterchef competition one weekend.
However, when I return to work full time in September, with one child at school and a baby in full time nursery, I will not get home until 6.30. Unfortunately at that time I cannot drop everything to immediately start cooking.....bottles need sterilising, baby needs bathing, homework to be done, and this is before any playing or reading time. Not to mention the general housework stuff and endless washing! I am not making excuses Mrs Woof Woof, and applaud your committment to cooking everything from scratch while still working long days. But please don't assume that us working mums are being lazy when we occasionally give our families an easy option. I work very hard at making sure we sit round the table most nights, as I have always done with my own family as a child. The guilt some working mums are sometimes made to feel is enough without being berated for not baking fresh bread every morning! Feel better now this is off my chest....thanks for reading this long missive, if you have made it to the end!