You know how I’m one to brag that I already have dinner planned by 10 a.m.? Not today. Or yesterday either, for that matter. And to top it all off, I’ve already used my summer standby – Caesar salad – this week. It’s the most ridiculous feeling, but what’s for dinner isn’t even on my radar.
What happened?
I wish I was one of those disciplined people who made a menu once a week or month and then stuck to it. I’m bad at that. Perhaps all this sudden summer weather has surprised me such that I can’t think through a meal.
Summer. I suppose I can do hamburgers, but that would require a trip to the store for buns. We could have fruit, cheese, and bread, but that would require a trip to the store, too, since we’re out of fruit, cheese, and bread. Tuna salad? Nah. The youngest wasn’t very happy with that last time. I’d love talapia with mango salsa and a rice pilaf, but that would require work – and a trip to the store.
I don’t even think we have a box of macaroni and cheese in the cabinet.
Well, one thing’s obvious. I’ve had a case of the lazies set in. Another reality: I need to go to the grocery store. Guess I better get to it.
I hate grocery shopping more than just about anything. I’d rather clean the house or wash my car than grocery shop. Our freezer saves me from having to go several times a week. I just load up at Empire Fish every couple months, shop for specials at Sendik’s, Karl’s Market or Sausage Haus and stock up the freezer. I try to buy multiples of pantry items so I’m never out, and I add anything that I’m running low on to the shopping list. The big problem is fresh produce–I don’t use frozen veggies or fruits much since we prefer fresh, so that means a trip to the grocery store or farmers market every week. I did buy a refrigerator with several produce drawers, however, so we can store more than most. My husband loves fresh fruit and eats a lot of it, and he’s fussy about quality so we have to make the weekly trip to Sendik’s Towne Center, which has good quality.
I washed the car a couple of days ago instead of grocery shop. I guess we have that in common! Car looks great.
The spouse called on his way home, so he went to the store. I redeemed myself by making hummus, chopping lots of veges, and making a cannellini bean salad. We won’t starve for tonight after all.
(He also went to Ray’s. I see a case of Columbia Crest Two Vines. Things are looking up indeed!)
Gooooo to the store!
Yes Mother. (I will after Farmer’s Market tomorrow.)
Almost every day – except those days we go out with friends to dinner, which can be often – I go to Sendik’s at the end of the day.
I go straight to the fresh fish counter. I have my choice of several types of salmon, tilapia – and that means about 4 or 5 diff tilapia’s including coconut crusted, parmesan crusted, panko crusted, etc., scallops, hake, orange roughy and grouper. I find what I like or what looks good. I pick up some vegies and salad makings. I make a girl salad. You know, one of those green and purple lettuce things. Complete with sliced zucchini’s, tomatoes, onions, a few raisins, some nuts, sliced fruit of the moment sometimes pears sometimes strawberries and i top it with crumbled blue cheese and then zero calorie raspberry vignette.
My wife complains each night bitterly when she arrives home to find a complete fish dinner made for her. She doesn’t want to eat fish every day. She complains that she’ll get sick of it.
Her mood subsides as she wolf’s down the hot, fresh and wholesome meal. Good food calms angry wives I’ve found.
And as she sits back in her chair after dinner as I clean up and put away everything lickedy split she agrees that it was a fine dinner. Thanks me. And comments about the nice flavors and tastes. And talks about my renewed effort to cook and clean up.
We’re in Door County this weekend. She’ll order fish – she always does. Whitefish or something else that’s mild like that.
Then we’ll arrive home next week and repeat. “I don’t want to have fish every night!!!”
Yes dear.
hmm…. grouper … think we’ll have grouper Tuesday.
Wow, Wilson828! I think you need to talk to my husband – I would LOVE to come home to a fresh, lovely seafood dinner every night that was already prepared! And, you clean up as well?! Wow.
My kids would eat it, too. It’s just Hubby that wants his beef, pork, beef, chicken, beef…you get the idea.