There’s an endless refrain in every extended conversation among friends: What to cook for dinner. I have a simple trick that I use whenever I get frustrated with menu planning.
Whenever I’m stumped I grab a trusty spiral notebook and turn to a clean page. Those notebooks are plentiful in my house, so this is the easy part. Then I list Monday – Sunday across the top. Then I just assign a type of meal to each day, including 1 or more delivery or takeout or eat out options.
Coming up with ideas for what to cook for dinner:
What will you cook for dinner?
Here are some examples but the possibilities are endless:
Monday – chicken
Tuesday – Vegetarian
Wednesday – breakfast for dinner
Thursday – pasta
Friday – eat out, or pick-up, or delivery, maybe even frozen pizza
Saturday – Fish or seafood (tuna casserole or salmon patties count)
Sunday – crockpot favorite
Once you have a category, the ideas of what to cook will flow!
As an example, I can think of 5 or 6 meals based on chicken easily. Same with something in the crockpot. Laying out categories is the secret and that’s actually more fun than any part of what’s for dinner other than dessert.
More What to Cook for Dinner categories
Here are more category ideas just so you can see how easy it is to get the ideas flowing: Chinese food, Anything over rice or noodles, Air Fryer favorites, Mexican food, Thai, Leftover buffet, Quiche or Pot Pies, Italian, Beef, Pork, InstaPot favorite, Soup and Salad, Grill out, Picnic favorites, and more. Your imagination is everything and it can change every time you use this trick.
I just finished something I’ve been avoiding for years. And when I say years, I’m thinking 2018 or before. I have called my freezer the “black hole” for that long and still continued to buy stuff and shove it in, never to be seen again.
My black hole of a freezer was taunting me
Today I fixed that. I motivated myself to clean the freezer with “just one shelf” and it worked. The empty shelf was motivating and I kept going. Now I have a few things left in the freezer and plenty of cleared space.
I go way back with freezer stories, including a recent kitchen drama when a sausage link came out of my ice dispenser at the worst possible moment. We are not completely recovered from that yet, although it has provided several people with snorts of laughter at my expense.
A freezer is easy to clean if you can be ruthless
Today’s haul included things labeled “best by June 2016” if that gives you an idea of how much was freezer burned and trashed. The one thing that kept me from mulling over possibilities for too long was that we had a big power outage in August of 2020 and I was able to tell myself that anything prior to that needed to go. And it did. I carried bag after bag to the trash.
So the vow I mentioned? I’m making a list – an inventory if you will of what’s left in the freezer and I vow to plan my eating around those things and then replace only what I truly will eat. And the rest of that vow is that I will not buy anything, no matter how “on sale” it is, that I don’t have a plan to use before the expiration date.
What’s next if the freezer’s clean?
Watch out pantry, I’m coming for you next. It has to be easier than thinning either bookcases, right?
We’re all dealing with inflation (and a host of other things) but I found a tiny silver lining today. I have been battling my sugar addiction forever, but in a serious life-or-death mode since March.
I realized why grocery shopping today that my frugal nature kicks into overdrive at certain price increases and candy is currently out-of-sight price-wise. Which protects me from myself because it’s so easy to keep walking when a large bag of M&Ms is $10+. The image below is for the smallest “fun size”.
I did read yesterday that Hershey’s is saying they can’t meet the fall demand for candy that is Halloween in the USA. They are managing normal everyday supply, but their seasonal lines are just not up and running yet. So I might even be able to skip “Half-price candy day” Nov 1st.
It’s easier to avoid sugar when I have been priced out of the casual chocolate market.
Update Dec 1: Turns out we weren’t post-pandemic after all, but we are gradually learning to live with Covid. Every road trip or adventure is planned with risk in mind. Hopefully the world can wrestle this virus to the ground soon.
Wild Lights Festival at Blank Park Zoo
Four of us “girls” travel together whenever we decide on where and when. We’ve been anxiously waiting for vaccinations and good weather so we could head back out into the world.
Our first adventure was at Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. The Wild Lights Festival sponsored by MidAmerican Energy was beyond excellent. Lighted animal sculptures throughout the zoo were beautiful and the overall project was brilliantly imagined.
We spent several hours at the zoo during the day, enjoying our first trip in over a year and delighting at the sights and sounds of a nice family zoo. Then we checked into our room at the Hampton Inn near the Jordan Creek Town Center Shopping Mall in West Des Moines. We’ve stayed there before and were quite comfortable, AND there’s an Applebees a few dozen steps across the parking lot.
At dusk, we returned to the zoo for the main event and we were not disappointed. The best time to view the sculptures is at dark, but you want to arrive a little beforehand to get your bearings. The best photo images are before dark unless your phone has extraordinary effects that you have mastered. 🙂
We had the best time walking through the zoo in the dark, following the same path as we had a few hours previous, but discovering all the beautiful art pieces in every direction. Oooohs and Ahhhhs doesn’t begin to describe it.
On to Pella and the tulips bakery
The next morning we packed up, had a very leisurely breakfast in an empty breakfast area (They had pretty good pandemic choices!) and then pointed the car eastward toward home. The day’s plan was to stop in Pella, Iowa to see the tulips in full bloom with fewer people than will be at next week’s Tulip Festival.
Pella did not disappoint. There were plenty of people for sure, but nothing like the crowds on Parade Day. We were seated pretty quickly at the Windmill Cafe (always worth a wait) and had lunch. Hundreds and hundreds of tulip photos taken by the 4 of us before and after lunch, and several stops to poke into the shops to see what was new in the world. That alone was worth the trip.
Sidewalk line-up for the Jaarsma Bakery
Two required stops in Pella are: 1) Bakery 2) Butcher. We sort of did both. We stopped at the butcher to grab cold cans of Diet Coke to fortify us for the half block line outside the bakery. It was nice to chat with the people around us while we waited. They were enforcing the 6 ft rule and masks, but even before Covid, you wait in line to enter either of the bakeries on the square. Diane had a list of things to procure – her friends at home desired coffee cake and almond cookies. I just wanted a bite or two of sugar, fat and salt so I wasn’t sure what I was actually waiting for – just knew it would be good.
Once inside the bakery, we searched the coffee cakes for the flavors on the shopping list. Cherry was all gone but I spotted a pecan and thought I had arrived in heaven. I love love love pecan pastry and so I had my purchase in hand.
On the way home we were comparing the wonders of Pecan coffee cake from Pella with Pecan Kringle from Racine, WI. Yesterday I voted for Kringle since it’s been a favorite craving since our sailing days. But then today I had Pella pecan coffee cake for breakfast and I have a new vice.
I’m going to share links for the Jaarsma Bakery Coffee Cakes AND the Racine Kringle so you can try them both. The Amazon link is a paid ad and the Jaarsma Bakery site is not. Both pastries are AMAZING!
Advertising note: When I link to businesses and / or products, I make a real effort to get paid for that advertising. It doesn't change my opinion, but you should know that I might be paid for my referral.
My grandson showed me how to get perfect hard boiled eggs every time! He’s going to be a chef and he practices his art daily at the restaurant where he works while finishing high school.
Perfect hard boiled eggs every time using this method.
Over the holidays, he came to help me prep the food for the big gathering. Two dozen eggs were needed for deviled eggs. Here’s what he taught me and the proof is in the picture.
1- Spin each egg on the counter until it stops wobbling. This centers the yolk so you have an attractive slice for salads and a stable white for deviled eggs.
2- Cold eggs, cold water – 17 minutes on high from start to finish
3- Have an ice bath ready when the timer goes off after 17 minutes
4- When eggs have cooled, remove them from the ice bath, shell them immediately, and store in a gallon storage bag in the fridge.
Advertising note: When I link to businesses and / or products, I make a real effort to get paid for that advertising. It doesn't change my opinion, but you should know that I might be paid for my referral.
Our group has been waiting impatiently for Beer Burger to open and now it is! We met for a dinner meeting last night to check it out.
We had a group of 7 and between us we had:
Kale Artichoke dip with garlic naan and veggies – generous portion – three of us worked on it and half the dip remained. The naan was gobbled up though – irresistable!
Various burger renditions with fries. All were yummy – the regular fries are addictive; I can only imagine how good the upgraded fries could be. One friend ordered the appetizer sliders instead of a burger because she wasn’t hungry enough for a whole burger – her three sliders combined were as big, if not bigger than our regular burgers – and the presentation was adorable (little pickle bits on picks – so sweet).
Two in our group ordered salads – they were large and looked very nice. The word was “delicious”. One only ordered a shake – watching the diet, you know. It was a regular size glass, but decorated with chocolate and sprinkles on the sides, whipped cream and a cherry on top. She said that made it a little too sweet, but it was OK. We thought the perfect dinner of the future might be a chocolate shake with no fancy trim and an order of regular fries. Could be heaven.
How’s the Beer at Beer Burger?
Beer: You’re probably wondering about the Beer, right? After all, it’s in the name and all. Beer Burger is known for their “keg room” – a glass enclosed area that can hold over 200 kegs. They have a big list of tap beers at the bar, also. Mixed drinks and cocktails are available too.
It was Happy Hour when we were there, but only certain things were included and that turned out to be none of what we ordered. The first request was for a Millstream Pale Ale and they were out. 🙁 So let’s have a Stella instead. “Out of that too, sorry” 🙁 OK, so what do we have that’s similar? Turns out the beer list is sorted by the various attributes, so if you feel like studying, you can find a sub for what you really wanted.
There are “tasting” opportunities at $ per ounce – that was the biggest thing we heard mentioned as we chatted with friends around the room. “I got this much and it was $5.40! So… lesson learned. But if you were actually on a beer adventure – this would definitely be the place!
Beer Burger is Popular!
The place is huge – their theme is a very industrial look, and within 30 minutes of opening it was full. They open at 4 and we were waiting. When we left after dinner, it was still full with a short line. That was on a Wednesday night at 7.
Two people in our group had tried to come earlier in the week. On Friday or Saturday the parking was clear out to the road and the line was too long so they left. That speaks well for support from our small town. The word is that other popular and similar establishments in town aren’t hurting, so I think we had room for more places like this.
All in all, it was a great time. A little noisy for great conversation, but perfectly fine for casual friendly chat. There were some TVs, but not a huge saturation like your typical sports bar. Service was more than excellent and the food was tasty and fun. Our food arrived pretty quickly also; but we were settled in a little ahead of the huge crowd.
I can highly recommend and I know for sure I will be back!
Advertising note: When I link to businesses and / or products, I make a real effort to get paid for that advertising. It doesn't change my opinion, but you should know that I might be paid for my referral.
There are times when I create good soup that I think I should go the route of food blogs with the overhead camera and the nifty ingredient tricks (Snap! Chopped!) but I always decide that it’s not worth it for the actual amount I cook.
Good Soup: Leftover Chicken with mixed veggies, tomatoes, and black beans.
Yesterday, against all prior planning, I accidentally created some really good soup. Let’s start at the beginning with just a little bit of background. I love those deli chickens because they’re easy and tasty when compared to messing around with raw chicken and roasting to savory goodness. My intention is always to use the best white meat atop a lunch salad and then find frugal and efficient ways to use the rest.
What usually happens instead is that I fail at matching up available fresh greens with the chicken and never get my delicious salad. I have even (gasp) ended up wasting the chicken. 🙁 But this weekend I bought greens and chicken, and in a burst of Monday inspired efficiency, carved it up and made a delicious salad on my lunch break.
I don’t know exactly what possessed me (probably the chilly rain outside), but I grabbed a 2 qt pot and started tossing the dark meat and tiny scraps of chicken in.
Ingredient: Good Soup Needs Roasted Chicken Bits
My pantry is full of canned goods, so I added a can of mixed vegetables and pondered spices for a minute, but turned the burner on to get a feel for what I had created with these two ingredients so far. (It’s how I roll.)
As you can guess, the combination left something to be desired and would surely leave me wanting pizza for dinner if I didn’t look around for flavor. I threw in a can of diced tomatoes for color and additional veggie goodness. Still lacking something. Oh, right – it lacks flavor.
Ingredient: Good Soup Needs Garlic and Onion
I have some garlic paste in a tube that I’m trying to use up – so I added about an inch and a half as a start (equiv of 1-2 cloves). Then I grabbed a fistful of frozen onions and turned up the heat. Started mixing salt and pepper in a small ingredient bowl and threw them in as the mixture started boiling. After a few minutes, I turned the heat back and cleaned up my chicken chopping mess and went back to work.
Garlic inspires me. The aroma drifted into my home office and pulled me back to the stove for tasting. I also had a timer I carried back to work with me so I wouldn’t forget to check. At this point, the chicken and vegetables were coming together into a very suitable 1st course for dinner. I could have stopped at this point with just the addition of a little more salt.
Ingredient: Good Soup Needs 1 More Something
I was so close to perfect I actually stood there and stared into the pan for a few minutes thinking through what else I had in the freezer or pantry that would take this over the top for me. Noodles? Some other pasta? Beans? That’s it! One of my favorites is White Bean Chicken Chili and I always keep canned beans around in the winter. But when I opened the pantry door, the first thing in view was a stack of black beans I had carried home with no plan other than a healthy addition to something. Bingo!
Ingredients: Here’s The Whole List
Scraps of deli roasted chicken – I probably had about 3/4 cup of dark meat and tiny bits of leftover white meat.
Cans – 1 Mixed Vegetables, 1 Diced Tomatoes, 1 Black Beans – liquid and all – just open and dump them in
Flavor – 1 handful of frozen chopped onions – probably 3/4 cup if you feel the need to measure. It could have used more, but I didn’t want to play with the temperature up and downs again. 1 and 1/2 inches of garlic paste from the tube in the fridge – equivalent to 1-2 cloves. Salt and pepper to taste – probably 1/2 – 1 teaspoon each. I added more salt a couple of times during the simmer.
That’s it. I ended up eating 2 bowls with crackers for dinner and skipping the meal I had planned. It was so good and I have enough for 2-3 bowls left over for lunch today.
Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
