People are forever asking how I manage everything with such a busy schedule. I love to cook, but I don’t always have time to do so in the manner I would like. This weekly journal is a way to keep it real and show that while my intentions are good, sometimes life and all of its activities get in the way of serving a delicious, home-cooked meal and that it is perfectly okay.

• • Saturday: We had a big lunch while watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi thanks to a really cool bistro/theater, so none of us were hungry for any sort of dinner. Each one of us ended up finding something small to eat.
  • Sunday: The one thing about people with no appetite is that they do not eat the amount of food you expect them to eat. Which means you have more leftovers, or the leftovers last longer than you planned. This is the case with the chicken and gnocchi soup from last week. In a last-ditch effort to clean out the fridge and make room for this week’s dinners, we all had leftover soup tonight. It fit the laziness we were feeling as neither Holly nor I were particularly enthused about getting up for school/work this week.
  • Monday: Sometimes, when teaching the kids how to cook/relinquishing the reins to someone else in the kitchen, favorite recipes take a hit. But experience more than makes up for a misfire. Such was the case with Connor making Charred Cauliflower Carbonara tonight. He got it mostly correct, and it was still tasty. There are little nuances to making a carbonara sauce that he needs to learn, as he found out tonight. I am just so impressed he not only cooked dinner without prompting, he never gave up. Plus, he expressed a desire to cook next year for his future roommates in the apartment they are planning on renting. Parent win!
  • Tuesday: Connor cooked again tonight! I could definitely get used to this. Tonight’s meal selection was Slow Cooker Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese. It was not my favorite. Even Connor struggled to eat it because it was too rich. For me, noodles get overcooked in slow cookers or one pot recipes, and I detest overcooked noodles. The sauce was also like glue. I would say not enough milk and too much cheese. Connor admits he might have blown the recipe, but in looking at it I don’t think he did. Still, I got a meal out of the experience that was edible, and all I had to do was a few dishes. It was a fair trade.
  • Wednesday: It was a weird night. Holly was gone. Jim was on his way home. Connor had to run out and do some things. No one was very interested in making anything fresh. So we relied on leftovers. Again.
  • Thursday: It was Jim’s turn to cook tonight, and he pulled out our Instant Pot for Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken. This was absolutely delicious. Not too spicy with tons of flavor, the chicken was perfectly tender. I am definitely adding it to the rotation. We served it with rice, but it would be excellent on tortillas with some guacamole. Yum!!!
  • Friday: No cooking Fridays meant we got the chance to eat some of the leftover chicken from yesterday. I didn’t have the guacamole, but I did confirm that it is delicious on tortillas.

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  What was for dinner at your house this week?