A Requiem for Cooking

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions" seems to be the trite aphorism that best applies to our ability to eat a decent, home-cooked meal these days. The only thing I've actually fixed this week was barbecue pulled pork in the slow cooker. Unfortunately, I have to admit I didn't fix anything to go with it. (Nope, not even cole slaw!) The night we had the pork for supper, Jeff and I wheeled into the garage about thirty minutes before we had to take our son to his evening guitar class. So, while Jeff changed clothes, I yanked some buns from the pantry and shredded the pork. Then, we all gulped down our dinner (the aroma of which - apparently - had been driving the boy crazy for awhile as it made its way to his basement lair), and I changed clothes while the guys picked up the dishes. Whew! Eating on the run is enough to give anyone heartburn.

The next day our intentions didn't help us at all as evidenced by the fact that we ended up at Mickey D's between the end of school and Jeff's choir concert. Luckily, our son (who has a longer fall break than we do) was already at school with us, so I didn't have to make a flying trip home to pick him up which meant we actually all ate together. Still, I think even he is getting tired of McDoubles. Since it's the cheapest meal in town, it has become our top pick when we are stuck out somewhere. (I realize that only a few months ago I would have viewed concert night as a challenge to be dealt with creatively - i.e. a picnic in my classroom - but these days I just don't seem to have that kind of energy.)

At least we managed to redeem ourselves (somewhat) this evening by eating frozen pizza rather than ordering something from delivery. However, that too is getting pretty old (which is obvious in the fact that so much is leftover), so I think we're going to swear off the Red Baron for awhile in favor of other quick fixes. Recently we purchased some frozen fish fillets which were excellent (after we cooked them longer than suggested to achieve a crispy coating). Those, coupled with sweet potato fries doused in pepper and dipped in honey-mustard, were probably the best freezer-to-table foods we've eaten in awhile. While our son likes the frozen tacquitoes and tacos, Jeff and I would much prefer something more interesting. Last week we looked over the Marie Callendar frozen dinners because they were on sale, and some of the varieties looked good; however, when each requires six or seven minutes in the microwave, they aren't really a time saver. (After all, pasta with sauce from a jar and frozen garlic bread can be ready in 20 minutes.)

I suppose the truth of the matter is that I've turned lazy in my planning for hectic nights. Recently, I find myself on auto-pilot in the grocery store, buying the sames things we always eat out of habit rather than making conscious decisions about how to feed three of us in a time crunch. Perhaps this week's break will give me an opportunity to get back in the groove and cook up some homemade goodness to atone for all the other junk. (Keep your fingers crossed!)