It's 5:30 p.m. You just walked in the door with some tired kids. Your spouse is about 20 minutes behind you, so there's no one to help while you change your clothes, cuddle the kids, and fix dinner. What to do? Everyone is tired and hungry!

It doesn't matter if you are a stay-at-home parent who was chauffeuring kids to baseball practice or piano lessons, or a 9-5 drudge with kids worn down from daycare. It's a hard time of day. And the dilemma is the same! WHAT TO EAT AND HOW SOON???

First, settle the kids.

• Cut up an apple or two, pour some water into cups and let them snack. Count this as part of their evening meal and don't pull out the chips or cookies, unless that's part of your menu.
• Let them help get dinner by washing produce for a salad, setting the table, etc.
• Veggies with Veggie Tales!® (veggies with dip while the video plays)
• Nurse the baby (try a sling)
• When you can steal time from the kitchen, sit down with the kids and cuddle on the couch. They need you! Remember "H.A.L.T." (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)

SO, what to fix for dinner? My solution is simple and not very original: Plan ahead! Include these "Meals in Minutes" when planning one of your OAMC cooking days.

Tacos
Brown the hamburger with any onion, spices, etc. Freeze in meal-sized portions in a zipper bag. Collect other items for taco meal and keep together in pantry (taco shells, taco sauce, etc.) Grate cheese while you warm up the taco meat (in microwave or on stove) and heat the shells in the oven.

Spaghetti
OK, this sounds obvious. But, if you make sauce ahead of time and all you have to do is nuke a container of it (in pyrex, not plastic!) and cook the spaghetti, what could be easier?

Pizza
Freeze SMALLER portions of spaghetti sauce (you don't need as much!), pre-shredded mozarella and pitas or french bread, each sealed and frozen in their own bag and then bagged together. Bake at 450 degrees for about 5-10 minutes.

Soup
Something "MMmm-mmm good"™ or your own homemade concoction can be reheated quickly in the microwave. Serve a salad or veggies on the side.

Grillers
Marinades make simple meats taste great! See my favorite marinades.

Calzones
Find the recipe in my Keeper Recipes section. These are simple to make a quantity ahead of time and so good!

Nuggets
Serve with fries and sliced fruit. My basic recipe is easy and you can vary it according to your tastebuds. Or buy them pre-made and frozen (an expensive convenience food!)

Fish fillets
I prefer to buy them fresh and freeze them raw in meal-sized portions. Spray a pan with no-stick spray, drizzle a LITTLE melted butter, some lemon juice and herbs of choice (try tarragon or basil or dill) on top. Bake at 400 degrees. Check every 5 minutes. Fillets are done when they flake with a fork.

Rice and...
What's leftover in the fridge? Combine them with a little cooked rice, add a little soup or ranch dressing to moisten and nuke until warm. These culinary delights are usually not repeatable (sometimes that's good and sometimes it's regrettable!)

Pasta and...
burger and tomatoes, chicken and black beans, cheese and tomato sauce... You get the picture? Not fancy! Just fast!

Baked potato bar
Nuke potatoes while you chop and steam vegys, grate cheese, find other toppings in your salad drawer. Let everyone make their own. Serve with fruit.