Food Inspiration

Ian's Momma posted a dilemma that I've been facing-dinner. The first thing my kids ask me after school or after their activity is "what's for dinner?" How about - "Hi, Mommy! How was your day?" No such luck - "what's for dinner?" is the winning question of the afternoon/evening.

My kids would love if I made the fun stuff all the time - ie chicken nuggets, banana and carrots with fries. They'd be in hog heaven especially my tiniest. Getting her to eat something out of the norm is next to impossible.

June gave me Pioneer Woman's cookbook for Christmas so you'd think I would have whipped up all these fabulous meals. I have made some favorites - Penne alla Betsy - Chicken Spaghetti but not lately. No such luck (did I say that already? Well, it's true). After the holidays, I declared it Mommy Vacation. I made BBQ Sauce, baked a storm and was really consistent with cooking meals. Now, I'm in a funk. I feel like with the hustle and bustle - dinner is the last thing I want to do. Daddy is super for this but tonight is the first night of indoor soccer sooooooo, no Daddy to help out. Monday, he whipped a mean chicken nugget meal for the kids - yesterday (was nuts) we bummed leftovers from the C6 Fam. I did have Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers planned out but after Chess Club and play practice...C6's leftovers sounded better. :) I let the poor concussion-ed (is that a word?) Daddy of the C6 whip up their leftovers (thanks, Dao and Denise!).

Tonight, I thought for sure I was going to make that and then tacos tomorrow. I got home and Isa said "Mommy, could we have chicken tacos tonight? It sounds better." Chicken tacos I can make in my sleep SO yep, you can have chicken tacos...as long as you shred the chicken. All the kids love to shred chicken - Daddy and I don't. It's a wonderful swap - they shred we cook.

I don't use taco mix - I use throw-stuff (spices)-into-sauce bowl-add-water and stir with the chicken.

Our rule with tacos is you must have a veggie (I hadn't realized since I was planning on making this tomorrow that I was out of tomatoes) and have one of the three condiments. Dev and Isa have lettuce then Dev takes all but guacamole and Isa put salsa. Nana likes salsa and sour cream. She gags (literally) with lettuce so she had a side of carrots.


Our issue is our Trader Joe's Truly Handmade Tortillas always break. That's the problem with tortillas made without partially hydrogenated oils - they don't have the preservatives to hold up with tacos. :( Daddy has a method to make them not break less meat or less salsa (I can't remember) but I left them to their own vices. Double light sabers always eat dinner with us...whatever gets him in a chair eating.

Viola! Their own taco madness. I was also out of shredded cheese so I cut up sliced colby jack.

Nana usually gives up, grabs a fork and goes to town.

SO, any dinner suggestions? I'm always open to new dinner ideas. Please share.