What's For Dinner

Pandemic or not, figuring out what's for dinner is often my biggest struggle. When I was working, I'd have to meal plan otherwise we were eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Since March, things have gotten worse and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Not only is going to the store more stressful, but for awhile, the shelves were bare! But as we've started to settle into this new normalish life, there isn't a shortage, except for Dawn Powerwash Spray (what is up with this? I love this stuff!!!).

I'll get into grocery shopping later, but in an attempt to keep Mom sane and avoid meltdowns (for me. It's all about me), I told the family that they needed to give names of countries, or locations in the world, and a food item from that region. My son was the only one that suggested Taco Bell, which of course, I shot down, but even hubs participated and he's usually not so...creative (probably not the right word but this is a family blog...lets keep it clean). 

It just dawned on me. Maybe he was so helpful because he was bored with my cooking. 

No, that's silly. I'm awesome!

Anyway, we put all of the suggestions into a hat and after each creative meal, we take turns drawing. We haven't been as diligent with having these meals on a weekly basis, but we've managed to check a few off. And you'll have to forgive me if the food item isn't actually from the region. We didn't do any serious research. 

Mexico: Enchiladas (These were just okay. I think I need to use chicken thighs instead of breasts. Even covered in sauce and cheese, they were a little dry.)

Germany: Pretzels and Brats (I cheated and I didn't make the pretzels but I did the brats in a crock-pot with some beer and they were delicious. So juicy (I was gonna use the "M" word but wasn't sure if I'd offend anyone!).)

France: Crepes (These did not turn out as great. It took me several tries, but the family ate them with a variety of toppings. And they also did not freeze well. It was worth a shot.) Recipe Link: https://houseofnasheats.com/crepes-recipe/

Ireland: Bangers and Mash (These were awesome. Again, brats in a beer gravy! I highly recommend and it was so easy.) Recipe Link: https://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/bangers-mash-with-stout-onion-gravy/

England: Fish n Chips (These tasted great, but very time consuming. And honestly, the biggest pain is getting rid of the oil. If you're gonna attempt, make a plan. Also, the oil never got as hot as instructed. My uncle, who is an amazing cook, said to use peanut oil and you have to use an outside frying contraption. Even with not as hot oil, the fish was great and not greasy.) Recipe Link: https://howtofeedaloon.com/fish-chips/

Southern US: Chicken and Waffles (honestly, they didn't need a reason for me to make these. I love these things!) I cheated this time and used frozen chicken strips but I made homemade waffles (well, from a mix) and they were delicious. I did add a spicy honey siracha sauce and syrup to my plate. You can find the spicy sauce here: https://lifeloveandgoodfood.com/fried-chicken-and-waffles-recipe/

Up next is Italy and we're finding fun pastas and sauces! What are some fun menu items you've tried. 

Bon appetit!

4 Signs You Should Have Stayed Home

I consider myself an introvert and even going to the store can be a very uncomfortable situation. I often try to avoid going anywhere, which is why I love Amazon. But sometimes when I do have to venture out, I sometimes feel like I should have just stayed home. Here are a few signs that I'll pay attention to next time (learn from my mistakes):

1. Your car didn't start right up: this can often lead to you calling AAA and getting service on your car while you're trying to get fingerprinted for a new job. 

2. Your youngest tells you their head hurts: she continues to tell you she's fine and you want to believe her because you're on your way to pick up more girls for a Girl Scout event, where she throws up at the first stop.

3. Your daughter tells you that she's gone to the potty a few times but nothing comes out: again she tells you she's fine and wants to go to the store to look at Halloween costumes only to make you leave before you are finished shopping because she has to use the restroom and it's a pandemic and you can't use a public one. 

4. Trust your instincts when you think your child is fine: instead you call the doctor and they insist you come in, test her urine, which is fine but then suggest you get a belly xray to find out how constipated she is, when she can't be because she feels fine, except for using the restroom a lot. Only to find out that the costly test showed that she was only mildly constipated. (Normally I'm cool with whatever a doctor or nurse suggests but this time felt completely unnecessary.)

None of this was very extreme but each day I'd wished I'd just stayed in bed. Tell me about your days?