Macaroni and cheese and fish sticks again? Sometimes I feel like we’d be doing just as well to go to McDonald’s every night for dinner. I haven’t talked all that much here about how frequently Rockford is away, but it’s often enough to make it difficult for me to get into the habit of making a real dinner. Poppy isn’t the world’s most adventurous eater (ha!), and it’s just too discouraging to make a meal for three that one person so vehemently won’t eat. Pete’s a good eater, but his five very enthusiastic bites just don’t make up for her meal-time crabbiness. So I make something I know they’ll both eat, and then after they’re in bed I have a tuna fish sandwich or a bowl of oatmeal. Because guess who doesn’t like fish sticks? That’s right: Me. (Unless they’re on a sandwich. Poppy’s food peculiarity has its obvious roots.)

(Note: I know this is a wrong and terrible way to look at things, but some days I am doing my best to hang in there. So. Mac & cheese and fish sticks it is.)

My, that was a downer of a menu-plan intro. I blame the weather. It’s the greyest of greys here today, and stormy to boot.

Monday: Breakfast for dinner

This will be eggs, veggie sausages and toast. It’s always a hit, which is why we have it at least one night most weeks.

Tuesday: Macaroni & cheese

I was going to make this from scratch, but then Target had the blue box on sale for 90 cents.

Wednesday: Fish sticks

We bought a giant bag of fish sticks a few weeks ago. I’m hoping we’re near the bottom of it.

Thursday: Chicken-apple sausages

I hope it stops raining by Thursday, because I want to grill these. We’ll have them with Alexia oven fries, which are delicious.

Friday: Homemade pizza

I finally made pizza dough for homemade pizzas last week, and they were quite lovely. The pizza dough recipe is here, and I can’t recommend it enough. It takes some time, but it is so easy. Last Friday’s pizzas were pretty standard-issue; I’m thinking I’ll do something different this week. Rockford and I both really like Thai chicken, and I’ve been toying with the idea of a banh mi pizza. I’m just not sure what to do for the sauce. The sauce I make for the sandwiches has mayo and Sriracha in it, but I don’t like the idea of mayo on a pizza. Any ideas?

Strange things tend to happen when I go to the grocery store with a cold. Things like this: I bought Hamburger Helper this week. Not that there’s anything wrong with Hamburger Helper. My mom made it a lot when I was growing up. My mom was also a single mother who worked full time and didn’t especially like to cook, though, and I’m a stay-at-home mom who usually does enjoy cooking. But there I was, sniffly and tired, dragging two small people around the store, and there was the HH on the shelf, looking all easy and on sale. And before I knew it, I was planning to have boxed beef stroganoff tonight for dinner. That kind of seems appropriate, though, as the only meal I’m actually making from scratch this week will be Wednesday night’s omelets.

Monday: Hamburger Helper beef stroganoff.

It’s from their whole wheat line. I’m hoping it’ll be delicious.

Tuesday: Enchilada soup.

The mix I’m using calls for shredded chicken, but I’m leaving it out.

Wednesday: Omelets.

If the cold hasn’t gone away, I probably won’t be going to church on Wednesday night. Omelets are quick enough to make beforehand if I do go, though.

Thursday: Wild rice soup.

This is from the same company as the enchilada soup mix.

Friday: In-laws’ house, probably.