Thursday, May 08, 2014

You Made WHAT for Dinner?!



I have been in a bit of a dinner slump.

Uninspired.

There’s just so many ways you can make chicken.

So last week, after a highly critiqued, uninspired meal,

I came up with the brilliant plan that the girls would have a night 
where they were in charge of making dinner.

They have cooked with me before and know how to read a recipe 
but they’ve never done this on any regular basis. 

And what better way to equip them to be wives and mothers 
than making them come up with a dinner plan after they have
been in school all day, are tired, uninterested in feeding 
anyone, anything at anytime?

Can I get an AMEN?

McDaniel and Ellie immediately took to the idea and then began to squabble about what to make and who would be in charge of what.

So just like magic, one night became two so they each could be totally in charge of cooking dinner.

I’m quite the magician.

Ellie’s night came first and involved chicken breasts sauteed in butter in the skillet with all kinds of seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, salt and “some other things” she couldn’t remember.

She put the breasts on a pretty plate in the center of the table with a jar of pickles,

which ended up being the only side dish.

I wish I’d taken a picture.

The chicken was amazing!

Juicy and tender and very flavorful.

And the pickles complimented it better than you’d think.

We all gave her a thumbs up.

While we were still at the table for Ellie’s meal, McDaniel started brainstorming her night’s dinner plans.

She envisioned a creation involving a variety of meats 
called a “meat bucket” filled with mashed potatoes.

Yes, this from the girl who got her
OWN arm stuck in her hair.

We all gave her a thumbs down.

The next day at the grocery store, she modified the “meat bucket” into the “meat pocket” involving pita bread, pepperoni, roast beef, chicken, red pepper, mozzarella cheese and, of course, mashed potatoes.

Not delicious homemade mashed potatoes that she has helped me make, 
but the kind that comes in a plastic container and can be microwaved.

A jar of banana peppers and fresh raspberries served as our side dishes.




It was interesting.

As interesting as cold chicken shoved inside pita pieces that she cut into triangles thus losing their pocket-like quality could be.

McDaniel’s plate. She was quite proud of it.

Ellie made some sort of castle tower with her food.

The girls liked it.

Monte and I rolled with it.

It was no meat bucket

but for that we are very, VERY glad.

Do you have a night your kids make dinner?


4 comments:

  1. Just like magic I could loan you 5 of mine and then just like magic you could have dinners made for 7 nights a week. Katie can make pizza rolls from scratch, or spaghetti. Kamden can make you mac n cheese out of the box (supervised), Kalen could make you grilled cheese and tomato soup, Kody could heat up a can of soup in the microwave and throw some mustard and meat on bread for a sandwich, and Klara could make you toast and cereal. Doesn't that sound tempting? McDaniel's meal sounds.......imaginative. Ellie's sounds tasty. I ask for pickles to be added to my chicken sandwiches when I hit fast food, so pickles and chicken sounds like a fine combo to me.

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  2. I would eat everything your kids would make me! Especially that awesome combo of grilled cheese and tomato soup--yummo! I failed to say that any meal I did not have to make is a meal at least worth trying.

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  3. Cute post!! I have 2 sons and they both know how to cook.....

    Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comment!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  4. I know what you mean...I tend to make the same things over and over again. Boring! You are a genius getting your daughters to share in the meal planning and cooking. I wonder if they will be making you a scrumptious Mother's Day feast? If so, I would look forward to seeing a blog post on that. :)

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