What's for Dinner

Dear Alisha,

I'm offering up the #1 common complaint of women everywhere. What's for dinner??? I'm almost afraid to ask what you serve up, fearing it to be so gourmet and fresh that a person such as myself could never hope to duplicate such dishes. Nevertheless, could you give your eager readers a sampling of what you serve your family for dinner?

Sincerely,

Dinnerless in Arizona

Dear Dinnerless,
Do you know who I like to copy?  Jana.  As in my BFF, Janalee of It's the Little Things, Jana. She posted what her family ate for dinner in a month.  Quick to copy her idea, I have started writing down what we have eaten for dinner fo the past 2 MONTHS.  You read that right.


Before you sum me up or judge these meals, here are a few things to bare in mind. 
1) I have had a terrible time with vertigo or vestibular migraines these past 2 months.  Sometimes my cooking reflects that.  I marked some of the days when I was having real trouble at dinner time.  Other times I had a lousy, dizzy day but my one and only accomplishment was making dinner and keeping the children alive with the help of friends.
2) It was birthday season and Easter.  So we had more celebratory meals or dinners out.
3) Sometimes I tried an item from Costco that came in bulk, like apple chicken sausages, and then we ate them for 2 or 3 meals.  It's not like 'Wow that family sure loves their sausage'!  'Alisha's coming over, quick! Get some fatty sausage, it's the only way to appease her!'  For the record, I don't like sausage.  The garlic-less lower fat chicken was fine but I may never buy it again.  And really easy.  Enough about sausage.
4) I didn't write down what I made for dessert, if I did make dessert.  I might have had a day of elaborate baking followed with a simple meal, and you'll only know of the meal.  I don't make too many desserts during the week.


With out further ado, I give you, unedited,  What We Ate:


Late February through end of March

Feb 24- orange chicken, asparagus, red peppers (out of rice)

25th-fish soup with veggies and sprouted oat bread

26th crockpot chicken with salsa, black beans, corn, and salad

27th spagetti with meatball, stewed lamb (from freezer), salad, and wilted spinach,= a big mess

28th Blue and Gold dinner

29th apple sweet potato soup left from lunch, leftover chicken, veggie plate and dip, Irish soda bread for kids.

1st-chicken salad sandwiches or salad, cucumber slices, cinnamon bread for kids {Vertigo}

2 turkey chile with black beans, peppers, veggies, sour cream, cheese.

3-(Justin made it) Chicken marinara  {Vertigo}

4 AT FRIEND's HOUSE! What a treat!

5 Balsamic pork chops and onions, cauliflower puree, salad.

6 Green chicken and beans and lettuce and tomato with toppings {Vertigo, really bad}

7 asparagus soup, Stroganoff -turkey and extra mushrooms, peas {Vertigo}

8 Turkey tacos, lettuce, tomato, avocado, toppings, protein corn tortillas

9 Grilled and cheese, veggie plate, leftover chicken with beans.

10 Pizza for kids (Justin and I on date... until Whitman threw-up, then pizza for us too.)

11 BBQ chicken and coleslaw, sandwiches for kids.

12 I can't remember, {Vertigo stew}

13 Chicken soup, noodles involved -really sick kids, especially Davy at Dr. 

14 mac and cheese for recovering kids, cucumbers, Justin and I ate leftovers.

15 Marsala chicken, zucchini, butternut squash; chicken quesadillas with corn salsa and 
orange bell peppers for kids (some still recovering).

16 Indian chicken tacos.

17 Date out, after temple Reuben's, "garlic" chicken pasta for kids.

18 Asparagus soup with parm, spinach and cheese stuffed chicken breasts, salad, Gouda bread, brownies.

19 lightly breaded tilapia, skillet "fried"onion and potatoes, wilted spinach with lemon, sliced bell pepper.

20 Taco salad -turkey taco meat, avocado, Romain,  tomatoes, pickled corn salsa, corn tortillas or chips, cheese, salsas, sour cream.

21 chicken and apple sausages, (buns for kids), black beans, asparagus, cucumber slices.

22 Chicken and white parm sauce over penne pasta, (delivered dinner, hence the pasta) veggie plate and salad, homemade ranch, green salad for Justin.

23 Chicken sandwiches, quinoa salad, coleslaw, cucumber slices

24 (we ate lunch out) sandwiches again

25 Broiled salmon, cucumber dill salsa, mushroom stuffed ravioli in light cream parm sauce

26 Indian chicken, zucchini, broccolini

27 taco salad, back by popular demand

28 balsamic porkchops and onions and fennel, only we forgot the fennel, and broccoli

29 turkey Spaghetti, noodles for the kids, big salad, veggie plate dressing

30 Thai shrimp soup :http://www.food.com/recipe/south-beach-thai-shrimp-soup-with-lime-and-cilantro-195711, added stir fry veggies, cherry tomatoes and fish sauce.  Don't over cook the shrimp! But I did anyways.

31st

April through current:

1st chicken sausages, WW buns for the kids!, big salad and veggies, toilet paper cake

2nd oven tilapia (breaded) with lemons, brown rice (kids) goat cheese and sundried tomato ravioli with light cream sauce (adults) brocc. tomatoes

3rd (birthday)  Cheeseburgers (homemade! of course) and veggies

4th salad and Chicken bean soup

5 turkey, black bean and corn chili

6 Dinner out!  kids ate mini chicken tacos with tomatoes, sour cream, cucumber spears

7 (birthday) I refused to make dinner.  I went to conference then ate steak salad with the girls. kids ate----?

8 (Easter) glazed ham (all natural!), asparagus, Gruyere cheese sauce, potatoes, orange rolls, (salad didn't show up) desserts

9 Grilled salmon with cucumber yogurt tapenade, potatoes with cheese sauce (leftover) and broccoli.  and rolls.

10 Turkey tacos and and extra helping of {Vertigo}

11 Ham and bean soup, toast. The kids informed me that they had eaten too much bread already today. a side of Vertigo

12 Roasted chicken ala Costco, veggie plate, simple green salad, dressing =other wise known as the kids favorite meal.

13 chicken salad sandwiches on raisin bread, green salad

14 take out Thai food

15 Spaghetti and green salad.

16 crock pot green chicken and beans and tortillas and green salad

17ham and cheese croissants and {Vertigo}.

18 skillet chicken enchiladas, lettuce and tomatoes.

19 beef and mushroom stroganoff and asparagus.

20 Dinner out, kids ate garlic chicken pasta.

21out to temple, kids ate turkey meatballs with spaghetti and veggies, adults ate veggie with shrimp stir fry via New Seasons.

22  Top sirloin, asparagus, roasted herb potatoes and onions, green salad/veggie plate.

23 Turkey cheese burgers, salad, zucchini with parm

24 Chicken, sweet potato, and onion mash with red curry sauce, green salad. Sauce-less for kids, olive bread for them too.

25 Turkey, bean, and veggie soup, WW rolls, {Vertigo for dessert}

A few notes:  Justin and I don't eat much bread or pasta, so if you see "turkey burger" that probably meant that the kids ate the bun and we had it plain.  I know, you're fascinated.  We were on a taco/taco salad spree thanks to Trader Joe's corn salsa.  It really made tacos memorable.

I shoot for a cooked vegetable and a fresh salad or veggie plate or at least one fresh veggie for every dinner.  With a lean protein.  Unless you see the word "beef", then the meat was turkey.  As in turkey taco salad or turkey chili.  Also, all my salad dressing is homemade.

You can see how the weather was teetering.  It was soup one day, grilling the next, and then back to chili when a storm rolled in.

 The only recipe I linked to is on March 30th.  I just don't work that way.

I don't plan out my meals for the whole week.  That is beyond me.  I usually plan for 3 days at a time plus I have some staples in my freezer to pull together a meal.  Like orange chicken and broccoli.  

I am tired of my current recipes and routine.  I will take new healthy-ish suggestions, please.