When I first moved in with CB here in the lovely city of Gent, we often split cooking detail. Every other day one of us picked a dish we wanted to try and the other person happily helped prepare it.
Aww, sweet, no?
Now, about five months later, with CB working on his doctorate, teaching psychology labs, giving exams and working on house construction with CabanaDad most weekends and some evenings, I have pretty much taken up the mantle of meal planner, supper preparer, and food gatherer. Don’t get me wrong, CB still makes dinner (last night he made sauteed salmon steaks, steamed asparagus roasted with cherry tomatoes, black olives and eggplant on brown rice…YUM), I just tend to make it more often. Which leads me to my latest dilema, how the friggity frack do moms/wives plan meals every single day?! Seriously, I want us to eat healthy and also with variation so as not to get bored or start snacking just for different tastes but it doesn’t take me long to totally run out of ideas for suppertime.
As a single person I never did a ton of cooking. If I had to impress a guy I could do basic marinated chicken or grilled salmon with a canned veggie like green beans that I could toss some slivered almonds in and a side of rice. And of course I could do any of those premade casseroles, tacos, hamburger helper, etc. But that’s basically all there was to my repertoire. On top of that, as I’ve previously stated, I’m a creature of habit, so it’s not a big deal for me to eat pretty much the same thing for a week. I still do that now for other meals. My breakfast is usually a piece of fruit and/or scrambled eggs (drinkable yogurt when I don’t have time to sit down), my lunch is typically some form of vegetable soup (I’m not huge on salads…I’ll eat one if you put it in front of me, but make one for myself? nah) and some chicken or turkey slices. If I snack it’s most likely on a piece of cheese or fruit, or a handful of unsalted nuts. And really, if I showed you the food journal I’ve been keeping the past week or two, you’d see I’m not lying, that’s really pretty much exactly what I eat every single day. Needless to say, coming up with a different meal every day has become rather trying. I attempted to illicit some input from CB by asking him before he went to work, if there was something he wanted for dinner. Every single time he answered me with, “Whatever you make is fine.”*
Well that doesn’t help much, now does it.
So finally the other night I said something along the lines of,”how the friggity frack do moms/wives plan meals every single day?!”
CB looked at me kindly and said, “If you run out of ideas I can suggest some things to cook.”
To which I replied testily,”I’ve been asking you to do that every day and you always say that whatever I make is fine!”
“Oh,” he said, “I misunderstood. I thought you wanted to make something that I liked.”
Heh, silly silly man…assuming I was asking because I actually wanted to make something that he liked. He could’ve said “Hot snot over a bed of poached planaria” and I would’ve given it some consideration (the snot I got…planaria I might have to special order…).
But anyway, I’ve sort of taken this as a new challenge, the finding new things to try for dinner. Last night was honey mint glazed grilled chicken and caulifower puree. Any suggestions from the devoted peanut gallery?
*We won’t talk about earlier this week when CB got a headache, told me he was craving something unhealthy like fries. I recomended the compromise of going to the Turkish grill around the corner but he said his headache was bad enough that he didn’t want to go out for food. So I went and made quinoa pilaf, roasted eggplant and sauteed shrimp. He came down, looking like death, ate the shrimp and went back upstairs, leaving the rest. Two hours later after sleeping off the headache he ignored the plate I’d saved in the fridge and went out for fries instead.
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1:35 pm
I usually browse cooking books or surf for recepies. I’m not very inventive either but cookbooks can really make me excited.
I know a lot of bloggers read this: http://www.kokeneten.be/. Never tried any of the recepies though.
hahahahaaa Belgians need their fries now and then I am afraid. If you crave for Fries, nothing else appeals really. Both Jan and I are currently trying to eat very healthy and non-fat meals and loosing some kilo’s…but after 3 weeks we had to go to the frituur desperately. Yummieeeee. Now trying to stick it out for 2-3 weeks again.
2:53 pm
I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one with a “cooking blockage”. You would think growing up with jewish women all around who can just look at unprepared food and it will end up gourmet would have rubbed off, but apparently it didn’t. I find myself staring into the fridge/freezer or sitting on the kitchen floor with open cookbooks all around me every night! We end up having chicken, shrimp, beef, and fish every week (in no particular order) cooked somewhat the same way. So needless to say, I can’t help, but I wish I could….
7:53 pm
just found your blog through Lotus’s blog. I like it! And I’m totally stealing the phrase “How the friggity frack…?” I LOOOOVE it!
7:59 pm
As for the dilemma in your post, one of my favorite sites to scour for recipes is http://www.epicurious.com .
12:24 am
this is the single worst thing i hate about kitchens. i don’t mind cooking, too much, although i suck suck suck suck SUCK at it. i MIND the thinking-what-i’m-going-to-cook of it all. it SUUUUCKS!!!
i think all day! i don’t want to have to think *more* when i get home!
i’ve said too much. should’ve thought about it more.
3:58 am
look up food network and it will give you ideas if you just type in a protein or vegetable. recipe.com is good too! I am proud of you and Carrie for at least trying (and Carrie is a GREAT cook!) good luck…
2:09 pm
ummm, and this i why you have a brother who is practically a chef…mamsita does it plain and simpl
2:11 pm
it would be nice if mamasita could frickin frackin type too! I majored in laundry 101 and dishwashing 101…both waterplay activities.
2:44 pm
That’s some impressive cooking from CB!
10:53 pm
Came here from Camikaos. Enjoyed my first visit. Good luck in Belgium.
1:05 pm
I always read very exotic cookbooks before throwing together a sandwich before I was a wife and mother…after I married and had my own home, the exotic cookbooks came into full use and menu planning an art. It was one I enjoyed since I was a SAHM while my kids were , well, kids…when they got older and I went into my profession, it was back to the old “fix anything fast” routine. Now that I am retired, it’s come full circle, I cook…I really cook…and now I invite my grown children to taste the delights of their childhood…I loved this post and so glad that David sent me by…congrats on the mention in Post of the Day
Sandi
1:23 pm
Oh, how I can feel your pain!
Tell me what you want, and I shall cook it (well, maybe, maybe not *smile*), but please take off me that burden of coming up with a meal that everybody likes.
I came over here thanks to David of “Authorblog”!
2:55 pm
The What’s Cooking Wednesday loop is a great one for everyday cooking type stuff. And I’m trying to do a menu planning thing every Wednesday (I’ve done it the last two Saturdays) on my blog based one what I get from the Farmers Market. Either of those might help?
There’s also a site called “saving dinner” I think. They might not always have the healthiest choices, though.
5:02 pm
I wish I could suggest something healthy and easy .. I stopped cooking eons ago .. now Husband makes his own dinner and I usually pick up a salad on the way home .. I have great admiration for anyone who actually cooks REAL food .. and this post has made me ravenous!
David sent me
:-Daryl
4:05 am
I know you don’t have kids because you eat fantastic and interesting foods. Not once did you mention mac and cheese or ketchup in that post…
also…your treasurlicious stuff is just begging me to click! WILL NOT GIVE IN TO CLICKING… brazil nut Whip…Coconut milk…Diva cup? Oh man, way to beginning the pampering.
Also, if I am ever in your area I will be coming to your house for dinner.