What’s for Dinner? – Week Starting 19 May 2018

What’s For Dinner Button

" data-orig-size="864,648" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" aperture="aperture" />

People are forever asking how I manage everything with such a busy schedule. I love to cook, but I don’t always have time to do so in the manner I would like. This weekly journal is a way to keep it real and show that while my intentions are good, sometimes life and all of its activities get in the way of serving a delicious, home-cooked meal and that it is perfectly okay.

********************
Saturday: Saturday was a delightful day in which we all pitched in to clean the house and get all of the household chores done. Unfortunately, that did not afford us much time to cook dinner, so we had a decent dinner dining al fresco at Quaker Steak and Lube. It is not my favorite restaurant, but Connor and Jim wanted wings. The sacrifices we make.
Sunday: A grocery run today meant I could once again cook dinner. In the spirit of the nicer weather and the weekend, we had our first grilled brats of the season and kept it a summer meal with chips, carrots, and sugar snap peas. Simple, easy, and always delicious.
Monday: It is so odd and yet so nice to have everyone at home these days. Even if Holly is at dance, there is one more person for whom to cook. It makes cooking so much more enjoyable. Tonight, I made Chicken Alfredo for my boys and served it along with a Caesar salad. The only complaint I received was that Connor felt the flavors were “too muted.” As much as I have to laugh at the food snob I seem to have created, I do agree with him. I would try it with a Pecarino next time rather than a Parmesan. If you like a more subtle alfredo sauce, then this may be one for you!
Tuesday: Holly had her last band concert (ever) tonight, so we needed something easy and quick for dinner. Cheese and onion enchiladas to the rescue, plus they were something we could all eat. Really, how can you go wrong with cheese, black beans, and tortillas?
Wednesday: A weird bunch of schedules tonight made dinner together a no-go. Each person was left to eat leftovers by themselves because sometimes that is the only way dinner can happen.
Thursday: Holly had her first of two dance recitals tonight. Since we had to be there early (5 PM) and didn’t leave the venue until after 9 PM, both she and I stopped at Culver’s on the way home. Meanwhile, Jim and Connor ducked out after her last dance and had the rest of the leftovers for dinner. I love not having food go to waste and meals good enough that the family wants to eat them again the next day.
Friday: Fridays are typically a no-cook day for me. I actually had food to prepare, but it is a slow-cooker meal and I did not get anything prepped. I expected to go out for dinner, but it turned out that no one was hungry except for Holly and me. So we made a down and dirty cheese plate with apples and peanut butter and some toast to get in another food group and left it at that.