I tend to make lots of pastas with vegetables in the summer, but in the winter I like to make comfort food: arroz con pollo, crockpot stews, soups and bread... My husband gave up meat for Lent, so many of my regular winter meals had to be adjusted.  I spent the first two weeks concocting complicated meals with beans or lentils as a substitute for meat.  (My lentil moussaka was great; the lentil stuffed peppers not so much.)  And then I just burned out.  The kids wouldn't eat any of it, so I was cooking double... Ugh.  Who has time for that?

     So I instituted Simple Food night.  I lay out crackers and cheese, fruit, vegetables and dip, and my husband and I have a salad with lots of things on top.  (Cosco is great for picking up lots of bulk salad fixings: dried fruits, crouton, or nuts in big bags.)  It has become our favorite meal, and it's totally simple.  I think we'll be continuing this for awhile.

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Posted by Anonymous

Mmm... sounds good! What kind of dressing on your salad?

~Stacy
www.withgreatjoy.blogspot.com

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Posted by momco3

Our favorite dressing is the Honey Poppyseed Dressing from Terry Blonder Gohlson's 1000 LowFat Recipes.
Blessings,
Annie

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Posted by Anonymous

I loved this idea! Sometimes I do this at lunch time for the kids and I, actually I do it a lot but occaisionally I give each of the kids a muffin tin full of the different simple foods I have chosen... cheese cubes in one hole, apple slices in another, etc. Another no meat dinner idea that we do sometimes is cottage cheese pancakes, which we make in the blender. If you don't mind the breakfast theme at dinner, they are great and more filling somehow than the morning(flour-y) kind.
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
1 Cup cottage cheese
2 Tbl vegetable oil
6 eggs
1/2 Cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Place it all in a blender and mix until smooth. Serves 4. (we double it for the five of us)
thanks again for this blog as a picture into your life with your sweet children,
rebecca

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Posted by momco3

Thank, Rebecca! I'll try this. The kids LOVE pancakes, but we're all hungry about 10 minutes later. Our friend Scott puts shredded cheese in his, and this seems to make the pancakes last til lunch.

I do the muffin tin snacks as a way to keep the preschoolers happy at the table during school, but for dinner-- how fun!
Annie

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