Re-inventing Dinner

Day 180

I have recently figured out just how difficult it is to come up with different dinners each night.

As a bachelor, I was perfectly content with leftovers from one dinner to serve as dinner for the next 5 meals. My children, though, are not so accepting of that idea.

Now, being the one in charge of meals (yes, my wife has trusted me to take over the kitchen again--that's a story for another time), I've discovered just how difficult it is to come up with different meals for each day's dinner. My wife insists on a side dish of some vegetable of some sort (whether it's salad or carrots, or veggies doesn't really matter, as long as it's something--"And pastry treats don't count!" she has warned).

So this past week has been quite a challenge. Boys out of school a couple of days, feeding them all day long...it's been a nightmare really. All day in the kitchen weakens one's resolve to be creative, I say.

Tonight's dinner, then, was pasta, with a flare! You see, if you fix the same old stuff and give it a new name, and voila! Instant likeableness!

Dinner recipe:

Curly noodle pasta.

Regular pasta sauce.

Whole wheat crackers.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions.

Warm sauce, careful not to get burned.

Open box of crackers and place crackers in geometric design on plate.

Top each cracker with a few noodles, a small spoonful of sauce and a dash of Parmesan cheese and name it:

Nouilles et la sauce

"Best dinner EVER!"

"You should start a restaurant!"

"When I grow up I think I'll be a chef and make this!"

Redemption! I love cooking for my children!