It's All About Balance

The man has been away on a Hunting Trip in Canada, so I havent been cooking too much with just me and the kids around. Before he left, his mother gave me a sack full of eggplants fresh from her garden (she's the sweetest lady EVER). They've been sitting on my island for a week while I figure out what to do with them....

Yesterday it hit me....I'll do sort of a mock eggplant parmesan type dish. The kicker: 2 picky kids with totally different tastes.

HMMMM......

I go home before getting the kids from daycare, and I peel and dice the eggplant. The kids have seen the eggplant sitting around all week, and they were intrigued, not knowing I usually sneak it in their food anyway. Into a bowl it goes. Now onto the cheesey goodness. The big girl (6) is a cheese fanatic. She loves to take cheese cubes to school in her lunch. Ok...cubed eggplant, cubed cheese, why not? Tossed 2 handfuls of colby jack cubes in. One kid down, the pickiest one to go....and of course he's not a huge fan of cheese. What is he a huge fan of? Tomatoes. Well that's easy....1 large can of petite diced tomatoes....into the bowl. Now add a little garlic/onion/salt/italian seasoning. It's looking good, but you cant stick something like that in the oven without topping it with more cheese.. (isnt there a law or something about that?! There should be).....anyway...Topped it with a cup of Five Cheese Italian Blend, and into the oven it goes. Then I start thinking....hmm...this is all veggie. How is this going to keep us full? Should I boil some pasta? (Tummy says Yes, Diet says No). OOOOH...I've got it....bread crumbs. OF course bread crumbs....the one thing I dont keep on hand...but luckily I did have some french bread that was a few days (ok more like a week or so) old. I tossed it in with the eggplant concoction to "toast" so I could crumble it, then I tossed it with garlic and grated parmesan cheese. After the first layer of cheese had melted, I topped it with the bread crumb mixture, then added a layer of shredded parmesan cheese to the top. Stuck it back in the oven to broil, and voila...

(by no means am I a professional photographer, nor do I want/care to be...)

Now the taste test.... DELISH! Both kids picked at it at first, one eating the cheese and one eating the tomatoes, but then when I forced them to try the eggplant, they were impressed. Pretty excited about this meal. It's healthy, plus, if I want, I can pour it over pasta. For my picky kids, it's all about balance...incorporating a little bit of something everyone likes.

They'll live if I dont cook, Right?

"Honey, I'm going to drop something off with a lady at McDonalds, go to the dry cleaners, and get the kids....grab the ravioli lasagna from the fridge at work"

::calling honey after meeting for drop off:: "I didnt get mugged, carjacked or gang banged"
Honey: "Oook"
Me: "Just letting you know...I'll talk to you later!"

Not 5 mins later...

Honey: "What were you saying about getting mugged and car jacked?"
Me: "I said I didnt!"
Honey: "Where did you go!?"
Me: "To meet a lady to drop off a dress"
Honey: "Ohh...I thought you said you were going grocery shopping!"
Me: "REALLY?!

(oh it gets better..)

Honey: "Are we just gonna have that lasagna stuff again?"
Me: "Did you grab it?"
Honey: "No...I thought you said you were going to?"
Me: "UGH.....I told you to grab it, meaning you did not comprehend a single word from the conversation we had prior to me leaving. You thought I was going grocery shopping and you didnt grab dinner."
Honey: "I'll order something."


As much as I was looking forward to leftovers last night, it didnt happen. The little dude was disappointed too. "I'll order something" turned into, "I'll pay for it if you go pick it up." Freedom of choice, sure, but it's just not the same.

I enjoy cooking Dinner, as much as I complain about it. I think it's just one of those things you are "supposed" to do (complain). I think the kids like to take that time to annoy the crap outta each other, say "Look Mommy" as many times as they can in the 30 minutes it takes, and to just get away with anything they can in general. Not having that time seems to make them cranky at the end of the day.

They'll live if I dont cook, Right?

More like survival of the fittest when I DO cook ;)

Day 1: Just a thought in My Mind

Last night, there I stood in the kitchen, trying to figure out what I was going to cook for the kids and the man when it hit me. Who needs recipes anyway? Then I started thinking about the countless hours spent browsing Pinterest, and the countless recipes I've pinned.....all doing me no good as I stand in the kitchen searching the cabinets and the fridge. Ground beef I defrosted...CHECK. Ricotta that expires tomorrow....CHECK. Your first thought is probably the same as mine...LASAGNA. Lasagna Noodle....NEGATIVE. Hmm...Do I make spaghetti and toss the ricotta, or do I keep pondering? Then I hear a wise little voice say "Mommy I want Rabbioli". ::thinks about it::: Frozen cheese ravioli......CHECK! That's it! I'll make a lasagna with frozen ravioli instead of lasagna noodles! The little guy is brilliant I tell ya. Off I go with all of the ingredients. "Who needs a recipe anyway?" I think to myself. Ok. Brown the ground beef with some garlic powder and onion powder. Add in a packet of Zesty Spaghetti sauce mix, Italian Seasoning, and a can of tomatoe puree. Hey this is easier than I thought! Mix together ricotta, garlic powder, onion powder, cream cheese, a few wedges of laughing cow cheese, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, and some garlic salt. Pull out the pan, turn on the oven.... wait. I need something to go on the bottom so that the ravioli doesnt stick to the pan. (Man walks in and asks what I'm making and replies "ohhh...kay").. I've got it...1 small can of tomato paste, italian seasonings, garlic, onion powder, and water. Dilute it down and pour it in the pan....CHECK. Layer frozen ravioli....CHECK. Slather that yummy Ricotta goodness.....CHECK. Another layer of ravioli.....half check. I kinda ran out toward the end, so I spaced them. I thought I had 2 bags, but I only had one. Meat/Tomato mixture......CHECK. Italian Cheese and Cheddar Cheese on top....SUPER CHECK (If you know me, you know I love cheese). Into the oven it goes. 15 "Mommy is dinner ready?" 's later, the cheese is golden brown on top and the house is filled with that Italian garlicky smell.

The Verdict: It's a huge hit! Everyone loved it. I'll definitely be adding it into rotation.

If you dont like my ingredients, you can always use your own. throw in whatever you want..onions, peppers, mushrooms. I like things simple....and easy.