Dinner A Love Story

I've been stalking a few blogs recently....and even read a couple of their books.
noteably this one
Dinner a Love Story

I was even going to leave a comment....well I started to, but then realized it was getting way toooo loooong.  So I figured I'd kill two birds with one comment....and post it here instead

Seven Day Challenge:
How many times have I read in my many years about menu planning.  Ughhhh
In real life....my real life
Doesn't work worth sh*t
When I worked in longterm care or small hotel kitchen....sure...rotation menu...seasonal.  Piece of cake.

Following ...is the Comment that got a little to long:

Its a great concept, and I've read your book....it's now sitting on the shelf at my daughters, we'll see what she takes from it.  And i've even started to write down every meal I eat since middle of December (why...I have no idea).  But....I've never ever been able to preplan meals ever.  I'm more a go shopping for what's on sale ( in whatever particular store I happen to be living around )for the next couple days worth of  eating.  That's sorta always been my challenge....to make a couple days worth of meals based on what's on sale.   And plan meals for only about 3 days if that. I've been doing this for 30+ yrs. Everyone should have a challenge.  And that's always been mine.  It's like that piece of new clothing you buy...what am I going to wear it with for the next two years.  Only...how many different ways can I use chicken breasts this week?  Or how much ham will the kids eat if I make a coked/root beered up pommegrante ham this week?

 While my kids were teenagers my husband was working out of town monday to friday. And there was hockey crap and dance stuff not to mention teenager stuff (I had three teenagers, and one of them was always learning how to drive it seems).  Plus having a small business didn't help. So who ever knew who was going to be home at any given time. And any spare time I had was usually spent on a golf green somewhere.  I usually made sure there were plenty of leftovers to nuke during the week.  How does one preplan a weeks worth of food faced with this household.  Now that we're down to only 2 of us.  A sandwich or nuked leftovers, or an omelette or takeout is usually on the menu.

Starting mid december, I'm the sole childcare provider for 2 g'kids 4 & 5 at their home so my down time is spent in traffic. I really hate HATE 1/2 day k'garten.

I leave the house around 5:30 am to arrive by 6am
The g'kids get up anywhere from 6-8am.  So it's breakfast.  Then entertaining them either at home or a car trip away at a gym, or park, or playpark in mall (after all it is winter and there have been some -40 days) then k'garten starts at 12:45 pick up at 3:15 ....you notice all the potential in and out of vehicles with little kids that usually don't want to go anywhere here.  If I don't like being in traffice the g'kids hate being interupted to get into a van even more than I do.
I sometimes make dinner for them if there's something in the fridge....but I usually have to go the the damn store (which is not very convenient from her place compared to my place)  But it's usually a trial in frustration cause I ALWAYS HAVE TO GO BUY SOMETHING TO COMPLETE THE MEAL.  Drives me absolutely insane.  I always want to start knocking on doors for some stupid igredient.  But NO ONE IS GOING TO BE HOME ANYWAYS....This is a street were you can't get a parking space for save your life after 5pm but the street is empty after 7am.
Like take friday.....I planned on pork chops...I even brought my husband to watch g'kids with me just so I wouldn't have to make two dinners....again.  Everything was all set.  Then I got it into my head to make coleslaw....
Drive to the store to get coleslaw mix, plus $30 worth of other crap that she didn't have....
Get back....start making lunch...plan ahead to make coleslaw
I thought I'd try something different....I should stop doing that....It usually just ends up annoying me.
The recipe called for
1 bag coleslaw mix
diced small onion
2/3 cups miracle whip or anything similar...not mayo
2/3 cups sugar
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp vinegar
salt/pepper/celery salt
...i think that was it.
hmmm, this sounded like alot of sugar

You think I could find the damn vinegar....anywhere.
There was cider vinegar...with alot of floaty things ....how long it was sitting in the cupboard was a question.  I opened the bottle..took a wifff.   Hmm smelled like it should....tasted it.  Tasted like cider vinegar.   But the floaty's were a problem.
I went downstairs to search the laundry room (usually that's where my bottle hangs out)....no vinegar.
Searched high and low...  finally broke down and called her at work.  "don't think I have any"

.....WHAT ELSE IS NEW......
All I needed was 1 friggin tbsp,.  Do I really...really have to GO BACK TO THE STORE????
God help me....I couldn't face that again.
This is were I was tempted to start knocking on doors.  But a quick look outside on the barren wasteland of an empty street kinda made me guess no one was home anywhere anyway.
My husband was in the livingroom and just told me to get it over with and go.   Enough already.  Well there was no trip to k'garten today and this would have been the fourth time since I arrived that I was faced with driving back up the damn hill ....ughhhh
I don't know what it was exactly that made me so angry.  I made plans to take g'kids to farmers market for an afternoon of play in the indoor play area.  Have some perogies for lunch maybe.  Walk around pick up some veg and fruit.  Drove all the way there.....it was closed.  The only week of the whole entire friggin year that it's closed is the weekend after xmas to the first week of new year.  Crap

It just so happened that while I was leaving the parking lot that my husband noticed a gun shop/firing range. ....next door.  Who plans on this sort of business right next door to a farmers market.  Stupid ass planners.   How many times have we been here and he has never ever noticed this place before.  He picks this moment to explore....while I am sitting in the van with two kids that only wanted to stay home and play lego's.   and where pretty pissed to even be in a vehicle.  We waited like what seemed FOREVER for him to come back..I even called him a few times to warn him I was leaving.
So farmers market is closed
...what to do for lunch
....micky d's???
...blaaaaa
...I know, how about mac and cheese with weiners (that was my husbands suggestion) that they all three decided would be a great lunch.   Ugh
....of coarse a trip to grocery store was needed so....weiners, mac and cheese, juice, and other crap had to be purchased never mind the treats.
...back at daughters, and lunch was served.
...then the coleslaw issue came up
back in the van.....back to the store....jug of vinegar was bought...also miracle whip (cause she only had mayo...i checked)
....back at daughters
....coleslaw was made....stuck in the fridge
....just before everyone got home....I checked on coleslaw...to have a sample (I really love coleslaw)
woowww...it sure was soupy....Uck....drained it...left slaw in strainer hanging over bowl...spiced it up a bit....back in the fridge.
.....Dinner is served.... yum
...as I was emptying her fridge of stuff I was planning on taking home to my own fridge (thank you very much,,,,but I needed miracle whip at home too) .  What did I notice....I FORGOT TO SERVE THE DAMN COLESLAW.   The bane of my existance that whole entire friggin day.....And I forgot to serve it.
Here it is Sunday....and that's all I can think of.  It would have been tasty with the BLT I had for breakfast.

And you want me to plan a weeks worth of meals.   I don't think that's going to work.  Trust me.  Besides I usually have to "plan" two seperate dinners.  This whole thing sound tooo much like work.

After originally posting this....I thought I should add....

It could be expected that the following meal was either being made....or was currently in the fridge waiting to be nuked for a second dinner or lunch (my kids also usually came home for lunch, as the school was a block away....usually with two or three friends each that were "but they're bus kids mom...and the cafeteria sucks")

1 pkg Kraft Dinner
1 lb ground beef (500g)
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cups liquid (crushed canned tomatoes, broth, water, combo of whatever liquid you have around)
1/3 cup sour cream or yogurt

Brown the beef till no liquid is remaining in large skillet ( i mean none, don't drain it,...cook it off)
add taco seasoning, pkg kraft dinner and 2 cups liquid
turn heat down, top with lid.  Check on it till liquid is absorbed.  If using canned tomatoes you might have to add some water to cook maccaroni a bit more.
While it's cooking away...mix cheesy stuff in pkg with sour cream.
Add this to pan.  Mix it all up before serving so that the last addition is incorporated.

You can top it off with chopped tomatoes, add some salad.  It usually tastes better and better the next day for lunch or a secondary nuked up dinner

I've added all kinds of things...like pesto, leftover roast beef chipped up with less ground beef,
It's like a smorgasboard of possabilities.  Add some frozen corn, or peas.  Whatever works for you.
If these is a carrot around, grate it in add it same time as noodles.
I either made this....or sheppard's pie with whatever leftover veg were around from the days before.