On Jun 18, 6:59*pm, phaeton > wrote:
> Starting the end of July, I will be returning to school. *I've abandoned
> my original plan of working full-time and schooling full-time, as I'm no
> longer in my 20s. *I will still be working 40 hours a week and going to
> school about 20 or so, however. *It may turn out that a few days during
> the week will mean a full day from 7:00am to 10:45pm between the two,
> with few breaks in between.
>
> I'm still learning to cook, but gone will be my luxury of spending a
> whole afternoon planning out an elaborate meal and merrily accomplishing
> it step-by-step. *I will need to either be able to create things quickly
> on the spot, or do a 'set-and-forget' approach while I go study,
> hopefully with the end result being several days' worth of leftovers
> (eyes the slow-cooker).

In the 'create things quickly' category, the number and variety of
meat + veggie stirfries
is endless. Start a pot of rice and most stirfries will be done by
the time the rice is ready.

Don't forget salads. A mixture of lettuces/greens, tomatoes/peppers/
cukes, and some protein -- hard cooked eggs, sliced chicken or beef or
shrimp or crab. Homemade dressing. A big salad can be an entire
meal, and will be a great alternative to the leftovers you'll have to
endure other times. -aem


>
> The problem is that I don't want to eat crap. *A frozen pizza here and
> there or a burger might do in a pinch, but I don't want to rely on
> 'convenience food' if I can help it. *I need to keep my mind sharp, my
> body strong, and my money to buy books and girls. *I mean... pens and
> paper.
>
> So I ask, what are some simple yet effective meal ideas that you enjoy
> or have enjoyed, or employed when time was scarce? *Thanks for any input.