I love Friday! For supper, Joe has been taking us out to eat. Lately we've been going to Hibachi Grill. We also used some gift cards Saturday and went to Olive Garden. I have never had a bad experience there and yesterday was no exception. The Lasagna Fritta appetizer was delicious and the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken was so yummy! I wish I could cook like that! So now it's back to meal prep at home. I made a great standby for lunch-mac and cheese with hot dogs-and it was not so good. I usually time the pasta, but forgot to, and they were slightly under cooked. Add to that a missing ingredient, namely, butter, and I could have enjoyed my day not eating it. I wonder how supper will turn out...

The Dreaded C-Word

When we heard my husband got a promotion and was switching to a day shift, we were ecstatic! But then reality hit me: I had to cook. If you haven't guessed already, that is the dreaded c-word. Cooking is okay if someone else does it, but I don't like trying to please other's taste buds. I know what I like and I know my husband does not like the same things. He likes steak; I like grilled chicken sandwiches with lots of veggies. We also have two young children to feed. That is difficult by itself. So here goes my attempts at cooking. Today the two year old asked for pasta. I have Creamette quick cook rotini and some leftover chicken and corn. I put it all together with a rosemary garlic dressing. I think it's a vinaigrette. Thankfully, he liked it, but it was a little bland. I couldn't get the oil to mix with the vinegar and water, so the rosemary didn't come out of the dressing bottle. Yes, I made it myself with a premixed seasoning blend. Then, it all stuck to the pan while I tried to get the herbs out of the bottle and my spoon got stuck. Oh, to be a good cook and know what I'm doing!

Since I have children and a husband, I have cooked many meals since my last post. Most are of the same variety: pasta with meat and veggies. I also have made baked chicken thighs with Zatarain's Creole seasoning on the skins. This is the adults' favorite because the skins came out crunchy. I make it with sides like green beans cooked in butter and Goya Complete Seasoning, or cream style corn, and instant mashed potatoes. We also have tried Velveeta's Cheesy Skillets, both the Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac and the Chicken and Broccoli. My husband and the boys loved them, but I didn't like them quite as much. I served them with a veggie. Tonight, I have Boston baked beans in the slow cooker, made from a recipe I found online. I didn't have the cloves or salt pork or bacon, so I probably shouldn't have bothered attempting to make these for the first time in my life, but I did add some coarse ground sea salt in the bottom to help with the missing sodium. Thank goodness we're eating out tonight!