Wednesday, January 28, 2009

What's For Dinner?

The dreaded question.  What's for dinner?  Now Cooper, in his Aspberger's world asks this question every day right after dinner. "So, mom, what's for tomorrow's dinner?"  Cooper does have this need to know.  I usually say, "I haven't figured it out yet buddy."  This calms his world and we move on.  I don't know.  I usually figure it out when I am leaving my shift at Starbucks and driving home past Costco.  

I have tried to do menus, let all the kids pick a day and then help me cook.  It usually works for about two weeks, then we give up.  I am not a great planner of meals.  I do have about a dozen meals that I whip up in twenty minutes or less.  And I do love the crock pot.  Love the crock pot.  Stick something in, some veggies, some kind of liquid, and six hours later, yumminess.  But again, the crock pot takes planning. 

I do try various things to get on track, but nothing really sticks for me.  That being said, my kids do get homemade meals every night.  Except for clean out the fridge night.  Everyone needs a clean out the fridge night.  Otherwise things turn green and fuzzy.  I have thrown out tupperware with fuzzy green things in it.  Not worth the touching of the gross stuff.  Yuck.  Nasty.  Always have a clean out the fridge out night.  There is something for everyone.

So my mainstays are tacos, sloppy joes and french fries, hot dog night (with chili dogs and cheese and stuff) and chicken alfredo.  You are questioning my chicken alfredo, but I have found the easiest way to make it, and everyone loves it.  Get a roasted chicken from Costco or Sam's Club.  Get the Bertolli alfredo sauce and some pasta of choice.  Take the chicken off the bone, slice it into chunks, add it to the sauce, make your pasta, toss it up and serve.  Easy peasy and really, really good.  Then take the chicken carcass and make chicken noodle soup.  Done.  Two meals, everyone happy.

I have a dear friend that has embraced the cooking once a month thing.  You cook for like twelve hours and freeze it all and then just take it out and bake it the rest of the month.  She loves it.  This of course takes planning and again, I am not a planner of meals.  

What is your "go to" meal when the chips are down?  Share the love.  

God bless  you and yours.

5 comments:

Baby Z's Mom said...

Dinner? What is this dinner you speak of? Just kidding. I too don't plan. I wish the stuff would come out of the freezer on it's own. I am always forgetting to thaw something. I can whip up dinner in 30 mins as long as the pantry is stocked. If it isn't, breakfast is really a good way to end the day too. Good go to meal, chicken breast cubed, cooked with some butter & italian seasoning, some celery if on hand and a jar of your favorite tomatoe sauce. Simmer & serve over rice or pasta.

Christmas with CWG said...

One word: Spaghetti. OK, two words: Spaghetti and Ragu. Seriously, we have this 3x a month--my kids would have it every day. That's why I love them.
I always keep a lasagna in the freezer (one that comes from the grocer's freezer:). And, any time I make a casserole, I always make two and freeze one.

hiyahun said...

My fall to meal is breakfast for dinner. The kids love the backeards thing. Pancakes area BIG hit or just plain scrambled eggs. They like to break the eggs so we scramble, not many get broken with the yolk intact... or they like to flip the pancakes. Not always healthy, but they have fun helping cook, and isn't making memories what really matters? If you have time boy do i have an easy pizza recipe for you...LOL

Anonymous said...

Freeze everything!!! leftover spagehetti sauc/taco meat/hamsoup - pull it out and throw it together and you have chilli - but MUST LABEL - or everything looks like a brown gob - Also Canned Chicken - must have in the pantry - add to soup, pasta, salads etc or make a quick pot pie with freezer crust - channed chicken, frozen vegies and cream soup - yum!

Anonymous said...

OK apparently I can't spell - new keyboard