So last night I gave my family a research task (Super-mama and I are obviously on the same page at the same time about meal planning—planet alignment or just mama burnout?). I asked the fam to poll friends for some new dinner recipes. I told them they could even use the Internet (I thought this would be a hit) to research kid-friendly meals. This in a burst of inspiration arising from the depths of my brain-dead dinner mind.
Once upon a time I liked to cook—I still do if someone tells me what to make—but coming up a meal that everyone will eat without loud complaints is a trying task. Leah is a self-confessed vegetarian, I recently (mostly) gave up dairy, Ty eats nothing that isn’t pasta or taco makings, and Curt would prefer something that doesn't involve eggs, the spicier the better. For the record, he does not complain—he also cooks, which takes a load off.
Frankly, my brain is plumbed where dinner is concerned. Snaked clean. As a result, we’ve been eating the same few meals every week for I don’t know how long, and I have come to dread the late afternoon. People say if you don’t think of it in the morning, it’s too late. I disagree. Deadlines work wonders, even though they're stressful, and by 5:00 I’ve always thought of something. I've also heard it said that women think about dinner as much as men think about sex. Really? I think about dinner an awful lot, or at least about the fact that I haven't thought of anything yet. No wonder...but that's a different topic.
So the task. My kids were less than enthusiastic about taking any responsibility, but in a burst of helpfulness Leah thought up five meals and wrote them on our chore board so I wouldn’t have to think for the next week. True kindness. But what I really want is new recipes for meals my kids will eat. I’ve told them to ask their buddies what their favorite meal at home is, and then to ask that parent for the recipe. I’m pretty sure they think I’m not serious. I am. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out.
Meanwhile, I’m going to write down that easy chili recipe.