Can't Stand The Heat? Get Out Of The Kitchen!

This has been a terribly long week for me and I apologize for being away. I have, literally, been out of my house more than I've been in it for the past 5 days.

Monday: Up at 5:45, go to work until 2:30, to the doctor at 3:20 and back home around 5. Make dinner, do some laundry, clean up after dinner, take pills, go to bed.

Tuesday: Up at 5:45, go to work until 2:30, head to X place for meeting at 4, head home at 5:25 and get home. Make dinner, do some more laundry, clean up after dinner, chase Middle down to do homework, take pills, go to bed.

Wednesday: Up at...you get the drill...go home, help my dad with something, make dinner...you get the drill, force Middle to SIT and DO HOMEWORK, sigh, take pills, go to bed.

Thursday: Same shit, different morning and day, go to meeting, leave meeting at 6:30, go home to dinner already cooked, eat, take pills, watch Survivor, CSI, and fall asleep watching Eleventh hour.

Friday: Same shit, different morning and day, to to meeting until 4:30, get home around 5, go to my bedroom, collapse on the bed and stay until I pass out.

So here I am. It's Saturday. I'm sitting here thinking about the next week ahead and how on Wednesday and Thursday I won't be home until after 8 at night. I'm thinking how freaking tired I'm going to be on both of those days and how Friday I will have the day off work but I'll be too damn tired working 13 hours on Wednesday and 8+ on Thursday that I'll spend the entire Friday in bed.

Wednesday and Thursday will need to be easy - peasy meals for my family because I won't be here to cook them and Mr.'s idea of a "healthy meal" consists of either hot dogs or macaroni and cheese. While this appeals to my preTzel boys I'd prefer they eat a bit healthier.

Over the years I've followed the same basic, good, meals I grew up on. Over the years I've realized that while fried chicken tastes YUMMY it's really not that great for you. So I've taken to removing all the skin before frying (which Mr. and Teen prefers anyway) and fry it that way. But what they love the BESTEST is skinned, de - boned and basic grilled chicken breasts with minimal pepper to give it a bit of a kick. Mr. likes to also mince up fresh garlic (actually he puts it in the food processor and processes until it's almost liquid) then rolls the breasts in that. It really is good, healthy, and smells heavenly while being grilled. (We have a smokeless indoor grill.) He will usually makes some long grain wild rice and some veggie to go with it. It cooks quick and is good for you. But then he adds butter to the rice (which I think is DISGUSTING!) and the boys like it that way.

Meatloaf is a meal that I ate growing up and I love it although my cholestor level does not. I add fresh onion, garlic, bell pepper, and pepper to mine. A few years back I was out of ketchup and what is meatloaf without ketchup for the frosting? I freaked. I was almost in tears and then Mr. says "Hey, use barbecue sauce!" GROSS! But I had no choice and it turned out great.

Mr. also thinks adding tuna to mac and cheese is a delicacy that should be served in the finest restaurants. I think it is just nasty but the two older preTzel boys will eat it so maybe he can make that one of the two days.

Now Baby is a picky eater. He has texture and taste issues. He also has this bad habit of *thinking* something is gross and gagging while it is still on the spoon on the way to his mouth. He used to eat no meat save for chicken nuggets from McDonalds. Then one day we were at local Grocery Chain Store and they were giving away free samples of Iowa Pork Chops. They all had cutesy toothpicks in them and Baby picked one up and popped it in his mouth. Then he took another and another until I said "Baby, don't be greedy." I spent the exhoribant price for them and cooked them thinking Baby would love them. He didn't. Then I went out and bought the cutesy toothpicks for them and he ate them and loved them. Wierd child, that one. He now eats them sans the toothpicks but it took awhile.

I love to cook and love to eat. I can go in to a restaurant and if I find something I like I try to savor it on my tongue, draw in all the ingredients, and try to repeat it at home. My best was the Charleston Shrimp dish I make. It is so delicious and at $15.+/plate I can save myself some money.

I think it is important for everyone to play around with recipes in their kitchen and find a recipe that they created. It's important to know what you and your family likes.

Use lots and lots of fresh herbs and ingredients. The fresher the better. Don't use measuring cups for meals. Taste it and add as needed. I have a rule that I don't use measuring cups unless it's for baked goods. Even then I'm known to throw a bit of this and that in there.

Teen once made a box of Tuna Helper and decided it needed something extra. He put an entire bottle of bay leaves in it. I've been unable to eat the Tuna Helper or anything with bay leaves in it since. But...I gave him kudos for experimenting. He also made a potato soup once and added cheese to it. It was delicious!

I must admit that mashed potatoes are a favorite of mine. With or without gravy. I love to eat them and eat them with lots of butter and salt. It is not healthy for you but they are YUMMY! I also add cheese on occasion to mine as well. Ore Ida has some new product out that is supposed to be just like home made mashed potatoes. I've not tried it but I think I'll buy some so Mr. can make them this week while I'm slaving away at work. Teen will be my best judge because, like his mama, he loves him some mashed potatoes. OH! They have the sweet (mashed) potatoes too! Be still my lusting tongue! I'm getting some of them too!

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