my easy meals

Well, okie dokie!

Since there was such a vast

response asking me for my full list of 11 Easy Meals

(I believe it was...two of you),

here you go!

(Remember, I said they were EASY,

keep your expectations low.)

Sloppy Joe's

(homemade...not from a can.)

(Please)

Tacos

(self-explanatory, yes?)

Cold Sandwiches

(Get creative, people. Hoagies are a fav around here.)

Grilled Sandwiches
(Ham, cheese & mayo on wheat bread,

grilled on a buttered skillet.)

Pizza

(Homemade crust, it's easy. Really. And cheap.)

(Get creative with toppings

and make your family call you by

your Italian name, Sal.)

Meatball Sandwiches

(Homemade meatballs are the bomb...

but I often buy frozen to have plenty on-hand.)

(Reintroduce Sal to your family)

Hamburger Helper

(Homemade, of course.  I am a respectable

homemaker, you know).

(I will give you the recipe later, promise)

Chili Dogs

(Don't use chili from a can or I may

have to come to your house and make chili

for you.  Wait...that may come

back to bite me.)

Hamburgers

(Duh)

Taco Salad

(I have no idea what to say about that.

It is what it is.)

Chicken Fried Rice

(For the Asians in your life) 

As I think of more,

I will share them.

And if you have any super easy ideas

of your own,

do share, please!

Maybe I'll work up a big ol' blog post

with all of our ideas!

Then we will be super-heroes.

Oh and one homemaking peril I must share with you.

We are completely out of milk,

except FIVE gallons that are frozen solid in the freezer.

I have a teen boy who will be waking up soon.

In my panic,

I mixed some half & half and water.

He'll never know.

Right?

(If you happen to be driving by my house soon,

bring thawed milk, please.) 

meal-planning {and world peace}

As the mother of 27 children,

meal-planning is essential.

(Ignore my inability to count)

(I'm a little cloudy these days)

(A lot cloudy these days)

I've learned that eating at home is

cheaper than eating out.

Yes, it has taken me close to 25 years

to figure that out.

I used to ride the short bus.

So all this newly-found enlightenment

has taught me to write lists.

Oh, girls...do I write lists.

And, 

I go on wild tangents where I take 

grocery shopping-life by the horns

and show it who's boss.

I can work a shopping cart,

piling that sucker high and wide

with a million kids dangling off of it,

like nobody's business.

And I maintain a perky disposition all the while.

Actually, that last part isn't true.

Not true, whatsoever.

But most of the time, truth be told,

my planning and shopping is completely

whimsical.

I'm forever a free spirit.

However,

lack of planning has kicked me in the booty

more times than I care to count

and I'm done with it.

Done, I say!

So after learning from others' menu-planning

ideas, 

I have decided they know nothing

about what works for me.

Don't even try to get me to nail down

now what I will make three weeks

from this Thursday.

Forgetaboutit.

I'm a free spirit, I told ya.

So I came up with my own plan.

Here's how it goes:

I divided my meal categories into 

four categories:

(Breakfast isn't included because

to me, that's a no-brainer.  There's always

eggs/bread/cereal to eat.

No planning necessary)

(Unless I make breakfast for dinner,

which I've recently put a ban on.

But I can't talk about it, lest I get upset all over again)

Here are my categories:

1.  Easy

This would include things like:

tacos

sandwiches

sloppy joes

You get the idea.

I currently have 11 meals in this category.

Score!

2.  Big

This would be for a couple meals 

a week, like:

cajun chicken pasta

spaghetti and meatballs

fried chicken strips

They're heartier than the Easy meals,

and a more labor-intensive.

But I'm woman enough to handle it.

3.  Once-In-A-While

Let me explain this one in a little more detail.

These are hard-core meals.

Meals that will only be made randomly,

all based on my mood and degree of

generosity I feel towards my family on that given day.

Things such as:

chicken tetrazini 

(which K-Man does not like but everyone

else does...so that's why it's on this list)

salisbury steak

chicken-fried steak fingers

lasagna

4.  Quick Weekend Meals

Here's the deal on this category.

I all too often forget about meals for

the weekend.

I don't know why everyone can't

just be happy with a little spinach salad

and fruit.

But, no.

These people won't settle for that.

But I refuse to spend my entire weekend

in the kitchen.

(Who am I kidding?)

(I am nothing more than a non-paid

cook in a greasy diner).

May I take your order, please?

Here are some of your choices:

quiche

baked potatoes

fried egg sandwiches

ham salad

(that really does sound like a diner

menu, doesn't it? 

Except for the quiche, I suppose)

Anyhow,

all that to say, I now have my extensive

list of meals.

And I am pretty sure I remembered

to buy everything I need for all of them.

And now world peace can finally begin.

Because Lori only has to go 

grocery shopping once a month now.

In theory.

(Hilarious)

My work here is done.

You are welcome.

My tip jar is on the counter.

Feel free to utilize it.

left-overs {what to do?}

So,
I'd really love to know your
left-over-eating-policy.

Do you:

1. Eat left-overs strictly as lunches?

2. Eat left-overs as dinner?

3. Do you run out of the house screaming at the
very thought of pulling the tupperware filled with last month's
now green fuzzy entree?

This really is my fridge.
Don't judge.

We tend to eat left overs for lunches,
AND for every-man-for-himself-dinners on Sunday nights.

But I must say,
there are weekday nights when we truly could feast for days off
of previously prepared portions.

My family would consider that a ridiculous idea.

To which I think THEY are ridiculous.




Please,
share with me your historical meal habits.